Dick re your post above

"The downside of the Lomax idea was that young english singers to some extent no longer performed american songs of people like woody guthrie"

They certainly did perform the songs of Woody and others at THE BALLADS & BLUES CLUB both pre and post MacColl's departure. Some even sang English, Irish and Scottish material. I am sure it was so in many other clubs, probably still is. I still sing songs that I learnt from Alan Lomax.