I think that for most people now folk music is entirely alien to them. For about a century popular music has been largely based on American musical forms, in particular black American forms. The rhythms, modes, and many other characteristics of folk music are entirely unfamiliar to most modern ears. Most people will get excited by an Irish reel but most have no idea how to move to a jig or a hornpipe. We play unfamiliar instruments which make unfamiliar sounds. For most people it's remote from their daily experience of music, and they need to learn to listen to it just as they might have to learn to listen to Middle Eastern music, or jazz or classical music.

In England there isn't even the desire for a sense of national identity which makes the Scots, Irish and Welsh at least recognise and acknowledge their traditional music even if they don't choose to listen to it for pleasure. The English have ignored their own traditional music heritage, and are embarrassed by it when it comes to their attention.

The folk world itself has become too introverted, too ready to accept low standards of performance, and too stingy to pay a reasonable amount to hear good music. Most professional folk musicians do it for the love of the music, they may (or may not) make a decent living from it but no one's going to get rich. Is it any wonder that singer-songwriters like Ed Sheeran (reported worth £220m) or Katie Melua (£18m) are careful to avoid any suggestion of the "folk" tag?