Yes, I was also wondering where Shimrod was coming from.

For one thing, the thread began as a discussion of English music and dance, with only incidental mention of English song. Solo unaccompanied "source" singers were not mentioned because they weren't very relevant to that discussion.

There is therefore no reason to suppose that most of us haven't listened to any of them or have dismissed them as not worth listening to. But for many of us, recordings are only a small part of what folk music is about. If we're looking for the musicians and singers who will carry the tradition forward and keep English music alive, we need to look to the younger generation and those who are playing, singing and dancing (and alive) now.

Marje