About this product

Product Identifiers

PublisherUniversity Press of Kentucky

ISBN-100813101867

ISBN-139780813101866

eBay Product ID (ePID)682960

Product Key Features

Number of Pages264 Pages

LanguageEnglish

Publication NameSinging Family of the Cumberlands

SubjectHistory & Criticism, United States / State & Local / General, Genres & Styles / Folk & Traditional, Composers & Musicians, General, Genres & Styles / Country & Bluegrass

Publication Year1988

TypeTextbook

AuthorJean Ritchie

Subject AreaMusic, Biography & Autobiography, History

FormatTrade Paperback

Dimensions

Item Height0.8 in

Item Weight11.2 Oz

Item Length8.5 in

Item Width5.5 in

Additional Product Features

Intended AudienceScholarly & Professional

LCCN88-017337

Reviews"Ritchie writes as she sings -- naturally and with an instinctive sense for rhythms. Her story of her rearing in the hill-circled town of Viper is simple, vivid, and moving.... A beautiful story of American living.-- New York Herald Tribune" -- New York Herald Tribune, ""Her memoire about growing up in Perry County is considered a gem of Appalachian literature."" -- Kentucky Living, " Singing Family of the Cumberlands , her memoir about growing up in Perry County, is considered a gem of Appalachian literature." -- Jason Howard, Kentucky Living, ""Birth, death, marrying, first love, going to the settlement schools -- the full round of living is here. Jean writes with such tenderness at times that one murmures an apology for intruding on the family circle."" -- Chicago Tribune, "The Ritchies are rare peope, of sturdy poineer stock. Jean Ritchie sees them fondly, and the reader is likely to share her warmth." -- New York Times Book Review, What a pleasure it is to have this book back in print... each time I open it and re-read the lyrics, I can hear, in my mind's ear, Jean Ritchie's voice, as so many have heard it, clear, calm, and strong., Birth, death, marrying, first love, going to the settlement schools--the full round of living is here. Jean writes with such tenderness at times that one murmures an apology for intruding on the family circle., The remarkably gentle nature of the book seems even more remarkable when on considers its locale--the stern, rugged Cumberland Mountains, a stratified rock escarpment in the Appalachian Range. Seen through the gracious prose of Jean Ritchie, however, the cruel, forbidding mountains become kindly shields against the bustling outside work., The Ritchies are rare peope, of sturdy poineer stock. Jean Ritchie sees them fondly, and the reader is likely to share her warmth., Singing Family of the Cumberlands , her memoir about growing up in Perry County, is considered a gem of Appalachian literature., ""The remarkably gentle nature of the book seems even more remarkable when on considers its locale -- the stern, rugged Cumberland Mountains, a stratified rock escarpment in the Appalachian Range. Seen through the gracious prose of Jean Ritchie, however, the cruel, forbidding mountains become kindly shields against the bustling outside work."" -- Saturday Review of Literature, "Singing Family of the Cumberlands, her memoir about growing up in Perry County, is considered a gem of Appalachian literature." -- Jason Howard, Kentucky Living, "The rich headnotes and photographs speak to the regional culture, the history of the songs and the family's life of simple, enduring values." -- Come-All-Ye, "The Ritchies are rare peope, of sturdy poineer stock. Jean Ritchie sees them fondly, and the reader is likely to share her warmth.-- New York Times Book Review" -- New York Times Book Review, ""The rich headnotes and photographs speak to the regional culture, the history of the songs and the family's life of simple, enduring values."" -- Come-All-Ye, "Birth, death, marrying, first love, going to the settlement schools -- the full round of living is here. Jean writes with such tenderness at times that one murmures an apology for intruding on the family circle." -- Chicago Tribune, "Ritchie writes as she sings -- naturally and with an instinctive sense for rhythms. Her story of her rearing in the hill-circled town of Viper is simple, vivid, and moving.... A beautiful story of American living." -- New York Herald Tribune, "The rich headnotes and photographs speak to the regional culture, the history of the songs and the family's life of simple, enduring values.-- Come-All-Ye" -- Come-All-Ye, The rich headnotes and photographs speak to the regional culture, the history of the songs and the family's life of simple, enduring values., "What a pleasure it is to have this book back in print... each time I open it and re-read the lyrics, I can hear, in my mind's ear, Jean Ritchie's voice, as so many have heard it, clear, calm, and strong." -- Paintsville Herald, ""What a pleasure it is to have this book back in print... each time I open it and re-read the lyrics, I can hear, in my mind's ear, Jean Ritchie's voice, as so many have heard it, clear, calm, and strong."" -- Paintsville Herald, "Birth, death, marrying, first love, going to the settlement schools -- the full round of living is here. Jean writes with such tenderness at times that one murmures an apology for intruding on the family circle.-- Chicago Tribune" -- Chicago Tribune, Ritchie writes as she sings--naturally and with an instinctive sense for rhythms. Her story of her rearing in the hill-circled town of Viper is simple, vivid, and moving.... A beautiful story of American living., "The remarkably gentle nature of the book seems even more remarkable when on considers its locale -- the stern, rugged Cumberland Mountains, a stratified rock escarpment in the Appalachian Range. Seen through the gracious prose of Jean Ritchie, however, the cruel, forbidding mountains become kindly shields against the bustling outside work." -- Saturday Review of Literature, ""Singing Family of the Cumberlands, her memoir about growing up in Perry County, is considered a gem of Appalachian literature."" -- Jason Howard, Kentucky Living, ""Ritchie writes as she sings -- naturally and with an instinctive sense for rhythms. Her story of her rearing in the hill-circled town of Viper is simple, vivid, and moving.... A beautiful story of American living."" -- New York Herald Tribune, ""The Ritchies are rare peope, of sturdy poineer stock. Jean Ritchie sees them fondly, and the reader is likely to share her warmth."" -- New York Times Book Review

