 Scottish/English Ballads In Appalachia, A topic of musical research |
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Haldur  |
Posted: 03-Feb-2005, 09:21 PM
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Celtic Guardian
Group: Celtic Nation
Posts: 537
Joined: 04-Jan-2004
Zodiac: Willow
Realm: Grayson, KY
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The morning fog rises above the blue-tinged ridges as the sun casts its creamy, golden light upon every living thing. All around the chatter of the birds can be heard. The cool streams below whisper and sing harmoniously with the dancing wind. You look every which way and see nothing but elderly forests, green with life and full of mystery. You take in a deep breath and feel absolute bliss, observing nature and the quiet of the morn. No, you aren?t dreaming?perhaps you think you are. This is the feeling of walking through the countryside in Appalachia.
I grew up in Eastern Kentucky, in the Appalachian Mountains, where life is simple and full of music. In the mountains, one can walk far away from the hustle and rush of the city life and truly breathe pure freedom, uninhibited and sacred. There, one can capture an entirely unique perspective on life as told from the musicians? point of view. I never knew a time in my life when music wasn?t there to soothe me, to excite me, and to fuel my dreams. Much of my family played musical instruments, sang, or spun records in their homes and out on their front porches. Never so much as now have I grown to appreciate the legacy and history that has been fermenting in the hollows of Appalachia. I yearn to go back to the mountains to rediscover their mystique and tap into a culture that is as old as the first white American settlers.
I?ve started down this road by discovering the music of artists like Lydia McCauley, Stonecircle, and Jean Ritchie?just to name a few?as they are Celtic and folk musicians brought to my attention by my friends here on Highlander Radio. My interest has been furthered by my viewing of the motion picture ?Songcatcher? and its portrait of an Appalachian community and its local music, inherited from Scottish and English ballads that were brought over nearly 400 years ago. In the movie, several ballads are mentioned or performed in one form or another. Ballads such as ?Barbara Allen?, ?Pretty Saro?, and ?Mattlry Groves? are the backdrop for the film?s plot, as a young musicologist, Dr. Lily Penleric, hears a young girl singing ?Barbara Allen? in her distinctive southern fashion. She then embarks on collecting these ballads, preserved for hundreds of years in the Appalachian mountains of North Carolina.
Since seeing this film I have been interested in collecting as much as possible regarding the Scottish/English/Appalachian musical links, their history, and the many similarities and differences between each version. I have posted this in hopes of getting some input on these ballads and any other Celtic music that might have been carried over the stormy seas to present day Southern Appalachia. My main geographical areas of interest are in (but not limited to) Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina.
I hope to get some articles that I have found regarding Appalachia and the Scottish/English music of the area, post them in this forum, and siphon everyone?s thoughts in regards to the articles! I also hope to reference more of the ballads I?ve discovered along the way and encourage all who find any information to do the same. I plan on referencing the readily available tools that I currently have: internet search, friends and colleagues, my public library, and of course, this site! As a musician myself, I also yearn to soak up some more knowledge by actually learning the songs both vocally and on the acoustic guitar.
I feel that musical heritage is something many take for granted. I plan on researching this heritage for quite a while, perhaps one day searching for musicians in the mountains to record. The technology is there, the drive is there, and most certainly the music is still there in one form or another. To tell you the truth, I feel like a songcatcher already!
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Haldr, Traveller of the Great Forest"After all is said and done, a lot more will be said than done."
- Unknown
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| Haldur |
Posted: 05-Feb-2005, 09:29 AM
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Celtic Guardian
Group: Celtic Nation
Posts: 537
Joined: 04-Jan-2004
Zodiac: Willow
Realm: Grayson, KY
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Here's a link I discovered today at work while fishing around for some information on Appalachian/Scottish ballads.
Follow this link for more stuff!
http://cass.etsu.edu/ARCHIVES/music.htm
But here's part of the article I found...
From the great treasure of ballads, songs, and tales that settlers first brought to southern Appalachian region in the 18th century, music has been an important ingredient in the cultural inheritance of the region. Such folk music was kept alive in Appalachia into the present century and has been adapted and blended into an array of popular musical forms such as old-time country, gospel, bluegrass, and folk music. In these forms, music continues to be a significant and conscious aspect of life for many people in the region. The first commercial recordings of country music were made in Bristol, Tenn. in the 1920s, and many musical groups and individual recording artists began their careers with performances on local radio stations in the region.
Here's another interesting link from the same site...seems these folks have already done plenty of research. No sense in re-inventing sliced bread, I guess!
Tell me what you think!
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| Haldur |
Posted: 08-Feb-2005, 05:40 PM
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Celtic Guardian
Group: Celtic Nation
Posts: 537
Joined: 04-Jan-2004
Zodiac: Willow
Realm: Grayson, KY
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For the past couple weeks I have had in my position two very interesting pieces of literature. The first is "The Ballad Book of John Jacob Niles" by John Jacob Niles. It details the travels, discoveries, and music of the Appalachians as recorded by this legendary folk musician. Truly is a great borrow, as I have it courtesy of my public library! The second, also a public library borrow, is entitled "Folk Songs of the Southern Appalachians" by Jean Ritchie. It is also a book of ballads, having their roots in Scottish/English balladry. Interestingly enough, it seems that both of these folk artists have brought their own take on the ballads as they learned them. While very creative of them, in my opinion, I don't think that was right. But hey, that's just me!
In my opinion, if I were I to go about "catching songs" I would have this sort of equipment in mind:
a) some sort of portable recording device w/ microphone(s) - DAT, 4-track recorder, tape deck, etc.)
 a walking journal - for writing down notes about songs, the source's anecdotes, folklore regarding the song, and whatever else information might be gathered
c) proper transportation - I wouldn't go walking around getting this information! Would have to be something mechanically reliable and preferably fuel efficient
d) a good roadmap - for when you get lost
e) a digital camera - for photos, of course
And these are just a few of the 'essentials' and I know I've left out a few including but not limited to: names of sources and their addresses, etc., a handy carrying case for the recording equipment, perhaps another for everything else! Of course the meat and potatoes of the whole project would be knowing and recognizing the songs and having proper, legitimate sources from which to gather the songs.
I could go on and on...hope to hear some input on this forum soon!
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