Thanks Guest!
Back a bit closer to topic, a friend, Chris Timson, recently gave a presentation on Zoom to the Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution on the subject of English Music: unfortunately I missed this, but they are hoping to put the recording of the meeting out on YouTube in due course.
One of the comments from someone who did hear it is as follows, which may answer in art the original question:
"I was especially interested when you pointed out the 'characteristics' of English folk dance music ...that it is played (relatively) slowly, and is not decorated. Yes. Especially the decoration thing. It does make English traditional music sound 'different' to the ear."