I did put Ed Sheeran up and a link of him performing a traditional folk song. Regardless of who is singing it, a traditional folk song is a traditional folk song surely? I put SOME of his own material up as an example of "contemporary songs using folk forms and functions" as we must now call contemporary folk!

Not knowinghow to answer a list of basic points that I believe make folk song unique is not an answer for someone involved in folk song Dave

Sorry Jim, but a list of points is still not a question. How does one go on about answering a list of points?