"The song becomes more important than the singer"
Haven't got time for full response now but there's enough evidence from within a living tradition and one that only died within the memory of the singer we met, that the song has always been more important than the singer - have recorded songs that have been made up in the presence of the singer, who was totally unable to recall the maker and totally disinterested in doing so - it didn't seem important.
Mary Delaney can be heard on 'Voice of the People', 'From Puck To Appleby' and 'A Century of Song'.
Now I'm really off.
Jim Carroll