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

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