Agreed eric. Also: In 20 years, when many of us will have ceased singing (and probably other functions reserved for the living also), the average age of the folk singers will simply drop to around 40, as the likes of Graham Pirt, Benji Kirkpatrick, Eliza Carthy, John Spiers, Jon Boden, John Thompson/Nicole Murray(Cloudstreet), Vicky Swann, Kate Rusby etc become "folk establishment" themselves.

It's just that there is a continuity break of about a generation or so, because there are comparatively few 30-50 year olds involved in folk today (in the UK). But as the older ones have continued past normal retirement age, the gap is bridged. And the music will go on.