what I actually said was
"I was going to throw a spanner, regarding the great hurdy-gurdy player, Nigel Eaton (he late of Blowzabella) playing for Loreena McKennit, AND Robert Plant and Jimmy Page".

And what I actually said was that I don't give a monkey's who Nigel Eaton plays with or what he plays. If it sounds good, great. If it doesn't, too bad. If it's folk, it's folk. If it's not, it's not. Two completely separate questions.

Oh how sweet the assumptions of the faithful!

Again, you're mistaking me for someone else. 'Faithful' is denying that Bert Lloyd ever lied about his sources and claiming that the Blackleg Miner is 200 years old. I try to go by what we actually know, e.g. that Farewell my Dearest Dear was collected over 200 years after its first appearance on a broadside, or that Willie of Winsbury also answers to the name of Thomas (and to John from the Isle of Man). Something happened back there; I don't think there's anything mystical about saying that what happened was oral transmission with variation, i.e. the folk process.

How folk is that?

Is that a trick question? It's weird, striking, uncompromising, idiosyncratic, obstinately glitchy and pretty cool, but it's about as folk as Nelson's column.