History
"The Appalachian songs had a force and ethereal intensity that the mellow, sweeter British versions often lacked..." - P. Langrall
"Virtually until the dawn of the 20th century, the life of these mountain folk was as primitive as it was isolated... They spoke an archaic language which was passed on from one generation to the next. In those southern hills, from the late 18th century on, everybody sang. Few homes did not own some musical instrument, a fiddle, a dulcimer, a guitar or a banjo" (Ewen, 1977).
Geography
European Influence
