Hi,

There is an interesting article on Cecil Sharp's trips to America on The Musical Traditions site (mustrad.org.uk,it contains extracts from some of his letters, including the following;

From Hot Springs they moved on to Jackson County and the area of Balsam: Balsam is on the highest point on the Asheville - Murphy line, and is 3550 feet up. The weather however is as hot as it can be and we have found our long tramps over the mountains rather fatiguing - all the more so because so far we have hit on no singers to speak of. The fact is we are too close to Waynesville - a large industrial centre, and the inhabitants have been partially spoiled, that is from my point of view. The log-cabins are primitive enough but their owners are clean, neat and tidy, looking rather like maid-servants in respectable suburban families. It is sad that cleanliness and good music, or good taste in music rarely go together. Dirt and good music are the usual bed-fellows.

Now I have always been untidy, people have passed comment on it, but until now I had been unaware it was due to my good taste. Anyone had similar revelations lately?.

Chris