because 'Shoals of Herring' had been 'collected' from a bona-fide traditional singer

Wasn't it written in 1960 by Ewan MacColl?

the fact that Folk is a middle-class academic fantasy of working class culture

Not a fact at all, as discussed earlier. An opinion. Even if I were to agree with the opinion that the collectors had made it so, the songs themselves predate the collectors. What were the songs called before they were collected? Subsequently collecting in this way has been rendered obsolete so the situation no longer exists. The 'folk' definition still exists and, as far as I am concerned, it is a good a one as any :-)

What we seem to be discussing, yet again, is the definition of folk which has been, to be honest, done to death and holds no further interest for me and a lot of others. What exactly is it you are saying, Blandiver? That the definition is a concept brought about by that middle-class bourgeoisie you refer to or the music itself was invented by them?

And I still don't know what you took exception to earlier :-)

Cheers

DtG