Sharp's Appalachian Harvest

Subject: Sharp's Appalachian Harvest
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 16 Jan 12 - 09:49 AM

Cecil Sharp is getting a lot of attention in 2012! This is another treat to look forward to.

Brian Peters (UK) and Jeff Davis (USA) will be presenting their show about his Appalachian adventure at Cheltenham Folk Festival on Saturday 11 February in the Playhouse Theatre at 5.00pm.

They will perform some of the collector's best finds, accompanied by a description of his arduous mountain journeys and his warm relationships with the singers, and with a chance to see many of Sharp's evocative photographs.

"By the end of the performance you'll have a good idea why Sharp's Appalachian Harvest is regarded as one of the greatest regional collections of folksongs ever made."

Sharp's Appalachian Harvest

It's a two hour show and, as far as I know, a one-off performance. Jeff Davis will be touring England in February, so hopefully one or two of the songs and tunes will make their way into his set;

10-12 Feb Cheltenham Folk Festival - with Brian Peters
Monday 13 Feb The Midway, Stockport
Thursday 16 Feb Royal Oak, Lewes
Friday 17 Feb Masons Arms, Bodmin
Sunday 19 Feb The Crabshell Inn, Kingsbridge - with Brian Peters
Wednesday 22 Feb Cross Keys, Uppermill, Oldham
Thursday 23 Feb The Old Oak, Horsley Woodhouse, Derby - with Brian Peters
Friday 24 Feb The King and Queen, London W1
Sunday 26 Feb Old Rose & Crown, Walthamstow
Wednesday 29 Feb Ryburn Three Step, The Works, Sowerby Bridge

Subject: RE: Sharp's Appalachian Harvest
From: Dave Ruch
Date: 16 Jan 12 - 10:08 AM

Knowing these two, there will be an extraordinary amount of thought, research and planning going into the making of this presentation, on top of the outstanding musicianship and dedication to the music that they display in their other pursuits.   Wish I could be there.

Subject: RE: Sharp's Appalachian Harvest
From: John Minear
Date: 16 Jan 12 - 10:16 AM

This will be an excellent program! When will they be bringing it to the Southern Appalachians? They could do a show in Nellysford, VA, where Sharp collected a number of fine songs, and I could walk down the road and hear them!

Subject: RE: Sharp's Appalachian Harvest
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 16 Jan 12 - 11:32 AM

Very shortly, CAMSCO will be re-releasing a the 1932 (expanded) edition of Engish Folk Songs in the Southern Appalachians, with a new introduction by Sheila Kay Adams. Watch for it! Great collection.

Subject: RE: Sharp's Appalachian Harvest
From: GUEST,BanjoRay
Date: 16 Jan 12 - 12:01 PM

It's a real shame that this superb evening of Appalachian music will clash with a superb weekend of Appalachian music at the Gainsborough Old Time festival.
Blast!
Ray

Subject: RE: Sharp's Appalachian Harvest
From: foggers
Date: 16 Jan 12 - 12:45 PM

Ray- what about the Derby date 23rd Feb? That looks like the nearest gig for us S Yorks bods. We will certainly try to get to it.

Subject: RE: Sharp's Appalachian Harvest
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 18 Jan 12 - 01:51 AM

Cheltenham Folk Festival, Sharp's Appalachian Harvest, Playhouse Theatre, Saturday 11th Feb 2012 5:00pm

Weekend and day tickets include admission to this event. Individual tickets are not be available in advance. The Playhouse Theatre seats about 180 people. Tickets (£8) for any spare seats will be available on the door 15 minutes before the start.

Subject: RE: Sharp's Appalachian Harvest
From: nickp
Date: 18 Jan 12 - 04:37 AM

I'm hoping to make the Crabshell

Subject: RE: Sharp's Appalachian Harvest
From: Brian Peters
Date: 19 Jan 12 - 05:44 AM

"They could do a show in Nellysford, VA, where Sharp collected a number of fine songs, and I could walk down the road and hear them!"

Ah, Nellysford! Where Sharp notated one of only two songs from an African-American singer. On 22nd May 1918, the Aunt Maria Tomes sang 'Barbara Allen' to Sharp "very beautifully, in a wonderfully musical way" - we'll be performing her version in our presentation.

