There's nothing "precious" in singing without an instrumental accompaniment -

The 'preciousness' I was referring to was the expectation that a group of people gathered to make music together should not be able to do this because the individual singers/players insist on 'performing' and useing them only as an audience.

When folk insist on doing this, at such a gathering, I would just like them to recognise that if everyone present insisted on doing the same thing, there would not be any time to make music together, which is after all the object at these affairs?

It does not seem to be generally recognised that it is only the other people not execising this right, that enables others to 'perform' to them.

As Bert said earlier I wonder how many of these people, sometimes after talking all through the ensemble music, then leave after doing 'their spot'?

There are places where 'performing' informally in turn, in this fashion, is the object of the evening but not all such gatherings should be turned in to these....

Nor should these be turned into 'making music together' sessions.