Virginia Traditions: Ballads from British Tradition

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. The songs on this recording are ballads in the traditional sense, i.e., they tell a story. The singers are all from southwestern Virginia and present in a variety of styles, ranging from strictly traditional to relatively modern with stringband accompaniment.

Track Listing

101	Old Ireland (William Hall)	Polly Johnson	02:38
102	The Three Maids (The Cruel Brother)	Polly Johnson	03:41
103	The Farmer's Curst Wife	Joe Hubbard	00:53
104	As I Walked Over London's Bridge (Geordie)	S.F. Russel	03:55
105	Little Massie Grove	Ruby Bowman Plemmons	04:31
106	Wild Hog in the Woods (Bangum and the Boar)	Eunice Yeatts McAlexander	02:30
107	Barbara Allen	Dan Tate	02:52
108	Wind and Rain (The Two Sisters)	Dan Tate	01:58
109	Devil's Nine Questions	Texas Gladden	02:32
110	The Bad Girl	Texas Gladden	03:23
201	The Turkish Rebelee (The Golden Vanity)	Horton Barker	03:45
202	House Carpenter	Dorothy Rorick	02:38
203	Oh Death	Dock Boggs	03:20
204	The Three Babes (The Wife of Usher's Well)	Spence Moore	02:57
205	Queen Sally	Kate Peters Sturgill	02:33
206	Froggie Went a'Courtin'	Robert Russel	01:41
207	Raging Sea, How It Roars (The Mermaid)	Ernest V. Stoneman and the Blue Ridge Corn Shuckers	03:21
208	The Jealous Lover	The Stanley Brothers	02:17
209	The Butcher's Boy	Kelly Harrell	03:19