We are pleased to announce that we received the Henry Reed Fund Award from the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress for this program!
The Bean String Ballad Sing is a spin on the classic practice of snapping (unzipping, or stringing) beans. Bean strings (and other "working bees") were the natural setting for winding, long ballads and stories that weren't made for the stage. Having 32 verses for ballads like the House Carpenter makes a lot more sense when you are working your way through a pretty repetitive task.
In this event, participants will spend time in community snapping heirloom beans while listening to celebrated ballad singers and storytellers. We'll then cook up the beans, bake some traditional cornbread (GF), and have a meal together!
Our first in-person Bean String Ballad Sing event has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, we were able to host an online Bean String Ballad Sing event in fall of 2020 with celebrated ballad singers Bobby McMillon and Susan Pepper. You can watch a recording of that event here.
About the Henry Reed Fund Award:
The fund was established in honor of old-time fiddler Henry Reed and first awarded in 2004, with an initial gift from founding American Folklife Center director and fiddler Alan Jabbour. The purpose of the fund is to provide small awards to support activities directly involving folk artists, especially when the activities reflect, draw upon, or strengthen the collections of the American Folklife Center. The life and work of Henry Reed is documented in the online collection "Fiddle Tunes of the Old Frontier."
The Bean String Ballad Sing is a spin on the classic practice of snapping (unzipping, or stringing) beans. Bean strings (and other "working bees") were the natural setting for winding, long ballads and stories that weren't made for the stage. Having 32 verses for ballads like the House Carpenter makes a lot more sense when you are working your way through a pretty repetitive task.
In this event, participants will spend time in community snapping heirloom beans while listening to celebrated ballad singers and storytellers. We'll then cook up the beans, bake some traditional cornbread (GF), and have a meal together!
Our first in-person Bean String Ballad Sing event has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, we were able to host an online Bean String Ballad Sing event in fall of 2020 with celebrated ballad singers Bobby McMillon and Susan Pepper. You can watch a recording of that event here.
About the Henry Reed Fund Award:
The fund was established in honor of old-time fiddler Henry Reed and first awarded in 2004, with an initial gift from founding American Folklife Center director and fiddler Alan Jabbour. The purpose of the fund is to provide small awards to support activities directly involving folk artists, especially when the activities reflect, draw upon, or strengthen the collections of the American Folklife Center. The life and work of Henry Reed is documented in the online collection "Fiddle Tunes of the Old Frontier."