My pleasure in folk music is the taking a snapshot of history and passing it along musically. There were several performers who capturing this beautifully for me;
The serious ones...
Eric Sedge's ballad to his adopted daughter and the long term affects of her early life.
Richard Digance's "Salisbury" made the hair on my neck stand on end.
and the delightful....
Kate Rusby's Bill rescuing a woman from "a lukewarm glass of water, a dusty teabag and a pot of UHT milk". I have needed that Hero so many times.
The tradition rolls on.