Subject: RE: Sharp's Appalachian Harvest
From: Richard Hardaker
Date: 19 Jan 12 - 08:44 AM

My one-time next door neighbour, a retired clergyman, now dead, heard me singing once and remarked, "That reminds me of the time I heard Cecil Sharp sing." When he was at school in the early 1920s
Sharp had visited his school to give a lecture about his song collecting expeditions in the Appalachians and in the absence of recordings had performed his own musical examples.
"Mind you, he wasn't much of a singer," my neighbour added, so I didn't know whether to take it as a complement or not.

Subject: RE: Sharp's Appalachian Harvest
From: John Minear
Date: 19 Jan 12 - 11:18 AM

Wow, Brian, I would love to hear your version of "Barbara Allen" to Aunt Maria Tomes' tune. I have always been sorry that they did not take down the whole song from her - or did they by chance and just not publish it? And I wish they had been more detailed in saying who she was! So far, I have been unable to find any trace of her here in Nellysford. But still I would love to hear that song. Perhaps it will be on YouTube, or a CD, or something?

Subject: RE: Sharp's Appalachian Harvest
From: Brian Peters
Date: 20 Jan 12 - 04:19 AM

Hi John,
Sharp, like all of the early collectors, was much more focussed on the songs than on the singers but, having studied his Appalachian collection, I'm coming to the conclusion that he began to take more interest in the singers as his work progressed. By his third visit, in 1918, he would quite often write half a page or more of notes about a given singer, appended to the relevant song in his 'fair copy' note book. Often there is more detail there than in his diary (if you've not accessed that yet, go to Sharp's diary online - I recommend selecting the transcription rather than deciphering his handwriting).

About Aunt Maria (whose surname is spelt 'Tombs' in Maud Karpeles autobiography and therefore presumably her diary), Sharp writes:

Aunt Maria is an old coloured woman, aged 85, who was a slave belonging to Mrs Coleman who freed her after the war and gave her the log cabin in which she now lives, which used to be the overseer's home.

Maybe that will give you a bit more to go on in tracing her? You can also search the diary by date (he visited Aunt M on May 22nd, 1918) to see what he got up to in Nellysford.

As to the song, it is one of many for which Sharp notated only a single verse. He seems to have done this in the case of songs for which he already had multiple versions (he was interested mainly in the tunes), but given that the verse he uses as an example for Aunt Maria's 'Barbara Allen' is rather garbled, it may be that she remembered only a fragment anyway. However, her tune is so good and so unusual that I've collated a set of verses from Sharp's other versions, in order to make a singable song (always the best kind of song, if you ask me).

Since this is going to be our first ever performance of many of these songs, it's a little early to be talking about a recording, but I would like that to happen one day.

Subject: RE: Sharp's Appalachian Harvest
From: Brian Peters
Date: 20 Jan 12 - 04:19 AM

PS I enjoyed your story, Richard H.

Subject: RE: Sharp's Appalachian Harvest
From: John Minear
Date: 20 Jan 12 - 08:45 AM

Thanks, Brian, for that additional information. When we moved to Nellysford in 1998, we lived in an old house known as "the Coleman House" for a year and a half while we were building our own house. The original part of this house was supposedly built in 1732, and was a "two over two" log house made of huge chestnut trees. The "kitchen" was in the basement. They later added a "new addition", in 1812! This included a larger kitchen, which had a "slave door" that led to the back yard and possibly slave quarters and the spring down at the bottom of the hill. There were a lot of Colemans in the Rockfish Valley back then so I don't know if this was where Aunt Maria Tombs lived and worked or not, but it just could have been the place.

I'll take a look at Sharp's diary and see if there is anything else there. Another person he collected from in Nellysford was a man named "Dol (Adolphus) Small". And would you believe that we have a Dol Small living here today, a direct descendent with all kinds of relatives.

I think it's great that you guys are doing this program. There is so much rich material in Sharp's Appalachian collection and it needs to be revitalized.

Subject: RE: Sharp's Appalachian Harvest
From: GUEST,Mike yates
Date: 20 Jan 12 - 09:53 AM

Hi John,

I have a copy of a photograph of a man who could be Dol Small. The picture was taken by Maud Karpeles. If we got a copy to you would there be anyone around today who could say if this was Dol?

Subject: RE: Sharp's Appalachian Harvest
From: John Minear
Date: 20 Jan 12 - 12:46 PM

Hi Mike, I'll PM you my email address and you can send it to me and I'll check.

Subject: RE: Sharp's Appalachian Harvest
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 01 Feb 12 - 07:43 AM

I'm afraid I missed the Cecil Sharp Project. It was within easy reach but I had a clash of events. So I'm determined to see this show!

