Re John Tams being primarily a folk singer...

Well that's true, but don't forget that he has a long history of theatrical performances, especially in Bill Bryden productions - Lark Rise, The Mysteries etc. Not to mention err.."Sharpe".

My wife and I used to crack up over the fact that Private Hagman had ever more lines to say and appeared higher and higher up the credits each week!

Funnily enough I channel hopped to Sharpe last night - Tam seemed to have written quite a bit of an episode where our heroes had returned to England and became embroiled in a combination of the Peterloo Massacre and the Luddites. Tam's moustache appeared but "Over the Hills and Far Away" did not.   

Somewhat irrelevantly but joy of joys, Dick Sharpe's half brother turned out to be Philip Glenister aka DI Hunt from "Life on Mars". Sean Bean accordingly got fitted up, but regrettably no Mk III Cortinas featured.