"Anyone who even dabbles is a musician"

On reflection, I was mistaken in embracing your term 'dabbling'. A dabbler is one who makes a self-conscious decision to dip a toe in the water of a particular musical style. Folk song, on the other hand, was perpetuated for generations by individuals who had simply grown up with the stuff and to whom it was as much a part of life as eating and breathing.

There's a difference in kind between the kid bashing out the chords to 'Wonderwall' on a cheap guitar, and the parent singing to their child a song that they learned by osmosis from their own parent or grandparent (not something that happens too much these days, I would guess).

Your cart is before your horse. The concept of folk song was devised, according to your amusing parody of Dave Spart, in a spirit of 'Imperialistic Class Condescension' (never mind that several of those you've criticized specifically celebrated it as working-class culture). You don't approve; therefore the very essence of the thing must be denied, regardless of all supportive evidence.

That said, I did enjoy the Magma clip.

For a precis of the 'Fakesong' controversy, go here - but surely it's about time somebody said something about Robin Hood Ballads?