Akenaton makes an interesting point . Certainly the revival had a huge social basis to it. Most folk clubs of my youth had at least one old lad leading us with unaccompanied chorus singing of, for instance, Jones 's Ale, Pleasant and Delightful, Fathom the Bowl....

A band I was once in used to remind the audience that Folk Music is not a spectator sport!

Don't dismiss the clever arrangements in folk music though.

Sadly, with many clubs degenerating into singaround cum session evenings, it is not so tempting to caress the tune with nice diminished chords and runs that tease out beautiful cadences as some idiot with an accordion or guitar thinks it is an invitation to join in with three chord wonders and tempo changing rhythms.....

If you aren't careful, songs will go the way of most Americana as it gets boiled down to all sounding the same.