Well, I have to admit that these kinds of attitudes certainly baffle me.

I don't sing. Ever. I'm not sure exactly why. And the interesting thing is that singers are constantly bugging me to sing. And I say, "no, I don't sing". And they don't seem to be able to accept this. And yet, if I did sing, I would have to read the lyrics from books or sheet music, because I have cognitive problems that make it almost impossible for me to remember lyrics (I have CRS - Can't Remember Songs). Maybe it's a good thing I keep saying no. I think it would be humiliating if I finally consented, then proceeded to sing from a book, and was treated unkindly because of it.

Maybe song snobbery is part of the reason I don't sing.

And for Harryoldham and others who sing in pubs in England, maybe your songs and tunes have evolved through interpretation and 'folk memory', but there is a wide world of folk music out there. Not just your own traditions. Where I live, there are quite a few different traditions represented. And I can't imagine wanting to limit myself to just those traditions anyway. How insular.