Again I thoroughly enjoyed the programme. Some interesting opinions and insight especially from Nancy Kerr.

Just one little quibble, The Turtle Dove is much older than the 1700s, so the researchers haven't really done their job thoroughly. There are 2 quite different ballads from as far back at least as 1680 that contain most of the verses and in these there is further evidence that these verses had been lifted from something earlier.

The idea that folk ballads are mostly impersonal and third person is very true. That is an essential part of their nature. But that doesn't stop them from being beautiful works of art and occasionally expressing amazing truths. Whilst most folksongs are ballads there is still a sizable chunk of lyric pieces and many of these are laments that employ a wide range of commonplaces, as does The Turtle Dove.