Not sure about the condescension weelittledrummer.
I have the privilege of living in an area where tradition is alive.
Though not always recognised as such Kathryn Tickell (for example)
is the "product" of a living tradition which will always be special to me.
She also performed on a single by Sting.
The songs of Geordie Ridley have a very special place in the affection of people in these area (They are certainly considered Folk locally)but he was pretty much the mid-Victorian equivalent of a pop singer/songwriter.
In truth I never served in Nelson's Navy or worked on a farm in Victorian England but I admire songs by people who did.
I also see my life reflected in another musical form.
"Something in the way she moves attracts me like no other lover"
Know how that feels.
"In the chilly hours & minutes of uncertainty..."
Had my share of those.
"Thank you for those days,those endless days,those sacred days you gave me."
If I could say one thing to my long-desd parents that would be it.
As I said in another current thread I believe it is possible to appreciate contemporary & traditional music.
It is also possible to incorporate them both in a single repertoire.
That which is worth conserving is worth conserving whether it was written in 1666 or 1966.
Just my view.