"Folk does not exist as a corporeal genre"

You seem to be just about the only person who thinks that. True, we have some difficulties in defining the boundaries, but the same can be said for most musical genres.

I'm now confused by your introduction of the term "Traditional Balladry". Are you now excluding traditional songs which are not ballads? Or is this just a fancy way of referring to traditional songs?

I can see differences in the styles in which the two versions of "Saints" are performed, but they are fundamentally the same song, and the structure of the tune says "jazz" rather than "folk". I understand the point you're making, but it describes the performance rather than the song. If I only listen to the soundtracks rather than watch the videos, I've no way of knowing that one took place in what you call a "folk context" and therefore no way of knowing that the song has suddenly, if temporarily, undergone genre reassignment.