Good point, well presented and argued...but no! At 33 I've played music since 8 years old. I won the ulster championships on the tin whistle at 17 and am now an accomplised flute/whistle player. I have also fronted several groups on guitar and leading focals. My first love in life is Irish folk & traditional music. Tell me the difference between Paul Bardy's early folk singing and that of the Corries....Its a difference in class. Folk music or even traditional music must change as time goes on.Young players become older players in time, but have the experience not only of folk or traditional music but outside influences of Rock, pop, jazz whatever. The trick, as our ancestors have done is moving it on to the next generation, but these days, in a way that the next generation will find exciting and uplifting and thus want to learn it. Would the corries inspire this...no..but did the Bothy Band, Moving Hearts, Paul Brady, Mary Bergin, De Dennan , Matt Molloy , Davy Spillane not inspire it....Believe me I've been their, my father sitting in the corner playing and singing to the Dubliners and people like the Corries did bugger all to inspire me, rather it put me off even going near folk or traditional music.! The corries to this day are crap and don't try to convine me in any way shape or form that they were anything else...they just jumped on a bann-wagon and ripped the backside out of it for commercial reasons. Music is a gift to pass on, but when you here people like the Corries it makes you cringe when you try to pass Folk or Tradional music on when it souds like crap. Folk music is what Dick Gaughan sings, modern people and modern problems. Who wants to sing about hunting herring and cobblers days, catch yourself on. Sorry for the strong views..but it's time to move on. Sorry for the strong views..give me a shout..Colin Stewart, Ballygally, Ireland..e-mail;

colinstewart@callnetuk.com

Slainte

Colin Stewart