I'll post something tomorrow about my experiences in folk things over the last week (York Folk day - Flaxton whatever we call it - Thirsk folk club) but an observation that myself and a friend chatted about as we tried to seek out new places to play (and succeeded) on our way to go and sing.

1 People coming and singing the same things again and again and again at some point gets boring however much you value friends and traditions - or (in extremes) everyone dies

2 Survival depends on the influx of the new

3 Newness brings its rewards and its challenges. New arrivals change what was there before because if they can't there's no point in being there.

I thought almost by definition there would be no folk tradition without the effect of the people who keep it going.