Richard, the DNA article you've quoted, from 2001 is now quite out of date. Very recent - and very large scale - DNA studies are postulating post ice age movements of Celtic peoples up from Spain, many thousands of years ago, through the western side of the islands. Other populations moved in laterally from the east, from what we now call Germany, France, Flanders, etc., to populate the broadly eastern half of the island. The thesis is that, far from there being a universal distribution of Celtic people throughout the isles - a population which was partially driven west by Roman occupation, and then exterminated by invading Angles, Saxons, etc - there was, from very ancient times, a genetic difference between western and eastern England - a difference which was altered very little by the Romans or anyone else. The evidence is not only based on DNA research but on, say, the variations in the frequency of Celtic-type inscriptions in differing parts of the country.

I mention all this at, I dare say, tedious length, because there is so much misinformed insistence on the nature of so-called Celtic culture and music. To denigrate an article by Duck Baker because he is an American, by the way, is not an argument of any validity. I happen to know, as many other people do, that Duck has a tremendous knowledge of the folk music of Ireland and Scotland, among other musical genres, and is an extremely intelligent, analytical and experienced musicologist. Whether you agree with him or not is another matter.

There is Irish, Scottish, English, French music of many types. To put a brand name such as Celtic on some of it is meaningless. Unfortunately, it's that imposition of the term on some of the music - and the thinking that goes with it - that prevents superb musicians from England being included, for example, in the Transatlantic Sessions.