This page serves as part of a private research project exploring Celtic influences in the Central and Southern Appalachian regions.
The Appalachian region is as diverse as its landscape, its culture molded and shaped from various other people-groups who settled amongst its dense forests and rolling mists. The relative, and in some cases complete, isolation of the Scots-Irish and Welsh settlers, in particular, created pockets of Appalachia where the culture of the immigrants' homeland was allowed to flourish and grow without outside influence. There were instances where these so-called "Celtic" peoples made contact with German and Anglo-Saxon settlers and even Native tribes who were scattered throughout the region and adopted pieces of these other cultures into their own; however, more than any other immigrant culture settling the Appalachian region, the Celtic culture maintained the integrity and roots of their homeland across the sea. This Celtic influence in Appalachia is perhaps nowhere more evident than in music.
|
|
This collection of music provides evidence of Appalachian music which evolved or was directly transposed from Celtic origin and brought to the Appalachian region by Scots-Irish and Welsh settlers. When you listen to these ballads, jigs, and reels, performed by Apollo’s Fire, it is possible to hear the similarities, transformations, and crossovers between Celtic and Appalachian music. The accompanying booklet, linked below, describes the sources of each song and its connection between Appalachia and either Scotland, Ireland, or Wales.
This music booklet accompanies the audio recordings on Sugarloaf Mountain: An Appalachian Gathering and discusses the correlations between Celtic music and ballads and those of Appalachia. Songs with lyrics are all presented in the booklet, along with descriptions of the parallels between Celtic and Appalachian adaptations of each song. Sorrell cites original sources for the music, and this is an excellent resource for gathering information about crossovers in Appalachian and Celtic music.
|
Headline
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
Headline
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.