I'm English but grew up without any real idea of traditional English folk music except what was taught us at school. As far as I am concerned my musical background was basically pop music from the late 50's onward.

I now will learn and sing any songs that appeal to me, whatever their provenance. I have no problem with singing 'Fields of Athenry', Flower of Scotland' or 'Parcel of Rogues' in spite of the fact that the 'oppressors' were English. There is much of English history that I would be opposed to if those things happened now and I am happy to state that.

I am now learning songs from my adopted country, America. I am learning more about the heritage and culture of the country from those songs as has been the case from learning songs of the British Isles. To me the important thing has to be that I am drawn to a particular song, wherever it might have come from.