FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Evan Hatch, NC Folk Interim Director
evanhatch@ncfolk.org OR 919.383.6040
January 20, 2017
The North Carolina Folklife Institute (NC Folk) announces the opening of the photography exhibit Cecil Sharp’s Appalachian Photographs. Offered in partnership with Cecil Sharp in Appalachia, the Country Dance and Song Society, and the North Carolina Humanities Council. Cecil Sharpe’s Appalachian Photographs is the first US exhibition of rare Appalachian ballad singer photos taken by an important folk music collector. They are on display in Durham, NC, at Through This Lens, 303 E. Chapel Hill Street from January 20-February 11, 2017. The exhibit is free and open to the public.
From 1916-1918, English ballad collector Cecil Sharp traveled the Appalachian region to document variants of traditional songs and photographed some of the singers who shared their music. These 24 rare photographs offer a stunning window into the life of Appalachian people in the period and will be on display for the first time in the United States. More information: www.cecilsharpinappalachia.org
One hundred years ago, two intrepid British “song catchers” began a three-year pilgrimage to Appalachia, starting in western North Carolina, to collect variants and versions of English and Scottish folk songs as sung by descendants of immigrants from the British Isles. Cecil Sharp and Maud Karpeles braved challenging terrain to visit singers and record the notes and words of the songs. Out of their work has come the English Folk Dance and Song Society based in Cecil Sharp House in London, the US-based Country Dance and Song Society, and a remarkable collection of centuries-old songs still sung today. A three-year celebration of the people and the songs has begun both in the US and England. Join us as we trace, share, and highlight this journey.
The North Carolina Folklife Institute is a statewide non-profit arts organization dedicated to promoting the preservation, appreciation and understanding of North Carolina’s folk culture. NC Folk accomplishes this through five directives: artist assistance, performance and exhibit presentation, community documentation, creative interpretation, and community education. Visit our website www.ncfolk.org to learn more about our organization.