Folkstreams allows you to view (in tiny sizes, admittedly) classic documentary films about folk music and folkways. Here are some that may be of interest to Kinism.net readers.
Appalachian Journey
“Alan Lomax travels through the Southern Appalachians investigating the songs, dances, and religious rituals of the descendents of the Scotch-Irish frontiers people who have made the mountains their home for centuries. Preachers, fiddlers, moonshiners, cloggers and square dancers recount the good times and the hard times of rural life. Performances by Tommy Jarrell; Janette Carter; Ray and Stanley Hicks; Frank Proffitt, Jr.; Sheila Kay Adams; and Ray Fairchild, the man reputed to be the fastest banjo-picker in the world.”
http://www.folkstreams.net/film,128
THE POPOVICH BROTHERS OF SOUTH CHICAGO “...is a portrait of a family of musicians in the heart of the Serbian-American community of South Chicago, and especially, the five Popovich brothers who made up the most famous and well loved tamburitza ensemble in the U.S. The film demonstrates the powerful role music plays in Serbian communities, the loving force it exerts on all members there and the tension that could unravel the cohesiveness of these communities when second and third generation, college-educated Serbians opt for professional lives in other cities.”
http://www.folkstreams.net/film,40
I have to admit it, but I am very fond of Sacred Harp music. I never heard of it until a few years ago, when I heard a local Sacred Harp singing group perform at a Memorial Day Ceremony. The following film is very interesting to me.
Sweet Is the Day: A Sacred Harp Family Portrait “...tells the story of the Woottens, one of the key singing families who have helped Sacred Harp music survive and flourish for more than 150 years. Producer/Folklorist Erin Kellen and Director Jim Carnes intertwine scenes of family gatherings, singing conventions, and farm life in the Sand Mountain region of northeast Alabama with family recollections and more than a dozen songs from the revered shape-note tradition. The video explores how Sacred Harp singing is about more than just music - it is a life-shaping force, reflected by tradition, deep spiritual belief, and the community that embraces it.”
http://www.folkstreams.net/film,44
The Shakers “...are America’s oldest and most successful experiment in communal living. A century ago, nearly 6,000 Shaker brothers and sisters lived together in nineteen communities scattered from Maine to Kentucky. This film traces the growth, decline, and continuing survival of this remarkable and influential religious sect through the memories and rich song traditions of Shakers themselves. It includes performances by the late Eldress Marguerite Frost of Canterbury, New Hampshire, and the late Sister R. Mildred Barker, a leading singer and spiritual leader of the Shaker community still active at Sabbathday Lake, Maine when the film was made.”
http://www.folkstreams.net/film,84
Powerhouse for God “...is a portrait of an old-fashioned Baptist preacher, his family, and their church in Virginia’s northern Blue Ridge Mountains. Audiences who were born and raised among old-time southern Baptists say this film captures the fierce preaching, determined singing, autobiographical witnessing, and stern doctrine that characterizes these religious communities.”
http://www.folkstreams.net/film,74
New England Fiddles “...presents seven of the finest traditional musicians as they play in their homes and at dances and contests, passing their styles to younger fiddlers, and commenting on their music. Featured are Ron West (Yankee), Paddy Cronnin (Irish), Ben Guillemette (Quebecois), Wilfred Guillette (Quebecois), Harold Luce (Yankee), Gerry Robichaud (Maritime), and the Cape Breton style of Joe Cormier. The film was made in 1983 by John Bishop and folklorist Nicholas Hawes.”
http://www.folkstreams.net/film,93
Hope y’all enjoy these resources.
God bless,
Laurel