Dewey Edition19

Grade FromCollege Graduate Student

IllustratedYes

Dewey Decimal927.8

Table Of ContentRecollections at my birth, and some early memories of my own Summer twilights on the front porch, and early episodes in my life which taught me that real life is a very hard thing More childhood troubles. Of my Dad and his hard ways with us Getting to know my father Of my parents, their courting and marrying Of our working together, and of Dad's schemes for making money Memories of Graddad Aught and Granny Katty Uncle Jason and seven generations of Ritchies How some of our songs first came into the family The Ritchies take Christmas Of fall days and harvesting, and falling in love Marriage, birth, and death within the family The ways of the world

SynopsisThe "singing family" of which Jean Ritchie writes is that of her parents, Balis and Abigail Ritchie, and their fourteen children, all born and reared in Viper, Kentucky, deep in the Cumberland Mountains. Jean, the youngest of the clan, grew up to be a world renowned folksinger. But she was hardly unique in the family. All the Ritchies sang--when they worked, when they prayed, when they rejoiced, even when tragedy struck. Singing Family of the Cumberlands is both an appealing account of family life and a treasury of American folklore and folksong. In the deceptively simple but picturesque language of rural Kentucky, Jean Ritchie tells of a way of life now nearly vanished and of a gentle, upright people shielded from the outside world by forbidding mountain ranges, preserving the traditions of their forebears. Foremost among those traditions were the British folksongs brought from England by James Ritchie in 1768. Even in a region noted for its wealth of folksongs, the Ritchies' inheritance was exceptional. Forty-two of the family's beloved songs are woven through Jean Ritchie's narrative, complete with words and often musical scores. Each song evokes a memory for Jean--hoeing corn, stirring off molasses, telling ghost stories, singing a dying baby to its eternal rest. Songs lightened the burden of poverty for the Ritchies and brought them joy and solace. Illustrated by Maurice Sendak, Singing Family of the Cumberlands will delight readers in all walks of life., Foreword by Charles Wolfe Jean Ritchie, the youngest of fourteen children born and raised in Viper, Kentucky, is considered one of the greatest balladeers in this century. Her performances have influenced the resurgence of interest in folk music and given audiences a glimpse into the heart of Appalachia. Jean Ritchie's Swapping Song Book brings together twenty-one songs from the Cumberland Mountains of Kentucky. Many are old songs, brought over by settlers from Scotland, Ireland, and England. C|9780813101866|, The "singing family" of which Jean Ritchie writes is that of her parents, Balis and Abigail Ritchie, and their fourteen children, all born and reared in Viper, Kentucky, deep in the Cumberland Mountains. Jean, the youngest of the clan, grew up to be a world renowned folksinger. But she was hardly unique in the family. All the Ritchies sang -- when they worked, when they prayed, when they rejoiced, even when tragedy struck. Singing Family of the Cumberlands is both an appealing account of family life and a treasury of American folklore and folksong. In the deceptively simple but picturesque language of rural Kentucky, Jean Ritchie tells of a way of life now nearly vanished and of a gentle, upright people shielded from the outside world by forbidding mountain ranges, preserving the traditions of their forebears. Foremost among those traditions were the British folksongs brought from England by James Ritchie in 1768. Even in a region noted for its wealth of folksongs, the Ritchies' inheritance was exceptional. Forty-two of the family's beloved songs are woven through Jean Ritchie's narrative, complete with words and often musical scores. Each song evokes a memory for Jean -- hoeing corn, stirring off molasses, telling ghost stories, singing a dying baby to its eternal rest. Songs lightened the burden of poverty for the Ritchies and brought them joy and solace. Illustrated by Maurice Sendak, Singing Family of the Cumberlands will delight readers in all walks of life.

LC Classification NumberML420.R6A3 1988