Ballads and Songs of the Blue Ridge Mountains: Persistence and Change

Stemming from a want to preserve the dwindling unique oral traditions of the Blue Ridge Mountain back-country region, Eric Davidson, Paul Newman and Caleb Finch performed field recordings of songs that exemplified the evolution of ballads in the region, creating an anthology of music that characterized the musical mountain traditions. Originating from folk music of the British Isles, many of the songs are performed with little or no instrumental accompaniment. These beautiful archaic folk melodies have retained their roots in the ballad and lament tradition, sung here by both men and women (traditionally ballads were sung only by women) with occasional lively banjo accompaniments.

Track Listing

101	Hanging of Georgie Paul Joines	01:34
102	Returning Sweetheart Sarah Hawkes	01:54
103	Barbry Allen Granny Porter and Wade Ward	02:43
104	Young Men and Maids Paul Joines	02:19
105	Green Willow Tree Paul Joines	04:21
106	Ho Lilly Ho Sarah Hawkes	02:15
107	Walkin' in the Parlor Kilby Reeves	01:22
108	Little Sparrow Sarah Hawkes	01:50
109	County Jail Kilby Reeves	01:50
110	The War Is A-Raging Polly "Aunt Polly" Joines	01:22
111	Pig in a Pen Spud Gravely and Glen Smith	02:31
112	Roving Ranger Paul Joines	02:52
201	Pretty Polly Ivor Melton, Cullen Galyean, Bobby Harrison	02:09
202	George Allen Spud Gravely	01:16
203	Roving Gambler Hobart and Larry Delp with Joe Kyles	02:28
204	Ten Thousand Miles Ruby Vass	03:22
205	1809 Glen Neaves	03:12
206	Little Maggie Ivor Melton, Cullen Galyean, Claudine Lambert	03:36
207	Death of the Lawson Family Glen Neaves	01:55
208	Lonesome Day Ruby Vass	02:13
209	Budded Roses Paul Joines and Cliff Evans	02:35