Does folk exist - yes it does
It can be found in many of the recorded form in collections such as 'Folk Songs of Britain', the aptly named 20 set 'Voice of The People' (soon to be joined by selections of the BBC project), the ongoing 'School of Scottish Studies series, and the many, many thousands of albums and collectiions of field recordings still available, released commercially or archived.
In published form they can be found in works such as 'The Greig Duncan Folksong Collection', Sam Henry aptly named 'Songs of the People', and the many hundred published and Mss. collections - soon to be joined by the massive Carpenter Collection.
Where are these songs and singers listed? The Roud Index is as about as comrehensive an index as you'll find for both recorded and printed sources of material.
Apart from those who prefer the 'Elephant in the Room' approach ("perhaps if we ignore it then it might go away and we can dump our personal preferences under the label 'Folk'") folk song has never been more available than it is today.
The only place you can't be guaranteed to find it any more is in clubs like those frequented by Suibhne O'Piobaireachd (under a previous persona), where you are more likely to find - and I quote: "Blues, Shanties, Kipling, Cicely Fox Smith, Musical Hall, George Formby, Pop, County, Dylan, Cohen, Cash, Medieval Latin, Beatles, Irish Jigs and Reels, Scottish Strathspeys, Gospel, Rock, Classical Guitar, Native American Chants, Operatic Arias and even the occasional Traditional Song and Ballad. We once had a floor singer who, in his own words, sang his own composition which he introduced with the Zen-like "...this is a folk song about rock 'n' roll..."."
Is folk still to be found in its raw form in the communities that once made, used and circulated it?
Probably not - modern technology has pretty well put paid to that - but hey - Shakespeare, Beeethoven and Homer have been dead for centuries and many of us still get great pleasure from their work.
any of us came into the folk song revival because it gave us great pleasure and satisfaction. It also gave us a template to create, sing and listen to newly created songs using the folk forms. Long may it continue to do so.
I didn't really expect a positive reply to my request to back up his innuendoes with facts - he doesn't do that sort of thing.
"Then leave us alone to talk about the initial proposition"
I'm afraid if you're going to move me on constable, you're going to have to show me your warrant card.
Jim Carroll