So, I'm an American Anglophile, and I read a lot of these commentaries about how the "English have no respect for their own folk music traditions" where so often the Scots and Irish are set up as examples of societies that do a better job at it. (The Americans are oft cited as examples too, although, usually one of us will pipe up to say that despite the advantage of the Library of Congress, the mass culture is clueless ... but I digress.)

Well, I was reading a nice Musical Traditions article by Ian A Olsen (of Aberdeen) giving an overview and history of the Greig-Duncan Folk Song Collection, which some 100 years after it's initiation is now published in its entirety:

Edited by Pat Shuldham-Shaw and Emily B Lyle, together with the assistance of Peter Hall, Andy Hunter, Elaine Petrie, Adam McNaughtan, Sheila Douglas and Katherine Campbell

Published by Mercat Press for the University of Aberdeen in association with the School of Scottish Studies, Edinburgh. Eight Volumes.

Vol 1: Nautical, military and historical songs and songs in which characters adopt the dress of the opposite sex; Vol 2: Narrative Songs; Vol 3: Songs of the countryside and of home and social life; Vol 4: Songs of courtship, night visiting songs, and songs about particular people; Vols 5, 6 & 7: Songs of love and marriage; Vol 8: Songs of parting and children's songs, general indexes and commentaries on the whole collection (1981-2003). Individual volumes £35.00 each. The entire set £225.
and I came upon this paragraph:

"There was another interesting factor which soon came to light. Greig had spent most of his working life extolling the (drawing-room) songs of the 'National Songbook' composers - Burns, Hogg, Lady Nairne and the like - the 'glories' of 'Scottish Song'. (Modern English folkies who envy the state and status of Scottish traditional song forget the hard reality that these composers form an almost impenetrable layer over Scottish song culture in general. As far as the songbooks, schools, media and expatriates are concerned, that's all that there is to it). But Greig and Duncan found that 'the people' virtually disregarded such fine stuff - and although both were willing to take anything, from music hall to playground songs, they were not offered the 'glories' of Burns et al."

Those of you who've lasted this far, here's my question: how do you respond to the comment quoted above? Are the Scots really doing as good a job as advertised in the current revival of Scottish folk song? Or is it a case of "the grass is always greener..."? Who really has the greener grass? Why? Why not?

~ Becky in Tucson (that's Arizona)