Burnham Library Presents

Last Wisps of the Old Ways

With Derek Piotr

Folklorist and musician Derek Piotr presents an audio lecture outlining his song collecting and folklore studies in and around Appalachia, specifically the Western North Carolina region. Piotr has primarily studied the song repertoire of the Bare family of Elk Park, North Carolina. He has worked directly with some of the last living tradition bearers of this family and reviewed recordings made of them for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1939 that are housed in the Library of Congress.  Derek recently curated a collection, Last Wisps of the Old Ways, spanning these archival recordings and his recent field work, highlights from this compilation will also be presented. Derek will also present field recordings he has made in the North of England and Connecticut.

Registration Required Email cfisher@burnhamlibrary.org to register