Had cause to be thoughtful about this distinction last Sunday. The evening was that of Remembrance Sunday. I was at a folk club in Sussex.

The floor singers before the guest mostly sang songs traditional for that evening in that club, and were followed by a well-respected couple   - at least one a Mudcatter - who announced that, not having anything prepared on that theme they would sing an English traditional [possibly emphasised] song or two, and gave details of collector and singer collected.

The earlier floor singers included :

The Ladies Go Dancing at Whitsun
Home, Lads Home
One of Eric Bogle's - probably Matilda.

Likewise the previous Friday, across the border in Surrey we sang another of Eric Bogle's - probably No Man's Land, then Hanging on the Old Barbed Wire.

These songs are sung at that time of year in these clubs. As far as I know all except perhaps the last have known writers, so not, on one definition folk-songs. Only a label, after all. Traditional, indeed ritual, though.

From that, I started thinking about songs and tunes that are traditional in the sense of people learning them by ear and being sung or played at the same regular occasion but are recent enough to have known makers.

The obvious examples were carols and birthday songs. And the local pub session always used to close with American Pie and after that the Halling Polka on fiddle. this latter is more-or-less Filarfolket's 'Hallingpolska' which makes an excellent ear-worm.

Other examples?

Other's thoughts on what's traditional and what's tradition?