Celtic Ballads - Songs, Poems, and Stories
Celtic Ballads - Songs, Poems, and Stories with Bobbie Pell
Bring your guitar, fiddle, dulcimer, wooden spoons, voice, or just a good sense of humor to this workshop on traditional Celtic folksongs. Songs of betrayal, comedy, love, and romance will fill the air. Students will be exposed to the popular tunes and learn to compose narrative lyrics in ballad form and its variations. No musical background is necessary.
Delve into the ancient stories of honor, betrayal, mystery, comedy, and true love sprinkled throughout the literary legacy of the British Isles. The class will focus on the European ballads collected by Dr. Frances Child and American variations collected by Cecil Sharpe and Dame Olive Campbell. Poetic form and structure of balladry will be taught so students may create their own narrative ballads.
This small group class is presented in collaboration with John C. Campbell Folk School and Lessonface. Students are invited to attend an optional Orientation and Closing Ceremony to connect with various online Folk School classes.
Class Goals
- GOAL 1: To familiarize students with the tri-fold format of the Ballad: literary fiction (story), poetry, and lyrical narratives (songs).
- GOAL 2: To activate students to participate in the communal recreation of ballads in group choral stanzas, repeated meter lines, and formal refrains.
- GOAL 3: To share musical options for performing ballads: singing "a cappella," percussive back-up, and string instruments.
Age Range
Adults
Skill Level
None needed
Contact the Teacher
Send a direct message from the teacher's profile page with any questions you might have about the class.
About the John C. Campbell Folk School & Lessonface
Since 1925, the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, North Carolina has transformed lives, and brought people together in a nurturing environment for experiences in learning and community life that spark self-discovery. Since 2012, Lessonface has connected more than 30,000 students with over 2,500 great teachers for live music, language, and arts lessons online, delivering on our mission to help students achieve their goals while treating teachers equitably.
When
The class will meet for four weekly 2-hour live online sessions on Tuesdays at 6:30 pm ET | 3:30 pm PT on the schedule below. The first session is on October 8.
Enrolled students receive 30-day access to the video recordings of the classes.
How It Works
Enroll above to save your spot in the class. Lessonface will send you a confirmation right away, and a Zoom link 24 hours before the class start time. You can log into your Lessonface dashboard to access class materials, communicate with your instructor, join the live Zoom session, and access the class recordings and chat transcript afterward.
Refund Policy: To cancel an enrollment or request a refund, contact support@lessonface.com. For 30+ days before, we refund 95%. Between 30 and 5 days, receive a 75% refund. No refunds within 5 days of class start date. Materials kit fees are non-refundable.
Book 1:1 online lessons with Bobbie Pell on their Lessonface profile.
Bobbie Pell
For over 35 years, Bobbie Pell has shared her love of story with audiences of all ages through written works, storytelling performances, and workshops. Her specialty area, Celtic folklore and traditions, focuses on faerie lore, ballads, and archetypical myths. Her first book, THE HIGHLAND HEART, explores themes of true love, faerie encounters, and a hero's journey to wholeness.