George - glad to know we're actually fighting from the same corner - reading my (incomplete) first post again, I realise it wasn't clear!
Re. the Welsh (a look of surprise when you suggest to the French that it's a separate country & tradition!) - I've never really explored Welsh tunes, have a couple of books of 'em, & do play the rather lovely one 'Lady Owen's Delight' - there are some beautiful melodies amongst the Welsh collections.
Re. Dr John's comment, the original question was about traditional music, so I'm talking about them things without words - to quote Frank Damrosch: "Words may lie; music can not." Well, maybe that's not entirely apt but I've always wanted an opportunity to slip it in somewhere!
Wildlone - re. Brighton Camp, it's a very common Morris tune & an Adderbury, Eynsham, Ascot dance & probably other...
"Oh let the night be ever so dark
O let it be wet and windy
I must return to the Brighton Camp,
To the girl I left behind me.
See here too: THE GIRL I LEFT BEHIND ME.
Flos Headford, Paul Burgess etc., (usually of the Old Swan Band but in this case alias the Mellstock Band) did some wonderful work on the Thomas Hardy tunes a few years ago - don't know if they're still doing it; Ah, here they are but without Paul & Flos! Paul also said he was working at transcribing the tunes collected by John Clare (the Northampton poet) - a project which I first attempted but discontinued due to lack of time and the fact that he would make a far better job of it - (he once wrote a tune in my notebook whilst in a hall with a very loud band on stage!) does anyone know if he finished? (The John Clare project, not my notes...)
And... back to my French friends... a few weeks ago in a session they played a tune called la Coutancaise which sounded remarkably similar to 'Penny on the Water', a simple English tune, to which the late and inimitable Bob Cann, in front of the Dartmoor Pixie Band would announce "Us'll do the Seven Steps" - no calling. Told the French chaps about this. 'Bien oui. Nous dancons le Pas de Sept'
Today I saw a band from les Iles-de-la-Madeleine called 'Clapotis' - fine fiddling - who did an excellent rendition of Speed the Plough and claimed it as trad. Québecois! It all goes round, gets passed around...
Forgive my rambling, I'm going to bed now!
Jo Taylor
PS Here's the EFDSS
and one for English Folk and Traditional Music on the Internet