Steve,

Excellent points.

However, my main concern is not with the quality of the selectors or the musicians selected or the value of the results of the selection process. My problem is with the loss of variety and the homogenization of traditional music that results.

I've seen the homogenization problem in American old time music. Sometimes it feels like Tommy Jarrell's children, the disciples of the "Round Peak sound," will be all that's left in a few years.

At one time whatever process of selection was at work in folk music, at least it was more or less communal or perhaps at most regional. In the "old days" when the featured performer was the brother-in-law of the pub owner one could still theoretically walk to the pub in the next village where, chances are, the music would be completely different. These days the music in the next village pub will probably sound exactly the same.

Suppose, as Fay warns, we have 100 'experts' in a few years who have all been taught by the same group of practicing musicians. In traditional music 100 is a huge number, a veritable army. Seems to me that we can pretty well kiss whatever diversity there currently is goodbye.

To me it is sort of like the disappearance of a species. No matter how wonderful the remaining species are the net result is that the world is a poorer place for its loss.