"MacColl used a pop version of it by Anthony Newley to illustrate the misuse of folk song in The Song Carriers"

Didn't Martin Carthy say something to the effect that the only misuse was not to sing them. I can't find the quote quickly, but the last paragraph of
this makes a similar point - "You can't hurt this music. That's the most important thing. There's nothing you can do that is going to hurt it."

I prefer Martin's attitude to Ewan's.