I'd like to hear what Jeff and Brian make of Barbara Allen. As a freed slave, Aunt Maria Tombs was different from Sharp's usual sources.

Subject: RE: Sharp's Appalachian Harvest
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 08 Feb 12 - 07:02 AM

Cheltenham will also have a Noon Interview on Sunday with Martin (Graebe) talking to Brian Peters and Jeff Davis.

Subject: RE: Sharp's Appalachian Harvest
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 14 Feb 12 - 06:19 AM

Safely home from Cheltenham after a very busy and enjoyable weekend.

The presentation lived up to my expectation! Sharp's expeditions were far more dramatic than I imagined. I'd no idea about the problems of travel that he faced or the privation that he suffered. And yet he went back for more! He seemed to show the same heroic ambition in his search for singers that Scott did in his desire to reach the South Pole.

Brian Peters and Jeff Davis recounted Sharp's adventures direct from his diaries and performed the songs and tunes he collected there against an atmospheric backdrop of his photographs.

Educational and very entertaining too! Brian and Jeff - well done to you both.

Subject: RE: Sharp's Appalachian Harvest
From: Tradsinger
Date: 14 Feb 12 - 05:41 PM

I too attended this concert and it was the highlight of the festival - well researched, well rehearsed and well performed. The slideshow was really atmospheric. You have got to hear Brian singing "Barbara Allan" - top song and top rendition..

Tradsinger

Subject: RE: Sharp's Appalachian Harvest
From: Brian Peters
Date: 01 Oct 13 - 09:28 AM

Several more outings for this show over the next couple of weeks, with Jeff Davis over here in the UK. We'll be doing at at Cecil Sharp House on October 5th, as part of the Folk Song conference - that's also open to the general public.

Then:
Derby Folk Festival (6th
Lewes Folk Festival (12th)
Abbots Langley Acoustic Concerts (13th)

Show description.

There's a feature article in the new issue of Living Tradition, and another in the most recent English Dance and Song.

A CD including most of the songs from the show is now out and available from my newly-constructed website www.brian-peters.co.uk. Go here for an online Album Review.

Subject: RE: Sharp's Appalachian Harvest
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Oct 13 - 09:39 AM

For those who might be interested, Sharp's (and Karpeles') classic English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians has be re-issued in a handsome 2-volume set by CAMSCO Music. Hard cover, $35 per volume; soft-cover $25 per volume. Both volumes are also available in searchable, printable PDF format on a single CD ($30).
Contact [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Sharp's Appalachian Harvest
From: Brian Peters
Date: 01 Oct 13 - 10:20 AM

"...part of the Folk Song conference - that's also open to the general public."

Just to clarify my rather ambiguous phrasing, the Sharp show on Saturday evening is open to the general public, whether or not they're signed up for the conference.

Subject: RE: Sharp's Appalachian Harvest
From: GUEST,nickp (at work)
Date: 01 Oct 13 - 11:17 AM

It's a great show, go see/hear

Subject: RE: Sharp's Appalachian Harvest
From: sciencegeek
Date: 02 Oct 13 - 10:42 AM

very nice indeed... and was one of the CDs we played in the car during our trek to Maine last week.

grest job, boys... you done good!

Subject: RE: Sharp's Appalachian Harvest
From: Vic Smith
Date: 02 Oct 13 - 01:24 PM

LEWES FOLK FESTIVAL

Tickets still available for:-

SHARP'S APPALACHIAN HARVEST
A Multimedia Show with
JEFF DAVIS & BRIAN PETERS
Sat 12th October 8 p.m.
Royal Oak, Station Street BN7 2DA         
Tickets £12 from http://www.lewesfolkfest.org/LFFtickets.php

        England's greatest folksong collector Cecil Sharp and his assistant Maud Karpeles made three trips to the Southern Appalachian Mountains in 1916, 1917 and 1918, in search of old British songs surviving in remote communities. They struck gold there, turning up over 1600 songs, including countless wonderful versions of traditional ballads, and also many songs of American origin. In 'Sharp's Appalachian Harvest', two leading interpreters of traditional song and music from both sides of the Atlantic, Jeff Davis (USA) and Brian Peters (England), present some of the collector's best finds, accompanied by a description of his arduous mountain journeys, his warm relationships with the singers, and a chance to see many of Sharp's evocative photographs.
As well as the old British ballads and songs – including 'The False Knight on the Road', 'The Golden Vanity', and a version of 'Barbara Allen' from an African-American singer – the show includes children's songs, gospel, old-timey hoedowns and some of the fiddle tunes that Sharp noted. Settings range from unaccompanied voice to arrangements for banjo, guitar, fiddle, mandolin and button accordion.
By the end of the performance you'll have a good idea why Sharp's Appalachian Harvest is regarded as one of the greatest regional collections of folksongs ever made.

