Blue Ridge Music Center Presents: Event Songs & Ballads

Elizabeth LaPrelle

For centuries, traditional musicians from the Blue Ridge have used songs to tell stories and remember local history, events and people. This music has passed down through the generations along with tales of tragedy, train wrecks, unrequited love, or other lore.

On Sunday October 14th, at 2pm the Blue Ridge Music Center will have its second Fall Heritage Series performance-talk on Event Songs & Ballads featuring musicians: Kinney Rorrer and Darren Moore, (both from the New North Carolina Ramblers stringband), as well as singers Elizabeth LaPrelle and Jim Marshall.

Kinney Rorrer is the great nephew of revered old-time musicians Posey Rorrer and Charlie Poole and plays banjo in the same three finger style as Poole. Known for his playing, stories and humor Kinney has an encyclopedic knowledge of historic tunes and songs. He is also the well known radio voice of the Back to the Blue Ridge program on WVTF public radio.

Darren Moore is a talented mulit-instrumentalist/singer who has dedicated most of his extra time and talent into the study and interpretation of the music of the Original Carter Family. He plays in the New North Carolina Ramblers stringband along with Kinney Rorrer.

Elizabeth LaPrelle of Cedar Springs, Virginia, is a fine ballad singer and banjo-player.  She began winning prizes for her singing at a young age, and has dedicated research, passion, and a powerful voice to the ancient art of Appalachian ballad-singing.

82-year-old musician, Jim Marshall from Hillsville, has lived in south-west Virginia all of his life. His father was a fiddler and Jim learned to play many instruments during afternoons on the front porch of the family home. Jim is best known as a known as a banjo player and a songwriter who composes songs about people, places and traditions of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

 The Event Songs and Ballads performance-talk takes place Sunday, October 14th at 2pm – the second of a three-part series. These Fall Heritage Series events are held in the Blue Ridge Music Center indoor theater. Since seating is limited, reservations are recommended. For info or to reserve seats please call (276) 236-5309 x112 or www.BlueRidgeMusicCenter.org.

The Blue Ridge Music Center is located at milepost 213 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Open 7 days a week 9am-5pm through October 28th. Mid-Day Mountain Music 12-4pm daily. Free. Roots of American Music Museum: 9am-5pm daily. Free. The Fall Heritage Series performance-talks are made possible with generous support from Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

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