I'm not sure I agree Harvey. I think there can be reasons to say "no". The session I go to weekly is Irish instrumental only and is not a complete begginners session (although that is not to say we wouldn't slow down maybe one or two sets of tunes in an evening to help someone get started). It is perhaps narrow and specialised but apart from no singing (I enjoy probably about 95% playing 5% singing mix best), it was what I was looking for when I moved to Norfolk. I wouldn't dream of suggesting they should allow singing but insted enjoy that I was welcomed in to a great bunch of musicians who have helped me a lot. I have since met people accusing this session of being a clique and intolerent. It isn't, it just doesn't want to change from being the strong, more specialised session, that it has been for years.

Don't missunderstand me, I have been involved in the organisation of folk clubs that were open to all sorts and personally have been very keen to help people get started - I've even lost musical instruments that way, enjoyed sessions that are mixed in types of music and songs, have enjoyed nights of purely unnacompanied singing, etc.

If I had the resources, I'd probably be out at a venue of one type or other each night of the week. My overall view is that having more specialised and more diversified venues is good for all of us and it's up to us to seek out what suits us best from what is available in an area.

Jon