...but much of this music would have been lost without Sharp, Lomax, Randolph...

Of course, I didn't say otherwise. What I am trying to say is 'They missed a lot' Perhaps that was of necessity because they didn't have the almost unlimited computer databases that we enjoy today.

I think that traditional song really includes a lot more than some purists would have us believe. There is a tradition of singing in London that rarely includes what we tend to call traditional music.

It is a tradition that leads on from songs like 'While London Sleeps' to Streets of London, and rarely includes the 'Fair Maid of Islington'.

And when I say 'it never started' I mean that tradition is an ongoing thing with no definable beginning.

...And who is this DT? I'd like to thank him. If you're referring to the Digital Tradition, then you must know that much of the lyrics and tunes contained therein are taken from the collections of early folklorists...

Yes it is Digital Tradition, and when you say 'much of the lyrics and tunes contained therein' also includes much that isn't, which is kinda what I was saying.

And don't be so up tight. Viewing a valid comment as a 'snide remark' shows more about your attitude than perhaps you would really like to reveal.