Ray,
Walter wasn't in any way academically inclined; though he did read extensively, mainly the Victorian novelists like Dickens and Hardy - purely for the pleasure of a good story. He once told us that the two greatest crimes in literature were the hanging of Tess (of the Durbevilles) and the drowning of Maggie Tulliver (Mill on the Floss).
He was extremely thoughtful in what he did, particularly in relation to his resurecting his family's songs.
He was typical of working people of his generation (a carpenter by trade) who decided to educate themselves and was helped in this by a phenomenal memory.
Cap'n,
I think you'll find that many traditional singers (and storytellers in particular) already had a technique with an audience (albeit a small one developed in the home environment). In my opinion this worked best when they adapted this for a club audience rather than develop 'stage craft'.
The Stewarts of Blair (particularly Alec) was probably the best example of this.
Jim Carroll