Subject: RE: Sharp's Appalachian Harvest
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Oct 13 - 08:50 PM

Cecil Sharp House, Saturday night!

Subject: RE: Sharp's Appalachian Harvest
From: Eldergirl
Date: 05 Oct 13 - 05:52 AM

Will be at the Abbots Langley show, really looking forward to it!

Subject: RE: Sharp's Appalachian Harvest
From: GUEST,Derek Schofield
Date: 06 Oct 13 - 05:32 PM

As seen at CSH on Saturday ... excellent ... well worth going to see in Lewes (and elsewhere)....
Derek

Subject: RE: Sharp's Appalachian Harvest
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 09 Oct 13 - 06:20 AM

Jeff and Brian continue their travels with Sharp's Appalachian Harvest. You may get a sample of Sharp's collection at their solo and shared dates too.

This week

Wednesday October 9: Faversham Folk Club; Jeff Davis with Brian Peters
Friday October 11: Southampton Focsle Folk Club; Brian Peters solo
Saturday October 12: Lewes Folk Festival; afternoon - fiddle and melodeon workshops; 8pm - Sharp's Appalachian Harvest

Next week

Sunday October 13 at 3pm: Abbots Langley Community Centre; Sharp's Appalachian Harvest
Monday October 14: Stockton Folk Club; Jeff Davis solo
Wednesday October 16: The Cross Keys, Selattyn, nr Oswestry SY10 7DH; Jeff Davis solo
Friday October 18: Bollington Folk Club; Jeff Davis solo
Saturday October 19: Newcastle, Cumberland Arms; Jeff Davis with Brian Peters

Subject: RE: Sharp's Appalachian Harvest
From: GUEST,Brian Peters
Date: 11 Oct 13 - 07:42 AM

Tomorrow night at the Royal Oak, Lewes,
Lewes Folk Festival

Sunday afternoon at Abbots Langley Community Centre

Subject: RE: Sharp's Appalachian Harvest
From: Vic Smith
Date: 11 Oct 13 - 01:34 PM

Still some tickets available for the Lewes Folk Festival performance

Subject: RE: Sharp's Appalachian Harvest
From: Susan of DT
Date: 12 Oct 13 - 06:51 AM

When are you bringing it to the US?

Subject: RE: Sharp's Appalachian Harvest
From: Brian Peters
Date: 12 May 15 - 10:10 AM

I'm refreshing this thread to flag up my UK tour with Jeff Davis starting this week, which includes 'Appalachian Harvest' shows at the Milkmaid FC in Bury St. Edmunds, Chippenham and Chester Folk Festivals, Black Swan FC, York, Sage Gateshead and Square Chapel, Halifax.

Jeff and I will also be playing non-themed duo shows in Walthmastow, Kings Cross, Dartford, Llantrisant and Wiveliscombe.

Details here.

In the US, we'll be performing 'SAH' at the American Folklife Center, the Library of Congress, Washington DC, in July, and at several venues on a tour stretching from New England to North Carolina via New York City, in October.

Subject: RE: Sharp's Appalachian Harvest
From: Brian Peters
Date: 13 May 15 - 05:42 PM

refresh!

Subject: RE: Sharp's Appalachian Harvest
From: Brian Peters
Date: 26 May 15 - 09:01 AM

Jeff and I are enjoying presenting this show on our current UK tour. This week it's the Northern leg, with Sage Gateshead tomorrow (May 27) followed by York Folk Club (28th) and Halifax Square Chapel (31st).

Subject: RE: Sharp's Appalachian Harvest
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 26 May 15 - 10:37 AM

JUst to point out that THe re-issue of Sharp's "English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians" 1932 edition (the big one! is availabl from CAMSCO Music (2 volumes). Hardcover $30 per volume, Softcover $25 per volume. Printed both in the US and UK---no over-the pond shipping charges.

Subject: RE: Sharp's Appalachian Harvest
From: Brian Peters
Date: 27 May 15 - 08:23 AM

I can thoroughly recommend that book, especially at Camsco's attractively ow price!