Unaccompanied or acapella singing is the bedrock of Southern Appalachian song. Existing side-by-side with the great old time instrumental music, this singing most often tells a story, a ballad, or is part of the great hymnody tradition. The classic Child Ballads (of no known authorship) migrated from Scotland, Northern Ireland and England in the early 1700’s, finding their way to the secluded hollers of the Southern Appalachians, where they were sung around firesides for 200 years until being “discovered” by academic field scholars. Along with the classics came the popular broadside ballads while new American ballads came into their own.  Not a sing-along class, this class will encourage you to be brave (with plenty of moral support) and learn to sing on your own, to become part of the great tradition of handing down songs of antiquity. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to hear and sing these great songs that have enriched us for centuries.

Listeners encouraged to attend.