Stories, quotes and anecdotes from Appalachia. 1880s-1950s era.

Category: Appalachian music

The origins of Old Harp singing, part 2 of 2

Hundreds of thousands of copies of shaped-note collections of religious songs were put into circulation between 1800 and the end of the Civil War.

Liner notes for 1951 Folkways record ‘Old Harp Singing,’ featuring the Old Harp Singers of Eastern Tennessee, by Sidney Robertson Cowell.

Mac Wiseman, nicknamed “The Voice with a Heart,” grew up influenced by traditional and religious music and such radio stars as Montana Slim Carter.

This ballad was composed by Peyton Buckner Byrne of Greenup, KY. The fire occurred in the 1880s in the song’s namesake mill town.

I sang I Wonder As I Wander for 5 years in concert before it caught on. Since then, it has been sung by soloists and choral groups worldwide.

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