I agree with Jim & SOP - altering an old song isn't the 'folk process', I'm not a part of that community and I didn't inherit these traditional songs orally. I'm a part of the revival community with it's educated professionals and CD's and internet and so-on.

As for tampering not-in-the-name-of-the-folk-process is concerned, I do alter songs when I Anglicise a percentage of the dialect (as indeed I do) - as a Southerner I can't imitate a fake Scottish accent and it sounds stupid!

The 'revival process' that SOP describes with June Tabor etc. alike renderings of traditional songs, is indesputably healthy and well. Though I'd say it's quite an opposite one to the 'folk process' where evolution occurred, because now instead we tend to get standardised June Tabor songs or Anne Briggs songs or Jaqui McShee songs..