Skip to main content

Virginia Traditions: Ballads from British Tradition

Various Artists
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

icon-circle-play svg-new-pause-button
101
Polly Johnson
02:38
icon-circle-play svg-new-pause-button
102
Polly Johnson
03:41
icon-circle-play svg-new-pause-button
103
Joe Hubbard
00:53
icon-circle-play svg-new-pause-button
104
S. F. "Sam" Russell
03:55
icon-circle-play svg-new-pause-button
105
Ruby Bowman Plemmons
04:31
icon-circle-play svg-new-pause-button
106
Eunice Yeatts McAlexander
02:30
icon-circle-play svg-new-pause-button
107
Dan Tate
02:52
icon-circle-play svg-new-pause-button
108
Dan Tate
01:58
icon-circle-play svg-new-pause-button
109
Texas Gladden
02:32
icon-circle-play svg-new-pause-button
110
Texas Gladden
03:23
icon-circle-play svg-new-pause-button
201
Horton Barker
03:45
icon-circle-play svg-new-pause-button
202
Dorothy Rorick
02:38
icon-circle-play svg-new-pause-button
203
Dock Boggs
03:20
icon-circle-play svg-new-pause-button
204
Spence Moore
02:57
icon-circle-play svg-new-pause-button
205
Kate Peters Sturgill
02:33
icon-circle-play svg-new-pause-button
206
Robert Russel
01:41
icon-circle-play svg-new-pause-button
207
Ernest V. Stoneman and the Blue Ridge Corn Shuckers
03:21
icon-circle-play svg-new-pause-button
208
The Stanley Brothers
02:17
icon-circle-play svg-new-pause-button
209
Kelly Harrell
03:19