Audrey Hash Dulcimer
Around 1985, I bought my
second dulcimer when I attended the Ferrum Folklife Festival in Ferrum,
Virginia. I fell in love with a beautiful wormy chestnut dulcimer. The fact
that it was made of chestnut made it even more special to me since I had grown
up hearing many stories from my grandpa about the grand chestnut trees that
were killed by the blight.
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| Audrey Hash--Ferrum Folklife Festival--circa 1985 |
The builder of the dulcimer
that I purchased was Audrey Hash Ham. She was born in 1949 in Ashe County,
North Carolina to Albert Lee Hash and Ethel Spencer Hash. Audrey learned to
make instruments from her father, Albert Hash, a renown fiddle maker. She made
her first dulcimer around 1966 and continued making them for years. She went on
to make fiddles as well. Audrey died on August 2, 2013 at her home in Ashe
County.
The Hash dulcimer that I purchased does not have a number or year in it. The tag inside says: "Handmade by Audrey Hash Miller, Mouth of Wilson, VA 24363. I purchased it around 1985 and it was new.
You can view an interview with Audrey and hear her singing here and here.
Very good. That the dulcimer. was made from chestnut is even better.
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