If the only folk songs are those written in ancient times then the music cannot be fully 'of the people'. None of the people I know who sing mining songs or sea shanties have ever been down a mine or had to earn a living by fishing. Most people I know who go to folk sessions are teachers, parents, computer geeks, community workers, carers, partners (and some combinations of the above!). Why should we not accept into the fold songs that express the value or otherwise of these people's lives? The folk who are writing songs about these experiences are doing so because NO-ONE ELSE IS GOING TO WRITE THE SONGS FOR THEM, NOR ARE THEY GOING TO EMERGE THROUGH THE MISTS OF TIME. And in fact, the same goes for women's songs, songs of migrants, and the experiences of young people, to name but a few 'subsets' of our society.