I forgot to ask.
If someone goes to the trouble of finding lots of bits of old songs and patching them together so they fit into a fairly old tune and sound sort of old and maybe like they should be traditional
Does that make the product of the research,the rewriting and the arranging an acceptable traditional tune or song?
I only ask because I believe that for something to be traditional it has to be part of a tradition and as far as I know an tradition is something that is actualy extant as it would be in say a family tradition of singing a particular song ar drinking a given drink at some point in time in celebration or rememberence of something or someone.
Something that is ongoing could be traditional but can something that is traditional still be considered to be traditional if it is no longer drunk,sung,performed,remembered,etc.
Would a traditional song or tune need reviving,or discovering or finding?
Surely if it were traditional it wouldnt be lost.
What it could be is a tune or song that was traditional in a certain time period.
If it needs reviving or finding or whatever that surely means it is no longer a tradition.
So Mr Lakemans song even if it is not trad at this time may be at some point in the future.
So shouldnt the BBC or their representatives be congratulated for their forsight is shortlisting it now?