Fiona Ritchie is the founder, producer, and host of US National Public Radio's The Thistle & Shamrock; she was awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in 2014. Doug Orr is president emeritus of Warren Wilson College, North Carolina, where he founded the Swannanoa Gathering music workshops.
[A] beautiful book. . . . Excellent for research as well as a
pleasure to read for personal enjoyment.--Tennessee Libraries
There is a foreword by Dolly Parton who, glitz and glam aside, is
steeped in Appalachian music--'close to my heart and part of my
DNA.' The 20-track CD of performances from artists on either side
of the Atlantic which comes with the book opens with Parton joining
Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh in a fine rendition of 'Barbara Allen,' a song
which, referred to as far back as Samuel Pepys, lilts its winsome
way through this whole odyssey.--Jim Gilchrist, Scotland on
Sunday
Will be especially helpful for those with a general interest in
American folk, old-time, bluegrass, and country music but who wish
to gain a fuller understanding of where this music began and why it
sounds the way it sounds." --Goldenseal
[Doug] Orr, along with friend Fiona Ritchie, host of the "Thistle &
Shamrock" radio show, has set out the history and lore of the music
that came with the Scots-Irish immigrants in a landmark book
Wayfaring Strangers." --Asheville Citizen-Times
Nonmusicians will have no trouble appreciating this work's context,
and even those well versed in the subject will find new insights
here.--Library Journal
If you love Appalachian music; if you're Scots-Irish and wonder
about your roots; if you're curious about the words and traditions
of the music and how many miles and years the songs have traveled
to get here, this handsome book is your most trusted servant, your
indispensable encyclopedia and your entertaining Bible."
--Charlotte Observer
Ritchie and Orr have created a beautiful book filled with poetic
prose, stunning images, and anecdotal gems from some of the most
revered figures in Celtic and American music.--West Virginia
History
Once in a while, a book comes along whose authors are uniquely
fitted to create it. And once in a while a book comes along whose
creation not only brings together but actually preserves important
details of history that might otherwise be lost. Wayfaring
Strangers does it all." --Elizabeth Kostova,
author of The Historian
An accessible yet scholarly tale of cultural transplantation and
transformation as it played out on two continents.--Southern
Historian
Traces the evolution of Appalachian music. . . . Intrigued readers
can use the information as a jumping-off point for their own
research." --Mountain Xpress
Likely to encourage those with a liking for Appalachian music to
listen more and learn further.--Folklore
A readable and epic tale tracing the flow of Scottish music. . . .
[Ritchie and Orr] tell a story remarkable for its breadth and
depth, conveying the drama of Scottish emigration via Ulster to
Appalachia, by a people who clung to the music and song they held
dear, and bequeathed it to America. It is for us to keep our eyes
and ears open to see how this river carries on.--Scottish Life
Magazine
Wayfaring Strangers offers a useful general introduction to the
relationships between Irish, Scottish, and Appalachian traditional
musics.--Notes
Represents an extraordinary feat of research, together with copious
interview material. . . . a joy to read from cover to cover, it
also rewards just dipping in and out.--fRoots
An enjoyable and informative read for any reader. . . . Shines new
light on the development of American music.--Journal of the North
Carolina Association of Historians
This handsome volume is both a story of a musical evolution and a
time capsule that preserves a nearly forgotten era of mountain
life.--WNC Magazine
Essential. . . . A gorgeous holiday gift book, including a CD of
various artists' renditions of the songs whose origins the authors
so beautifully recount.--New York Times Book Review
Filled with maps, woodcuts, paintings, and photographs of
impossibly picturesque Scottish and Irish locales, the book is a
treasure trove of imagery and information. Music lovers, prepare to
be transported.--BookPage
A beautiful testament to the roots of Celtic music and the journeys
of the people who brought it to these mountains.--Lady Banks'
Commonplace Book
A must to any fan of folk or bluegrass.--Wilmington Star-News
This book couldn't have been written by anyone without a lifetime
of experience and love of the subject and has set a new standard
for projects of this nature. They have certainly hit the mark.--The
Living Tradition
[Ritchie and Orr] strike all the right chords in this pleasantly
tuneful survey of the history of the evolution of Scottish music in
Appalachia.--Publishers Weekly
“Songs can take us on extraordinary journeys. They respect neither
border nor time, and by following them, we can chart the movement
of generations of people. In Wayfaring Strangers, Fiona Ritchie and
Doug Orr take a long look at this story using Scottish songs as
their compass. It’s a fascinating and often surprising ride.” -
Cerys Matthews, Welsh folksinger, author, and broadcaster
“The story of the Scots-Irish 'carrying stream' of music that found
its way to Appalachia is also the story of the Cash family. William
Cash emigrated from Scotland in the mid-17th century, and the next
generation drifted down to Virginia. The songs that went with them
were captured, in part, a couple of centuries later by my
stepmother's family, The Carter Family. My own musical DNA is bound
with these songs - the narrative ballads, the melancholy rhymes,
the ancient stories retold in melody again and again. Except for my
family, there is nothing I love more than being a part of the
'living tradition' captured in this book." - Rosanne Cash
“[Ritchie and Orr] strike all the right chords in this pleasantly
tuneful survey of the history of the evolution of Scottish music in
Appalachia.” - Publishers Weekly
“Non-musicians will have no trouble appreciating this work’s
context, and even those well versed in the subject will find new
insights here.” - Library Journal
“Filled with maps, woodcuts, paintings, and photographs of
impossibly picturesque Scottish and Irish locales, the book is a
treasure trove of imagery and information. Music lovers, prepare to
be transported.” - BookPage
“A readable and epic tale tracing the flow of Scottish music. . . .
