Tom,
I was at the talk Pegg gave - I didn't think he was joking, nor did the rest of his audience, hence Trevor Fisher's pamphlet response.
We can put all sorts of interpretations on why traditional singers answered the way they did should we choose not to take them at their word - after working for over 20 years with Walter Pardon, when he told us he believed the songs belonged to everyone I thought I knew him well enough to believe him (and agree with him). Our reason for collecting was always the 'posterity' one, not the 'I'm gonna make you famous' one. Without exception it has been my experience the the desire to possess traditional songs is a revival phenomenon rather than one encountered among source singers.
Guest (2)
If you are right we borrowers of the tradition are faced with the dilemma in persuading somebody to part with something freely in order that somebody else might make their living from it - or are you suggesting that market forces should apply to traditional song as they does to commercial music? If so, professional performers have spent a long time living off ; sweat-shop labour
Jim Carroll