I have mixed feelings on this issue. I love to study the origins and development of songs, and I think it's important that songs are somehow preserved in their original form.
On the other hand, I love to sing, and to involve other people in singing. Songs that are 400 years old just don't work for group singing unless they've been adapted a bit. I would hope that the adaptations would be tasteful, and that they would preserve as much as possible of the original song. I'm sure many here would disagree with me, but I think performers like the Kingston Trio and Peter, Paul and Mary did a lot to bring traditional music to my generation. If it hadn't been for groups like these and the changes they made to the old songs, I think there are many of us here who wouldn't be calling ourselves "folkies." It's a wonderful thing to preserve these treasures, these songs that have been sung for centuries - but the primary purpose of music is enjoyment, and I'll do whatever it takes to make the music enjoyable for the people I'm with.
-Joe Offer-