"ask yourself, why music hall songs the have been assimilated, its because they are compatible with the folk repertoire,because they have quality,not because they have been folk processed"

Absolutely ass-backward, good soldier. They are compatible with the repertoire because they have been folk-processed. The originals generally wear their stage-clothes proudly and are distinct from folk (exceptions for faux-folk productions, with 'country' dialect, etc.)

Howard was merely restating an accepted opinion that is only controversial to to horse-singers and amateur tautologists.

I read as many of the posts here as I care to, anyone who reads ALL the posts here needs an intervention.