[Ritchie and Orr] tell a story remarkable for its breadth and
depth, conveying the drama of Scottish emigration via Ulster to
Appalachia, by a people who clung to the music and song they held
dear, and bequeathed it to America.” - Scottish Life Magazine
"Exploring the historic ties between Scotland, Ireland, and
Appalachia through music, Fiona Ritchie and Doug Orr weave together
the story of migration through the lyrics of ballads and other
music that reflects on this history. Wayfaring Strangers will touch
a powerful chord in the lives of readers who appreciate the music
of Scotland and Appalachia, as well as those whose families have
ties to this rich historical journey." - William Ferris, author of
The Storied South: Voices of Writers and Artists
"In summary, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and suggest that it
should be on an essential read list for anyone with an interest in
songs and traditions. It will inform and resonate with them and add
colour to their enjoyment when singing or listening to these songs.
It is deep enough for the serious scholar yet light enough to be
absorbed by anyone and guaranteed to fill gaps in the average
person’s knowledge. It breathes life in the subject; a solid read
yet particularly easy to pick up and explore in parts. The book is
beautifully illustrated throughout and for around the price of a
couple of CDs, it is remarkable value for a lavish book with over
330 pages and a 20 track CD. This book couldn’t have been written
by anyone without a lifetime of experience and love of the subject
and has set a new standard for projects of this nature." - Pete
Heywood, Living Tradition
“Represents an extraordinary feat of research, together with
copious interview material. . . . a joy to read from cover to
cover, it also rewards just dipping in and out.” - fRoots
“[Doug] Orr, along with friend Fiona Ritchie, host of the "Thistle
& Shamrock" radio show, has set out the history and lore of the
music that came with the Scots-Irish immigrants in a landmark book
Wayfaring Strangers.” - Asheville Citizen-Times
“This handsome volume is both a story of a musical evolution and a
time capsule that preserves a nearly forgotten era of mountain
life.” - WNC Magazine
“A must to any fan of folk or bluegrass.” - Wilmington
Star-News
“Who better to write this book than Fiona Ritchie and Doug Orr?
They have each spent a lifetime intensely interested in the same
thread of music from opposite sides of the ocean. The music
connected them with each other, I suspect, long before they ever
met, just as it connects all of us across miles and time, through
generations and immigrations, anchoring us to the story of our
ancestors and, ultimately, ourselves. These two are the perfect
authors to trace the journey this music has made and to paint the
picture of the living, breathing stream that it is.” - Kathy
Mattea, singer-songwriter and teacher
“Wayfaring Strangers will touch a powerful chord in lives of
readers who appreciate the music of Scotland and Appalachia.” -
William Ferris, author of The Storied South: Voices of Writers and
Artists and Give My Poor Ease: Voices of the Mississippi Blues
“In telling the story of the Scottish diaspora in Appalachia
through music, Fiona Ritchie and Doug Orr have captured a process
of adaptation and change that has created a traditional culture
that continues to flourish.” - Ron Pen, author of I Wonder as I
Wander: The Life of John Jacob Niles
“History’s a strange beast. In the absence of illumination by the
lives of real men and women, it can on occasion be reduced to the
prosaic. When that happens, often the gaps are filled with kitsch,
with a sentimental mire of misunderstanding that does more harm
than good. This book isn’t like that. It’s full of hard fact that’s
been turned into the best kind of history by even harder poetry and
honest melody. Nothing more is needed. To tie several centuries of
peoples’ lives together, across oceans and mountains, to make sense
of their experiences and aspirations by the tenacious strands of
their own music and song—that is a real achievement.” - Brian
McNeill, Scottish singer-songwriter, producer, and novelist
"Wayfaring Strangers is a wonderful book. Everything about it, from
its beautiful production and lavish illustration, to the 20-track
CD that comes with it, to the foreword by none other than Dolly
Parton and the testimonials by such luminaries as Cerys Matthews
and Roseanne Cash, say that this is both a work of scholarship and
a highly entertaining read. For anyone interested in how music
crosses continents and shapes identities, Wayfaring Strangers is a
treasury of stories and information, not to mention a treasure to
own." - Jamie Jauncey, writer, musician
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