glueman wrote:
"My pecking order goes:
Traditional folk song
Other traditions; music hall, military songs, etc.
Non-folk material performed with integrity; blues, skiffle, rock
Self-penned acoustic songs
Songwriter soundalikes; Denver, Dylan, etc"

Here is my top five! ( and this really applies to an English Folk Music Club)
1. Traditional English 2. Traditional Irish/Scottish/Welsh sung in English. 3. Traditional Appalachian of British Isles origin. 4. Contemporary songs dealing with English themes and written with traditional song forms in mind ( Jez Lowe, for example, fits this category). 5. As 4, but Irish/Welsh/Scottish themes.