WAV-"If I had Michael McGoldrick's outlook, I'd still be singing all the songs I learnt by heart in Australia "

And also, "Within what has become mainstream American culture there are by now may genres, of course."

First one, ok-so McGoldrick, an amazingly talented multi instrumentalist is somehow in your mind some type of traitor because sometimes he plays Irish or Scottish music. Yet if he plays with Kate Rusby, that's ok?

Second one. Yes there are many genres WAV-Rock, Jazz, Blues, Native American, Country, R&B, Hip-Hop, Cajun, Zydeco, Bluegrass. Related to bluegrass though, again I ask you-should songs that travelled to the foothills of Appalachia and throughout the South that are English in origin be abandoned by the inhabitants of that region because of your notion that for them to do so, they are neglecting their own great American songs? See, that's a twist on your words, but if its true for you to say that if an English singer chooses to sing an Irish song, they are neglecting their own English culture, then you have to follow it through to include all over the world, including someone from Kentucky singing about King Henry, or knights, etc. You can't have it both ways.

I now quote from someone who knows a lot more about English music, and who has been hands down, one of its leading figures for over 40 years, Mr. Martin Carthy. Here's the liner notes to the Waterson:Carthy album Common Tongue, as written by Martin:

"There are plenty of bands and individuals playing Scots and Irish music and, indeed we ourselves have sung and do sing stuff which clearly derives from Scotland and Ireland whece our families originally came, but this is deliberately an album of English music, a repertoire often ignored but which has balls enough for anyone. Having said that, the musical instinct is far too inclusive to allow any notions of 'purity' to survive for long, and it is neither possible nor desireable to set up musical border checkpoints anywhere. However, there is that elusive and ever changing thing called identity. This album is respectfully dedicated to two mighty human beings, both of whom died in 1996, both of whom cleaved passionately to notions of 'Englishness' but who would, I think, have been disdainful of any ideas of exclusivity:Dennis Potter and Walter Pardon."

You see WAV, on the one hand you are not alone, in your wish for English folk music to be a strong and well known element. But on the other, you are seemingly alone in what you believe should be the methodology by which this goal should be obtained.