The problem with all these discussions, and to some extent, with folk song researches in general, is that they are conducted on the basis that traditional singers (I mean the 'traditional' traditional ones) only had their songs to offer, and little else.
When we started our work in the early seventies, the song traditions we chose to work with were either dead, or had received the last rites, but even in this situation, the first thing that struck us was that those singers who had been nearst to being a part of a living tradition, and had worked at their singing and their repertoire ALL had an opininion on their songs, the place they occupied in their own lives and communities, the way they should be sung, how they differed from other types of song, and above all THEIR IMPORTANCE as monuments to their lives and that of their contemporaries and experiences.
They made no bones about distinguishing the 'old', 'come-all-ye', 'local', 'Traveller', 'Clare', 'Norfolk', 'my daddie's', 'folk', 'traditional'.... or whatever name they had for them, from the music hall, Victorian Parlour, C&W, or simply modern songs.
Most of them we asked were aware (often modestly, sometimes not) of their own role, and that of their family members and neighbours, in the preservation of these songs, especially as they knew that they had died out in their areas. In all cases their passing was mourned.
We were lucky enough to be able to interview some of them in depth; Walter Pardon, Tom Lenihan, some of the Travellers, and all had something important to say about the tradition, or whatever they called it.
They were happy to give us their songs, if for no other reason than the satisfaction of knowing that they would continue to be sung. One lovely old singer, Martin Reidy, told us that he was so worried that his songs would die out that "I started to try and teach Topsy (his dog, and only companion) to sing".
All the singers we met were aware of the revival of interest in folksong and were pleased that it had happened, but they knew, just as well as we did, that it was something very different than their tradition - not better or worse, just coming frome somewhere else.
If someone wants to make a claim for a 'revival tradition' fine, but that's what it is.
Jim Carroll
PS - Sorry Raymond; haven't forgotten you questions, particularly the 'training' one - will get round to them when it starts raining here - bloody garden!