Whilst we can unfortunately accept that talking (and shouting) through sets of tunes by participants is the general rule, it does not mean that is should be acceptable. It is rude and distracting.

I am particulally upset when I find the worst offenders to be singers present, who expect and would be mortified not to receive silence from the same instrumentalists whose tunes they happliy chatted all over. If a different example was given by these singers, the backgroud noise that require calls for silence to enable a singer to be heard, would probably not be neccessary.

I find that instrumentalists usually do respect the singer's wishes. It is a shame that this respect and consideration is not generally reciprocated.

One cannot and should not expect folk in the pub to be silent for a song, but again, it is my experience that the SHHss noises do tend to silence the whole bar and also ensure that the singer is now the centre of attention.

When the singers have finished and joined in talking again, the background noise is very soon back to normal.