There's another aspect to all of this: Why should innovation be considered a necessary ingredient to a good performance of traditional folk music? Now, I like innovation, and most of the bands I listen to a lot would probably be considered innovative. I have been called innovative myself. BUT, the biggest thing that draws me to folk music in the first place is the songs and tunes themselves. I thoroughly enjoy a great old song nicely sung, even if I've heard it sung 50 times before, and even if the singer isn't of the quality of an international star. The reason some songs get done to death is because they are great songs. The fact that they've been sung too often doesn't change the fact that they are still great songs. And given that part of most people's definition of traditional music is that it is local music, hearing the local singers does something to me that the innovative stars from elsewhere can't do.

Innovation is great. But so are normal folks singing nice old songs in fairly normal ways.

John Peekstok