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Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Update: Found the Ballad Singers

I found them! I went looking for singing last night; everywhere there was music. The air was filled with a great cacaphony of sound as one group and another played on the porches, in front of the tiny campus bar called the Icehouse, and even in the back of a pickup truck. As I wandered and listened I ran into a couple other ladies who were also looking for singing, so we meandered to a stairwell known for its incredible acoustics and started singing.

It didn't take long for a few others to join us. And as usual with ballads, different versions were shared or one song reminded someone of another. A reference to a willow tree, the words "and the rocks melt in the sun" brought forth other ballads.

It was a great time. I made it back and to bed by 1:30 to be ready for today's class, and who knows what else might come?

Copyright 2012 Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

8 comments:

  1. "Rocks melting in the sun" rings some pretty loud bells though I can't think which song it comes from. But willow trees turn up all over the place, don't they. It's great when one song just leads to another.

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  2. Enjoying your last several posts, especially the last two on ballads and just being where you are.
    Joy

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  3. John, it's a ghost story ballad, and last night we sang 3 or 4 versions. He comes back, she says something about his clay cold cheeks, etc. I can't think of the name of them, though :/

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  4. It is fun, Jenny :) So much music everywhere, and great people. I spent some time talking to the man who taught the Appalachian dialects class last night; he's so interesting. We talked about Tom Dula and lots of other things. I've met people from all over the US, one a lady close to my age who just completed a 900-mile hike!

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  5. am really enjoying this series too. am fascinated by the gal that completed the 900-mile hike. I can't sing or tell stories, but I can hike. 900 miles? ummm not so sure but it would be fun trying!

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  6. She hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, Nance. She'd already done the Appalachian Trail. She said there were hundreds of miles of desert on the PCT. Can you imagine?

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