March 24, 2022
Ballads Across the Atlantic
with John Roberts and Sara Grey
7 - 8:30pm EDT
online via Zoom
with John Roberts and Sara Grey
7 - 8:30pm EDT
online via Zoom
$10 is suggested but any amount is appreciated.
Donations support these events, leaders, musicians, and the Folk Arts Center.
About the Program
John and Sara, well-known and respected folk singers, will present a narrative ballads song swap - singing different versions of the same story, depending on which side of the pond it came from. John is British by birth, Sara is American, but both have spent significant portions of their lives living in the “other” world, and both have done extensive research on what happens when a ballad migrates from one shore to another.
Their beautiful voices and obvious love for these songs will make for a captivating evening of storytelling through music!
About the Presenters
John Roberts
John is a musician and singer of folksongs from the British Isles. Born to a Welsh family and raised in Worcestershire, England, he currently lives in Schenectady, NY. John came to the USA to attend graduate school at Cornell. He's well-known both as part of the group Nowell Sing We Clear, and through his five decades of musical partnership with Tony Barrand, whom he met at Cornell. More recently he can be found performing with his partner Lisa Preston or on tour with singer Debra Cowan. More information for John can be found on his website
Sara Grey
Sara grew up in New Hampshire but has lived in Scotland and England for 46 years. As a youngster in North Carolina she first heard a lot of mountain music and her love for the old time banjo music and songs developed from this experience. She has carried this interest into her adult life studying folklore and collecting and performing music from the various areas in which she has lived. Before she moved to Scotland, Sara was part of "The Golden Ring" with people like Ed Trickett and Gordon Bok. They were a well-known group of singers interested in traditional song.
Now, after many years of singing and playing her banjo in public, Sara's repertoire is as fresh and relevant as ever. She has been concentrating for the last several years on tracing the migration for songs from the British Isles to North America. Sara lives for her music and works at her trade with the result that her music is not only technically excellent but also filled with her warmth and spirit. Read more about Sara on her website.