Virginia Folk Culture
odd: label: Introduction
content: The folk culture of Virginia is a synthesis of elements taken from the several cultures transplanted to the New World and from native American cultures. It is difficult to say with any precision just what the cultural contribution from any one group was, but it is clear, however, that there was considerable borrowing among local black, red, and white cultures. Today, Virginians may be of European descent and play in a string band that uses African (banjo) and European (fiddle, guitar, mandolin) instruments, and includes both black and white material in its repertoire. They may eat food with Indian, African, and European antecedents and live in a town with an African (Arcola) or European (Culpeper) name or by a river with an Indian (Rappahannock) name. They may even speak English with an accent that is African-influenced and use African terms (biddy, jiffy, lollygag, moolah). Whether Virginians are black, white, or Native American, their culture will be some combination of African, European, and Indian - modified by the particular Virginia variety of the American experience.

The Virginia component of the 1977 Festival could exhibit only a small portion of the range of Virginia folk cultures - primarily black and white and primarily in the area of musical performance and crafts. Presentations included banjo pickers, fiddlers, gospel and ballad singers; makers of candy, baskets, and musical instruments; and salt-and-smoke cured Virginia hams from the Anglo American and Afro American traditions of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The program was co-organized by the Folklife Program and National Council for Traditional Arts. NCTA staff included Joseph T. Wilson, Lee Udall, Nan Goland, Nancy Dolliver, Chuck Perdue, Roddy Moore, and Cynthia Rushefsky.
label: Participants
content: Phipps Bourne, blacksmith, Spring Valley, Virginia

Orville Bower, hardtack candy maker, Rocky Mount, Virginia

Phyllis Bower, hardtack candy maker, Rocky Mount, Virginia

Dean Carr, string band musician, Galax, Virginia

Charles Carter, Jr., Gospel Harmonizer, Front Royal, Virginia

Milton Carter III, Gospel Harmonizer, Front Royal, Virginia

Thomas Carter, Gospel Harmonizer, Front Royal, Virginia

Kyle Creed, banjo maker, Galax, Virginia

Albert Dowe, Gospel Harmonizer, Front Royal, Virginia

Wallace Edwards, ham curer, Surry, Virginia

Marvin Foddrell, 1924-1986, blues musician, Stuart, Virginia

Turner Foddrell, 1927-1995, blues musician, Stuart, Virginia

Rev. J. C. Freeman, gospel singer, Wise, Virginia

Clyd Green, Gospel Harmonizer, Front Royal, Virginia

David Green, Gospel Harmonizer, Front Royal, Virginia

Wilbert Green, Jr., Gospel Harmonizer, Front Royal, Virginia

Albert Hash, 1917-1983, fiddle maker, Mouth of Wilson, Virginia

Wayne Henderson, instrument maker, Sugar Grove, Virginia

John Jackson, 1924-2002, blues singer, Fairfax Station, Virginia

John Judkin, ham curer, Surry, Virginia

Raymond Melton, dulcimer maker and player, Woodlawn, Virginia

Raymond Spencer Moore, guitar player and ballad singer, Chilhowie, Virginia

Dale Morris, string band musician, Galax, Virginia

Tom Norman, string band musician, Galax, Virginia

Gregory Payne, Gospel Harmonizer, Front Royal, Virginia

Robert Pittman, -2000, ham curer, Surry, Virginia

Mike Sizemore, string band musician, Galax, Virginia

Whitfield Sizemore, string band musician, Galax, Virginia

Stanley Stewart, Gospel Harmonizer, Front Royal, Virginia

John Tinsley, guitar player and country blues singer, Basset Forks, Virginia

Dan Williams, string band musician, Galax, Virginia

Daniel Womack, 1904-1996, gospel jubilee singer, Roanoke, Virginia

Paul Younger, basket maker, Naruna, Virginia
name: label: Collection Creator
content: Smithsonian Institution. Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
setName: label: See more items in
content: Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1977 Festival of American Folklife
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections
identifier: label: Identifier
content: CFCH.SFF.1977, Series 9
objectType: label: Type
content: Archival materials