If I knew how to construct one, this would be a film review.

If you've seen the film "Songcatcher," (and you shouldn't admit it in public if you haven't) at least one notion was made clear to you with sledge-hammer certainty. There is a difference between museum piece, printed folk song and the same item in living tradition. It's the difference between a human and a zombie - soul. (Or something like it.)

Of the several field recordings available on the web - American Memory at Library of Congress - The School of Scottish Studies material - Max Hunter's Ozark collection http://www.smsu.edu/folksong/MaxHunter/index.html - the new
great Leach stuff from Newf http://collections.ic.gc.ca/leach/songs/NFLD.htm - no matter how well done there is still something of the museum quality. I think part is the collector's tradition of genrally selecting the very elderly as subjects - part is simply a loss of presence because of the media.

Or maybe it's just me. I've been familiar with Appalachian ballad for 50 years but never had the pleasure of collecting or listening in the area. I've only learned from field recordings, books and revival singers (and some fine recreationists & "tradition bearers.") Always, however, presented as archive or as commercial performance. My years in Scotland, however, put me in direct contact with source singers and their immediate contacts and song shared ("home style," that is, not "concert style") around the kitchen table. That was something new. And wonderful.

But I can tell you that on viewing the full Quicktime sound/vision of the Project I had a near-religious experience. Not only reaffirming the American material is still in living tradition but that it can be among the best ballad singing anywhere.

The Project is world-class and desperately important in a world that has all but forgotten the ballad and the ballad singer and all but lost the ability to sit still and listen to a whole story.

I try to fancy myself a ballad singer (Scottish, mostly) but am in awe of those - Appalachian, Scottish, Vermonters, Newfies, who have the pure voice and charisma to really sing a story and hold the attention of the crowd - who can sing so that listeners are hanging on the words (oddly, even if they already know them) waiting to find out what happens - not just waiting for their turn to "perform."

And there is some beautiful and charismatic singing presented in the film. Superbly talented young people, singing, with love and understanding, the stories of their community. One wants more.

This short film is marvelously constructed. Intelligible and meaningful. I gained an understanding I never had before. I
have zero criticism (except it's too short) and the highest praise for the primary film makers, Rob Roberts and Martha King. I gather the editing was something of a nightmare, connecting all from disparate snippets, but it appears as if it were story-boarded by a master. Great sound, filming, continuity. But especially great in putting across the concept - here is something living, vibrant, vital. And not bad singing, either! In a more subtle point of the film, it is clear that the songs "belong" to the whole community, not just the exemplary singers.

I hope the Project will have great world showing and acceptance and that it has a real affect on citizens who may want to sing, not simply emote, perform or move their fingers rapidly on strings.

The website is madisoncountyproject

Thing is, if you have a dial-up as I do, it will take "a while" to load (read hours) and you may only get sound and very limited visual.   That's good, as far as it goes, many similar web videos cannot be usfully loaded at all without broadband. If you can save to disk and play, that would be better far.

If you have a fast line, go to the above site and select either the Quicktime version or the Real version from the "Seattle Edit Up!" paragraph or the "Video Builds" side bar. (I think that's right.)

Enjoy.