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Traditional Songs and Ballads from Appalachia and Ireland
Discover the ballad traditions of Ireland and Appalachia with Aileen Lambert and Olivia Phillips. Their performance explores songs shared across both regions, comparing different versions from their localities of County Wexford and North Carolina and highlighting recurring themes of love, loss, emigration, murder, and humour. From ‘Pretty Saro’ to ‘The Streams of Bunclody’, join them for a unique musical journey that celebrates the enduring connections between these rich song traditions.
Aileen Lambert Co. Wexford, Ireland
Aileen Lambert is a traditional singer, songwriter, composer, educator, and project facilitator. She is passionate about researching, creating, and sharing traditional and traditional-style songs. Aileen delivers traditional song workshops in primary schools through the Heritage-in-Schools Scheme, supported by the Heritage Council, and published a children’s songbook, The Frog and the Mouse, in 2021.
Her repertoire draws on the rich store of Wexford traditional song. She also explores connections between songs from Newfoundland and southeast Ireland, recording the album The Wexford Lovers in 2019. In 2024, she received an Artlinks Bursary to explore shared song traditions between Ireland and the Appalachian region of the US.
Olivia Phillips Beech Mountain, North Carolina, USA
Olivia Phillips is a traditional singer, Appalachian studies scholar, and PhD candidate in Folklore at Indiana University. Raised in the musically rich Beech Mountain community in western North Carolina, she has learned from Appalachian singers such as Susan Pepper and Rick Ward, as well as many other local performers.
Her research on Beech Mountain singing traditions has been supported by fellowships from Indiana University, the University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill, the Society for American Music, and the North Caroliniana Society. Olivia holds degrees in ethnomusicology and vocal music education.
