i'm really sorry everyone, but i think we all need to stop the pseudo academic point scoring.
I'm a 'young' folkie, and yes i have regularly taught English/Irish and Scottish folk songs to young people and intend to keep 'traditional' folk songs going. seth lakeman is unfortunately attempting to bridge the gap between genres and missing both markets simultaneously, as a pop/rock lover and a folk music baby i feel slightly embarrassed that he is touting his musical style as folk. I don't want to take anything from his musical talent, but the mix of trad. lyrics and pop/rock inspired backing in uncomfortable to listen to if he labels what he does as folk.
I suppose what i'm saying is that even as a young'un i expect folk music to beat least the traditionally inspired homages to tunes i've grown up with, if i attend a folk roots night (at which i will often be found dancing my socks off!) then that preconception is out of the window.....
as part of a generation who isn't supposed to conform, i'm a total believer in the ronseal 'does what is says on the tin' -ism as far as 'traditional folk is concerned'. folk to me means the old man in the corner recounting (often at a painfully lengthy attempt,) songs or tunes that i've either heard a thousand times before, or is so familiar that i feel like i have.... and i think that the point, ,sound like a trad tune, and i like you, sound like something trying to be 'cool' and you lose out in my book....