I fully understand the definition as applied to a lot of the 'trad' and even 'trad/arr' songs that appear regularly at folk venues. I am a little unclear about some of the more contemproary ones. Can I go through an example with you please? The factors, as detailed above, are -

(i) continuity which links the present with the past;
(ii) variation which springs from the creative impulse of the individual or the group;
(iii) selection by the community, which determines the form or forms in which the music survives.

So, let us apply these to a particular song regularly performed by a friend of mine - American Pie.

Does it have continuity which links the present with the past? Yes. In two ways - It has been performed in various ways for over thirty years while pertaining to events that occured half a century ago.

Dose it have variation which springs from the creative impulse of the individual or group? Yes. They way it is performed by this particular person (Phil Atkinson - he will not mind the mention:-) ) it varies wildly from the original. The group eoften add to these variations. And on occasion it varies from performance to performance but that's another story...

Has the form in which it survives been selected by the community. Yes. No-one else can ever get away with another version at our folk club and one or two other venues Phil has made it his own at:-)

So, is Ameriacn Pie a folk song? By the above definition, yes it is. As is The Beatles 'Blackbird' and McPeakes 'Wild Mountain Thyme' and a host of other contemporary songs, including most of MacColls.

Have I got the gist or am I barking up the wrong tree? Or barking mad? Well, I suppose that goes without saying but you know what I mean...

Cheers

DeG