Challenging Folk traditions

Matthew Bramble’s Trip to Bath: Arrival at Bath (w/c, pen & ink and pencil on paper laid on mount) by Rowlandson, Thomas (1756-1827); 11.7×18.7 cm; Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection, USA; English, out of copyright

Is it wrong to mess with traditions?

To put this into some sort of context, I've started working on a new series of compositions for the Bath City Waits group. I love performing with this group, the camaraderie, the mutual love of the music and perhaps most importantly the stories behind the tunes. From a compositional point of view though, the music generally sticks to a rubric. There are normally two sections (A&B) in the music (usually 8 or 16 bars in length), which repeat, and then the whole thing repeats three times. The music is usually fairly lively, but this is explained when you consider the original purpose of the City Waits groups. The key of the tunes is bound to the melodeon part (normally in D or G).

The above image of Harliquin Air is a great example of a typical tune from our repertoire.

As I mentioned earlier, I really enjoy playing these tunes, but creating a composition that satisfies both performers and myself as a composer is proving to be a little complicated. So the question is, how far can I push the boundaries of folk music traditions, whilst retaining its authenticity?

I'll let you know how I get on!