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Virginia Traditions: Native Virginia Ballads and Songs

Various Artists
Virginia Traditions: Native Virginia Ballads and Songs

Few states in this country can boast of more diverse folkways than Virginia. Many of the material objects—such as barns, tools, and furniture—reflect the traditions that shaped the lives of its earliest settlers and the generations of Virginians who followed. The Commonwealth’s performance traditions of songs, tunes, and tales also tell of a shared heritage involving all classes of people in every facet of life. Because traditions naturally change over time, the documentation of Virginia folk culture is an ongoing process essential to our understanding of the past, present, and future. By recording the folkways of Virginia, the Blue Ridge Institute of Ferrum College and its BRI Record label strive to foster a greater appreciation of our folk roots through an array of interpretive programs. From murders to train wrecks to natural disasters, the ballads on this recording concern events and people of Appalachian Virginia. Performance styles range from traditional unaccompanied singing to sophisticated modern bluegrass.

Track Listing

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101
Claude Allen Hobart Smith 03:33
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102
Sidney Allen Spence Moore 01:59
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103
Poor Goins James Taylor Adams and Finley Adams 03:59
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104
The Vance Song Branch W. Higgins 02:16
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105
The Fate of Dewey Lee Spence Moore 02:59
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106
The Fate of Talmadge Osborne Ernest V. Stoneman 03:06
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107
The Wreck of the 1256 Vernon Dalhart 04:16
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108
The Wreck of the Old 97 Kelly Harrell and Henry Whitter 03:49
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201
The Life and Death of Charlie Poole Ted Prillaman 02:25
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202
The Story of Freeda Bolt Floyd County Ramblers 03:41
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203
The Ballad of Caty Sage J.C. Pierce 03:43
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204
The Cyclone of Rye Cove The Carter Family 02:04
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205
The Story of the Flood The Stanley Brothers 03:12
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206
The Pinnacle Mountain Silver Mine Helen Cockram 02:08
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207
New River Song Jim and Artie Marshall 02:59
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208
Highway 52 Little "Doc" Raymond and The Coleman Pardners 02:54
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209
The Ballad of Fancy Gap Jim and Artie Marshall 04:51