I'm a little surprised at the ballyhoo over definition.  Seems to me the value of definition is always to provide a baseline for beginners (and for lawyers to muddle up)who as soon as they began to really learn definitions find the definitions fit only an ideal entity at the middle of a reality spreading toward infinity. (Sorry for the litany tone) 
"Traditional song" is at the middle of what we do--though singing artsong in the bath or making other noises in the bath may be treated as related.
At Swansea, I heard a bit of a study of edible and medicinal plants with not a hint of connection to song of any kind.  I made connections myself and thought the paper refresjing after three days of traditional song. 
"Traditional song" I'll accept as a workable name--    

-----Original Message-----
From: roud [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Sunday, January 27, 2002 5:44 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Definition


The short answer is - no, I cannot provide a definition of 'traditional
song', although I could attempt a description, but it certainly would not be
brief, and it would definitely be indiosyncratic.

But the more I think about this definitional hiatus, the less it bothers me.
I find that I can't define any sort of music - Jazz, Classical Music, Blues,
Country music, Ballad - but I still find these broad categories useful for
organising, filing, selecting, thinking. They help me decide which section
to head for in the record shop, which radio stations and programmes to
listen to, which journals and magazines to read, which discussion lists to
join. I may think that some modern 'classical' music which they play on
Classic FM shouldn't be there (especially those awful soundtracks to
blockbuster films and those dreadul Gershwin show-tunes) but on the whole I
know what to expect. I don't listen to Radio 1 to hear Beethoven, or Harry
Cox for that matter.

Come to think of it, I can't define 'poetry', 'literature', 'art', or even
'music', or most other aspects of human culture - let alone 'love',
'pleasure', 'misery', and so on. But I still find the words useful.


But don't let me stop anyone else defining the term if they can

Back to the idea of renaming the list - so far most answers have been in
favour, I believe, with only one definitely against - but only a small
percentage of subscribers have yet voiced an opinion. Does silence mean
assent, or dissent?

Regards
Steve Roud









----- Original Message -----
From: David Atkinson <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, January 27, 2002 10:10 AM
Subject: Renaming the list


> Since what is under discussion is a matter of naming, or definition, just
> for the sake of clarity could someone out there provide a brief definition
> of 'traditional song'?
>
>
> (Dr) David Atkinson
> 19 Bedford Road
> East Finchley
> London N2 9DB
> England
> Tel: +44 (0)20 8444 1137
> email: [log in to unmask]