Alan Hoal spent plenty of time at Camp Bethel in Fincastle as a child, when his father managed summer camps there. Hoal currently lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, but for the past seven years he’s returned every spring as an organizer of the “Sounds of the Mountains,” a music and storytelling festival that will be held at Camp Bethel again this weekend.
Appalachian-style storytelling is the main attraction, with musical accompaniment to round out the event. Hoal himself is a veteran “teller of tall tales.” Others on the roster include Kevin Kling, heard on NPR’s “All Things Considered,” Linda Goodman, Beth Horner and Tim Livengood. Roanoke-based Acoustic Endeavors and two-time Grammy winner Bill Harley (also a children’s story teller) will supply the music during breaks in the storytelling this Friday evening and all day Saturday (April 16-17).
Appalachian storytelling has its roots in Welsh, Irish and Scottish folk tales. “That’s the source of a lot of stories,” says Hoal, who works for IBM these days. That includes “Jack Tales,” which Hoal describes as “a fixture of Appalachian folk lore,” often involving a young man off to seek his fortune, and following him as he gets in and out of trouble. Most have lessons to be taught; some can be very vivid or even scary. There are also wisdom tales and trickster tales; these stories are often used to pass on family history.
What makes a good story? “The hook is the key, something that draws the audience in immediately,” notes Hoal. “The sign of a good storyteller is somebody that can grab your attention and hold it. Before you know it you look at your watch and an hour’s gone by – and you’re ready for more.”
Good versus evil is “often in the mix. Or it could be just trying to convey some message.” Hoal likes to bring storytelling festival neophytes to events like Sounds of the Mountains, where he says they are often hooked. “It’s not what you expect. A good story well told, there’s absolutely nothing like it.” People have told Hoal they’ve left “mesmerized,” often inspired by the stories they’ve heard – jack tales, wisdom tales, tall tales and the like.
“It can be life changing,” says Hoal, “in the sense that you will be encouraged [to tell stories].” Every family has them and Hoal encourages people to pass them on, before they are lost to the ages. “Ultimately everybody is a storyteller,” says Hoal, even if they don’t want to tell it on stage in front of 500 people.
See Soundsofthemountains.org or call 919-469-1166 for more information.
By Gene Marrano [email protected]