While I have some sympathy for Elsie's position, given some of the rubbish passed off as folk music, I am glad that she doesn't do the bookings at the festivals I attend.

I do not think that something that is basically entertainment should be subject to such rigorous scientific analysis, as if we were classifying insects. Why on earth should Steeleye Span and Figgy Duff not be considered folk music, even though they use electric guitars and drum sets? Is the banjo a traditional European instrument? Did the person who wrote The Coventry Carol know anything about the modern fiddle?