Percy Grainger collected and set dozens of folk songs for piano, orchestra, chorus, and all kinds of combinations of voice and instrument. I rather like the form of the orchestral suite based on folk songs. A few favorites are by Peter Warlock -- Capriole Suite; Gustav Holst -- St. Paul's Suite. 2 sets of Morris Dance Tunes; and Ralph Vaghan Williams -- Five Variants of Dives and Lazarus; Norfolk Rhapsody No.1; and the English Folk Song Suite

Aaron Copland set 10 diverse Old American Songs for piano and voice, and then orchestrated them. Some are folk songs, some hymn tunes, a lullabye. . . there's a great recording of them by Thomas Hampson, Hugh Wolff and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra.

I agree that Canteloube's Somgs of the Auvergne is a
wonderful collection. Also worth hearing -- in a similar vein -- are the Chansons Bourguinonnes, by Maurice Emmanuel, a slightly older contemporary of Canteloube's.

michael