Mid-Twentieth Century popular music in Britain was dominated by people aping American accents. A return to the vernacular (as advocated and practised by MacCol) was/is IMO certainly desirable. As with language revivals, a degree of conscious planning ("fakery" and "affectation" to some) was both inevitable and problematical.

This has certainly been my experience. I was born and brought up in the Westcountry but to a middle-class family. My maternal grandmother had a strong local accent as did my secondary school environment. This was the time (late 60s, early 70s) when I began singing traditional songs and it seemed natural to 'adopt' the local vernacular although my speaking voice at that time was undoubtedly 'posher' (less so now).

Since then I have lived in various parts of Southern England, including twenty years in 'neo-Cockney' inner-South London. For the past ten years I have lived in Kent and commute into London where many of my younger work colleagues 'up-speak' with the rising intonation of Australian/American soaps.

When I sing now I find it very 'comfortable' to slip back into the rolled Rs of my childhood environment. I have questioned the authenticity of this myself, but it does feel more 'natural' than any of the possible alternatives...

Richard