Of all the musicians who read this forum, I bet very few of you do a song 'straight' – I bet you add a little style, flavour, maybe your own tempo or rhythm, re-arrange the odd chord here and there, perhaps the odd word to help it suit your style better. So what do the songwriters think of what you do?

My friends and I often record stories to sell for charity, and those who do the readings don't talk in monotonous monologues – they think about the story, and work out how to give the narrative some flavour and characterisation. And occasionally you have to adapt something, like you arrange a song. Maybe cut a few seconds to fit the time available, maybe change a word that a reader finds difficult, or which pops and hisses through the microphone, or adapt a phrase that reads well on the page but comes over badly in the spoken voice.

We've had authors so pleased with our treatment, they've copied the sound files on to their websites for people to hear. And we've just done a recording in which our reader has been widely praised for his characterisation and interpretation… by everyone except the slightly-well-known author of the story, who went ape. In a letter which is currently smoking gently as its sulphurous contents burn a hole in my desktop, he rants and raves about 'idiotic tinkering' with his masterpiece, and withdraws his permission to use it. (This from a writer whose fame rests on his image of gentle Christianity, kindliness and understanding!)

We've responded politely, of course. But I despair of an artistic world in which we have to conform rigidly to every last word or chord as originally written.

Have you ever had a bollocking from a songwriter because of the way you arranged their work? If so, what did you do?

- Ian B