An Evening of Appalachian Ballads

FREE to the general public.

Saro Lynch-Thomason is an award-winning singer, song leader, folklorist, documentarian, and illustrator from Asheville, North Carolina. She has studied and taught traditional song and balladry from Appalachia, the American South, the British Isles and Ireland for over a decade. Saro believes that old songs can help us understand the beliefs and struggles that shape human history, and that in turn, these songs enable us to build a more compassionate and just future. She uses teaching, documentary, illustration and more to explore the amazing people and history behind songs ranging from Appalachian lullabies to American labor anthems, Southern work songs and Scottish ballads. Her projects include the Songs that Speak YouTube series, the CD and multimedia project Blair Mountain: A Musical Exploration of America’s Largest Labor Uprising, and several albums. Saro’s song “There Are More Waters Rising” has gained international attention, becoming an anthem in the movement to end global warming and garnering praise in the Huffington Post. Saro holds an M.A. in Appalachian Studies from East Tennessee State University and a Certificate in Documentary Studies from Duke University.