▁encountered ▁count less ▁versions ▁of ▁this ▁ball ad ▁throughout ▁the ▁English - spe aking ▁world , ▁and ▁these ▁versions ▁often ▁differ ▁greatly ▁from ▁each ▁other . ▁None ▁can ▁reli ably ▁claim ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁original , ▁and ▁it ▁is ▁possible ▁that ▁the ▁" original " ▁version ▁ceased ▁to ▁be ▁s ung ▁centuries ▁ago . ▁ ▁Many ▁versions ▁can ▁lay ▁an ▁equal ▁claim ▁to ▁authentic ity . ▁ ▁The ▁influ ential ▁folk lor ist ▁Cec il ▁Sh arp ▁felt ▁that ▁these ▁compet ing ▁variants ▁of ▁a ▁traditional ▁song ▁would ▁under go ▁a ▁process ▁of ▁improvement ▁a kin ▁to ▁bi ological ▁natural ▁selection : ▁only ▁those ▁new ▁variants ▁that ▁were ▁the ▁most ▁appe aling ▁to ▁ordinary ▁sing ers ▁would ▁be ▁picked ▁up ▁by ▁others ▁and ▁transm itted ▁on ward ▁in ▁time . ▁Thus , ▁over ▁time ▁we ▁would ▁expect ▁each ▁traditional ▁song ▁to ▁become ▁a est het ically ▁ever ▁more ▁appe aling   — ▁it ▁would ▁be ▁collect ively ▁composed ▁to ▁per fection , ▁as ▁it ▁were , ▁by ▁the ▁community . ▁ ▁Liter ary ▁interest ▁in ▁the ▁popular ▁ball ad ▁form ▁dates ▁back ▁at ▁least ▁to ▁Thomas ▁Per cy ▁and ▁William ▁Word sw orth . ▁English ▁Elizabeth an ▁and ▁Stuart ▁compos ers ▁had ▁often ▁evol ved ▁their ▁music ▁from ▁folk ▁them es , ▁the ▁classical ▁suite ▁was ▁based ▁upon ▁st yl ised ▁folk - d ances , ▁and ▁Joseph ▁Hay dn ' s ▁use ▁of ▁folk ▁mel od ies ▁is ▁noted . ▁But ▁the ▁emer gence ▁of ▁the ▁term ▁" folk " ▁coinc ided