Blue Ridge Community College Appalachian Folk Instrument Class Presents Two Free Concerts this November

Blue Ridge Community College’s Appalachian Folk Instrument class will present two free concerts in November, featuring traditional Appalachian music, folk and popular songs, and a tribute to Dolly Parton.

The first performance will take place Wednesday, November 4, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, located at 256 East Main Street in Brevard.

The second concert will be held Monday, November 9, at 10:30 a.m. in Wyatt Auditorium in the Patton Building on Blue Ridge’s Henderson County Campus, located at 180 West Campus Drive in Flat Rock. The performance will mark the class’s first visit to the College’s Henderson County Campus.

Twenty musicians will perform on a variety of Appalachian folk instruments, including the hammered dulcimer, mountain dulcimer, banjo, ukulele, guitar, fiddle, bass, G whistle, Native American flute, and drum. Vocalists will perform Appalachian, folk, and popular songs.

Instructor Dr. Steven Zvengrowski explained that the course’s goal is for students to incorporate Appalachian instruments into an orchestral setting.

“They study and perform a wide variety of music, but focus on the Appalachian tradition,” he said.

The November concerts will explore four themes: songs from the film Songcatcher, traditional Appalachian music, folk and popular songs, and a Dolly Parton tribute medley.

The Songcatcher segment will feature music from the 2000 American drama film, which was produced near Hendersonville in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Before the class performs the songs, film clips will introduce the music and provide context. Two songs written by the Carter Family will bookend the concert’s traditional Appalachian music segment. The program will continue with a selection of folk and popular songs, concluding with a medley honoring the work of Dolly Parton.

Now in its second year, the Appalachian Folk Instrument class has quickly become a popular offering, often filling within a day of opening registration. Offered during both fall and spring terms as a personal enrichment course through the College’s Continuing Education department, the class presents two concerts each term at different venues throughout the region. Previous performances have taken place at College Walk, Transylvania County Library, and Connestee Falls. The class has two additional concerts planned for spring 2027 at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Brevard and again at Wyatt Auditorium in Flat Rock.

Information about personal enrichment and workforce continuing education courses at Blue Ridge Community, including online offerings, is available online at www.blueridge.edu/ce.

Community event in Brevard, Transylvania County, NC 28712.