Ruth Archer: when I say "expensive" I think it was about £25 - quite a lot back in the 70s but not quite in the bracket you mentioned

WAV: the version of "Barbara Allen" that you perform may be English (although "an English" rather than "the English" version), but that doesn't mean it's English in origin, which seems to be the crucial issue for you. The website you refer to admits that "The English and Scottish both claim the original ballad"

WAV, I don't believe any of us arguing with you on here disagree with your idea that English culture should be promoted. Where we differ is the idea that traditional songs and tunes can be identified as purely English. Of course some do exist, but much of the material which made up the repertoire of traditional singers and musicians is shared widely throughout the British Isles and beyond, and some of the themes they contain can be found throughout the wider Indo-European traditions of ballads and stories. It is your notion of exclusivity that we reject.