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The speed and pervasiveness of today's communication is truly staggering. News of any kind ‘hits the streets’ within seconds and it only takes the word ‘viral’ to come into force and your message can fly around the world. No longer can you be out-of-touch, unless you make a concerted effort to achieve such status. The cell or mobile phone ensures that anyone can reach you anywhere and locate you with ease. No longer can you become part-of-the-crowd without considerable effort to avoid the burgeoning wave of CCTV that swamps our public areas. And unless you really do ‘live off the grid’ then your personal details are recorded on dozens of databases, whether you agreed to it or not. Despite this sea of communication it remains an uphill struggle for musicians to break through.

There is of course an easy route that more or less assures your 'fifteen minutes of fame'. Take part in a ‘Britain’s-Got-X-Factor-Stars-In-Their-Voice’ extravaganza and attempt to break through the barrel-loads of prurient dross such banalities serve up. Sell your talent to the cults of mediocrity, celebrity, pop slush and downright shite - all designed to increase television ratings - and pray that the right someone somewhere will notice.

 Tim Carroll - 2012

"With folk lyrics there's often a question over authenticity. How close to the original version is today's rendition of a one or two-hundred year old lyric? Does it really matter and should we even care? The answers are either labelled ‘inquisitive development’ or ‘heretical sacrilege’ – depending of course on your point of view. Indeed, we may ask the same question of the tune. How many variations are there from when a song was first written to today? The answer is probably dozens as subsequent musicians alter the tune and tinker with the melody. So does this tinkering and adjustment have any bearing on the genre? There are divided camps with strong opinions coming from each but is there some case for middle ground?

"The various worthies that researched, transcribed and categorised folk music worked extensively to refine their tomes. Many regard their contribution as fundamental to the continued existence of folk others see their work as irreplaceable, some see it as the prototype not the finished article. However, there are dissenters and although some regard the offerings of Cecil Sharp, Walter Pardon, Vaughn Williams and others as little short of dogmatic gospel there are many that consider it fair game to plunder their work to re-write, amalgamate, edit and re-visit to create their own brands of folk music."

 Tim Carroll - 2011

"The future of folk music lies in more than reworking the tradition, it also lies in taking the tradition into the 21^st century and beyond. Of course, tradition remains – future without tradition is like trees without roots. However, there are a growing number of artists and bands that extend the 'folk' branches way beyond the roots that bred them. These musicians and singers add a rich (and sometimes unexpected) variety of instruments and influences into the mix. They cover didgeridoos and saxophones, synthesisers and programming – the range is only limited by imagination and experiment. Not too long ago this continual development would be met with disgust. The cult of sacrosanct-folk (that which shall not develop) would howl with derision or mutter vehemently. Some would attempt to extinguish the new. Others would ignore it. The more enlightened would see not competition or desecration but creation and relish the difference."