Without kick starting the "what is folk" nonsense debate again, I think a better way of differentiating is to ask who performs to their personal creed and who performs to entertain?

I have no brief for Lord Barnard but used to sing about him. Reed cutting in Norfolk is something I know sod all about but his daughter provided a cracking song.

Also, you mellow with age. In my teens and early twenties I might have been slightly more political and left leaning. These days, songs of social justice only stay in the list if they are narrow enough not to alienate anybody in the audience. We can all sing Vin Garbutt's excellent City of Angels, but one of the business entrepreneurs typical of those demonised in the song now owns my bloody football club!

A better example of course would be Martin Carthy playing "Siege of Delhi."