Appalachian Ballad
tagStarted 19th centuryPeak 1910–1965Last big hit still activeFrom Appalachia, United States
Located in 1 route
Appalachian ballad is the mountain branch of narrative song, often sung unaccompanied or with the lightest possible accompaniment, in modal contours and long-lined phrases that feel older than the microphone.
History
Ballad hunting in Appalachia revealed how deeply British and Irish narrative songs had been naturalized in mountain communities, where they mixed with local themes and performance habits.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- Library of Congress
- Smithsonian Folkways
- NPS
- Britannica. citeturn16search0turn8search6turn7search1