Yes I agree with much of your findings

I returned from Sheffield folk sessions at Easter 2023 and was pleased to see and hear some fine unaccompanied singing and joining with the choruses

and yes there is a body of songs which many people recognise as being traditional or new songs that have have become common place and long may it be so

Within the accepted term of trad and similar falls many different sub categories such as shanties, ballads, chorus songs, music hall etc and underpinning these is the peoples' History of what it was like to live in Britain in particular at sea, on the land, and in cities, in service and as slaves etc

This is a different sort of history told from the peoples experiences over time

Barriers to continuing to sing these songs is perhaps the pc brigade which might take exception to such revelations to the young people singing or even knowing of what went on ~~

Important to realise that singing seems to go hand in glove with drinking for a number of reasons ~ note this is NOT singing as a choir sort of music ~ and I for one would not class shanty singing as singing in a choir
There will no doubt be traditional singarounds in the future and there is as wealth of accepted material to dig into

and traditional tunes of morris and Irish/Scottish on melodeons, concertinas, fiddles, guitars, whistles and the like also have their followers and exponents ~ long may it be so

Yes lets hear it for the songs

Ray