Singing Family of the Cumberlands

Foreword by Charles Wolfe Jean Ritchie, the youngest of fourteen children born and raised in Viper, Kentucky, is considered one of the greatest balladeers in this century. Her performances have influenced the resurgence of interest in folk music and given audiences a glimpse into the heart of Appalachia. Jean Ritchie's Swapping Song Book brings together twenty-one songs from the Cumberland Mountains of Kentucky. Many are old songs, brought over by settlers from Scotland, Ireland, and England. Child ballads, gospel music, play party tunes, and frolic songs have been handed down by family members, with each generation adding or embellishing verses and melodies. This new edition retains the original text, written by Ritchie, and includes her husband George Pickow's beautiful photographs to help illustrate the stories of such songs as Jubilee, The Old Soap Gourd, and Ground Hog. A new foreword by Charles Wolfe shows how Ritchie's collection of songs is part of the rich folk poetry that makes up Appalachian culture. Other books by Jean Ritchie include Folksongs of the Southern Appalachians and Singing Family of the Cumberlands.