Malcolm, your theory about empires and folk-music should be checkable very soon.The rise of the American imperium should automatically generate interest in English folk song very quickly. Buy shares in folk-clubs now while they are still cheap!
   I'm right now re-listening to the Radio 3 evening, very interesting on a second listen. A fabulous and interesting experiment, and very thought-provoking, but if it was designed to turn on or interest non-believers I think it was a failure.Not enough thrills. And I think recordings do exist of real life trad folk that can generate that thrill.
   And I wish people wouldnt dismiss banks of sweet primroses as some nostalgic crap that only existed in the past. I have my morning coffee every day on a primrose bank now, and its heart warming and thrilling and makes me think of songs. In 2003, as it did to others in 1703 or whatever.