Peter,

I think the term you used, "the evolution of the genre" hints at what you were expecting to analyse.

The reality is the folk revival breathed life into the repertoire of traditional songs that would otherwise have been buried and lost to the generations that grew up in the '50s, '60s and 70's.

What we now have is an eclectic selection of performance styles that can range from unaccompanied song to the full blown 'pop' treatment as in the 'Pogues'.

That doesn't necessarily mean there have been 'improvements' in the genre, merely that there are different interpretaions.

I would argue that the challenge is in taking a song and delivering its meaning in an entertaining way that still maintains its integrity & beauty.

If true I guess this would imply that you would want to be a performer rather than a consumer: am I right?

Bob vG