Hi Marje,

The class/age thing is not new. I've just been reading an article about Baring-Gould in which it is suggested that when describing his 'old singing-men' he often over-stated their ages and assigned them to lower social classes and levels of poverty than they actually occupied. He also criticised Kidson because he tended to draw his informants from among his middle class friends (who were often recalling songs from their less than affluent childhoods and backgrounds).

It seems to be a peculiarity of the Folk World, in the UK, that many of its notable collectors, performers and commentators have had 'agendas' which have tended to affect their objectivity. And this tendency is alive and well today.