[Stephen] There is an interesting book by Phyllis Tickle entitled The Great Emergence. It deals with modern Christianity and how it is evolving.
I think her main theme applies to the lute world as well. The 'traditionalist' or 'fundamentalist' lute group will decline, and a rise of a 'hybrid' (Phyllis had another term for this, but I've forgotten what it was) lute group will occur. If not, the lute will slowly fade away. The lute world needs to reach out to the non-traditional audience. The SCA and the followers of Sting are a prime resource that should be cultivated and encouraged. For What It's Worth "The Other" Stephen Stubbs Champaign, IL USA "Those who desire to give up freedom in order to gain security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one." Benjamin Franklin (American Statesman, Scientist, Philosopher, Printer, Writer, and Inventor. 1706-1790) -----Original Message----- [Tom] Are we trying creatively to increase general audience for lute music here, or are we practicing exclusivity? I'm looking at SCA and Ren Faires solely as a group of potential music buyers. Why not encourage the interest and point it in the right direction? To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html