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Sea Island Folk Festival: Moving Star Hall Singers and Alan Lomax

Moving Star Hall Singers
Sea Island Folk Festival: Moving Star Hall Singers and Alan Lomax

In 1964, after five winters living and working with the people of the Sea Islands of South Carolina (helping with adult literacy programs and recording singing traditions), musician and musicologist Guy Carawan organized a folk festival. He aspired to encourage a folk song revival and to provide support to performers such as the Moving Star Hall Singers, who kept the folkways of the Sea Islands alive in spite of poverty and a lack of interest from younger generations.

In a rousing speech recorded at the festival, ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax (1915–2002) refers to the islands as "one of the heartlands of American music." Vigorous performances of spirituals, Gullah folk tales, and improvised blues attest to his assessment. Liner notes include notes on the songs, photographs, and articles about the living folk heritage of the Sea Islands by Carawan and Lomax.

Track Listing

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101
Remember Me Moving Star Hall Singers 02:19
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102
Meet Me in Galilee Moving Star Hall Singers 02:10
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103
Ask the Watchman How Long - New Year's Eve Song Moving Star Hall Singers 02:24
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104
See God's Ark A-Moving Moving Star Hall Singers 03:05
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105
Talk about the Sea Island Folk Festival, Texas Folk Tale: Having a Hard Time, Texas Hide and Seek Song: All Hid Moving Star Hall Singers 10:20
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201
Ezekial in the Valley Moving Star Hall Singers 02:17
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202
Gullah Folk Tale: Barney McCabe Moving Star Hall Singers 05:58
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203
Somebody Stole My Henhouse Key Moving Star Hall Singers 01:43
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204
Blues Moving Star Hall Singers 01:24
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205
Ezekial in the Valley Moving Star Hall Singers 02:05
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206
Mary Rolled the Stone Away Moving Star Hall Singers 01:51
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207
Moonlight in Glory Moving Star Hall Singers 02:32
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208
You Got To Move Moving Star Hall Singers 01:42