'BH et al seem to be immoderately denouncing him for not accepting their gloss on his interpretation, constantly asserting that he has got to accept their emendations of and extensions to his understanding of the term'

actually MGM Lion, if you look back through this, and the other similar thread, you'll find that the majority of my posts have been questioning things Jim has said, so perhaps it is the other way round?

The difference between us is simple, Jim believes that folk music died when the oral transmission of songs stopped and there can therefore be no new folk music, I believe, based on evidence I see with my own eyes all around me, that the process is alive and well but has changed along with society.

As for 'denouncing' him, Jim has made it perfectly clear in no uncertain terms, that he does not like my favoured 'style' when I am performing (In case you don't know, I front a folk/rock band with a largely traditional based repertoire) and as I've pointed out to him, that is simply a matter of personal taste, but I can tell you that in doing what I do, I'm bringing traditional song to the attention of a much wider audience than the solo unacompanied singer. You'll also note that I have on more than one occasion, acknowledged the debt we all owe to the work of Jim and the like, so who's 'denouncing' who?

John