"I think of "source singers" as being the distinction from "not revival" - but they learnt the songs from hearing them rather than researching them, didn't they?"

Sorry Kitty, but I'm less than convinced by that. There's more than one case of so-called (and well known) source singers being provided with copies of words of songs that they couldn't remember, and picking up songs from printed sources. Look at Henry Burstow's list of songs, which are many and varied in type. In the chapter on Songs in "Reminiscences of Horsham" he makes it quite clear that he learned many of his songs from his father, from work colleagues, and fellow bellringers.... but he also states "The remainder I learnt from ballad sheets I bought as they were being hawked about at the fairs, and at other times from other printed matter." It is also quite clear from his list of 400 plus songs that music hall items (as Mary quite rightly points out) featured strongly in his repertoire - "Woodman woodman spare that tree" for instance. You refer to "not revival" - but which revival ... mid 19th century, late 19th century, turn of the 20th century ... 1970's ??

Re Mary's statement that the collectors of Sharp's era were selective - absolutely true. In commenting on Burstow's full list of songs Lucy Broadwood (who collected from him in the 1890's - to be followed 10 years later by Vaughan Williams) she suggested that less than 20% of his songs were worth consideration. She, and I have no doubt, the other collectors, were after modal tunes, and old ballads ... not as she suggested things like "Grandmother's Old Armcahir" or even songs of the Napoleonic era (which were presumably considered to be modern songs then?).

Graham, I certainly agree with most of what you say - with reference to your statement that traditional song was regarded as being in decline ,at the start of the twentieth century, that rather ignores the fact that even inthe mid 19th century that viewpoint already existed (if not earlier, I have no doubt), giving rise to the private publication of John Broadwood's "Old English Songs..." in 1847, specifically for the purpose of preserving songs just as sung by the rural peasantry of Surrey and Sussex - so yes, I reckon that, as you say, it's probably always been the way. Incidentally, I note with amusement that Richard Sharpe has once again crept into the world of folksong ... Bernard Cornwell obviously wasn't aware of that facet of his hero's background (sorry - couldn't resist - I'm assuming that that was a typo on your part !!!)

As to the reason for singing, to revert to good old Henry B again he makes it quite clear why he sang - ".(singing)has been my chief mental delight, a delight that has been my companion day after day in my journey from infancy through every stage of life to my now extreme old age ..... I have never ceased to obtain, and I hope seldom failed to give, satisfaction in this, the best mode I know of expressing the feelings". In other statements in his book he makes it quite clear that he sang both for his own, and for other people's pleasure - it was a shared experience.