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.

 

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.

Monroe Burrage Dulcimer

Back in the early 2000s, I purchased this dulcimer at a little gift shop, “The Wormy Chestnut” located just off of the Blue Ridge Parkway near Floyd, Virginia. At that time, I already owned two other dulcimer since the 1980s, but I did not play very often. This new instrument had a very sweet sound and it revived my love of dulcimer playing. I realized that it was a superior instrument when compared with the other two that I owned.

The craftsmanship is gorgeous and the sound is wonderful. It is one of my favorite dulcimers. 

The label inside the dulcimer shows that it was built by “Monroe Burrage, 2631 Harvard Ave., Durham, NC 27703 on May 18, 1999.” It is instrument #186.

Is anyone familiar with this builder? I would love to learn more about him and see other instruments that he built.

Gilmer Vaughn Dulcimer

Several weeks back, I had changed my profile pic on facebook to one of me playing the dulcimer when I was competing at the 2005 Old Fiddler's Convention in Galax. This was a profile photo that I had used before, but this time, a family member, Donice, saw it on the page of a mutual friend. 

She then contacted me and was telling me that Gilmer Vaughn, my first cousin, once removed, used to build dulcimers. I had no idea!  What an exciting thing to discover. I have played the dulcimer for almost 30 years and I have done quite a bit of primary research about the history of the dulcimer and all of that time, I had a family member who made dulcimers! (To see my research, click here.) Some of my research was included in Ralph Lee Smith's revised edition of Appalachian Dulcimer Traditions.

Donice explained that when Gilmer died in 1997, his wife, Ruth, gave her and her husband, Raymond (Gilmer's brother), one of his dulcimers. The dulcimer was not finished because it needed tuning pegs, a bridge, a nut and strings. (Raymond passed away in 2009.)  After Donice told me how she came to have the dulcimer, she said that she would like to give it to me because I am not only family, but a dulcimer player as well.

I feel honored and blessed that Donice wanted to entrust this treasure to me.  Here are some photos of the dulcimer.

When I peeked inside the sound hole, the following was inscribed in the wood.

G. C. Vaughn

April 1996

No. 22

Donice told me that Gilmer met with Ken Hamblin, a well known dulcimer in Salem, Virginia on several occasions to learn about building dulcimers. When I was in college in the 1980s, a friend and I used to play our dulcimers around campus.  At that time, I had a Sears & Roebuck dulcimer and an Audrey Hash handmade dulcimer with wooden tuners.  I SO badly wanted a Ken Hamblin dulcimer like my friend, Teresa.  It had a beautiful tone and it was just gorgeous.  It also had what Ken called an "Old Joe Clark tuner" on the bass string.  I finally added a Hamblin dulcimer to my collection in 2009.  Now, to find out that Gilmer learned from Mr. Hamblin makes this one even more special!  (To read a newspaper article about Ken Hamblin click here.)

I had initially thought that I would just leave the dulcimer in its unfinished state, but after having a brief discussion with Donice, I decided that I would see if a local dulcimer builder that I know would be willing to finish it for me. I met with Jack Ferguson this past Friday to discuss finishing this dulcimer. Jack builds beautiful instruments and I know that he will do a wonderful job. I think that the dulcimer may be made of white walnut (butternut).  While discussing the options for finishing the dulcimer, I decided that it will have 3 strings instead of 4 because of the width of the fretboard.  Also, using geared tuners instead of the more traditional friction-style pegs so that it will be more playable.  One of the hardest things was deciding on whether to put any type of finish on it.  After discussing that in its natural state it would show water drops, fingerprints, etc and that also, a finish would protect the wood from drying out any further, I opted for a clear finish so that the wood would be protected, but it would retain the natural beauty of the wood.

I cannot wait to hear the beautiful sounds coming out of Gilmer's dulcimer. Be sure to check back because I will post photos and video once the dulcimer is finished.

Hammin' it up!
L to R:  Gilmer Vaughn (my cousin), Willie Vaughn (my uncle),
Vera Vaughn Burnette (my mom)

To read about how I first became involved with the dulcimer read this blog post.

Copyright 2012--All Rights Reserved--The Wheel & Distaff by Kimberly Burnette-Dean.  

Christmas Lore--Day 15

"On the First Day of Christmas"

One version of this song dates back to 1770 when it appeared on a broadside. It was traditionally played on Twelfth Night (evening of January 5th). Each person takes a part and has to remember all of the objects mentioned by previous players and then add on an extra item. If the person missed, they had to perform a forfeit.  (A forfeit is like a dare.) The twelve days of Christmas extends from Christmas Day to Epiphany, when the Wise Men arrived with their gifts. In wealthier homes, a gift on each of the 12 days was not unusual. (I am very surprised that modern day merchants have not latched on to this idea yet!)

Here are some things to ponder about this song:
 
--If you read my post on wassailing you may see a connection with the pear tree.

--You might notice that on the fourth day of Christmas, the gift is four COLLY birds, not "calling birds". Colly birds refers to the European blackbird and over time it has been misunderstood and changed.

--You might get excited thinking that you were getting five golden rings, especially with the price of gold being so high, but it actually means that you are getting five ring-necked pheasants. If you notice, the first seven gifts are all birds.  Can you imagine receiving that many birds for Christmas?  Most, if not all of them, are edible, so you could just have a feast at your true love's expense!

--Some sources have said that the song was written in England during the period when it was illegal to be of the Catholic faith.  It was rumored to be an aid to help youngsters learn about their faith in secret.

--Some sources say that the song represents various religious symbols: Partridge in a Pear Tree (God or Christ); Two turtle doves (Old & New Testaments); Three French hens (Faith, Hope & Charity); Four Colly Birds (Four Gospels); Five Golden Rings (First five books of the old testament); Six geese (Six days of creation); Seven swans (seven sacraments); Eight Maids (Eight beatitudes); Nine Ladies (Nine fruits of the Holy Spirit); Ten Lords (Ten commandments); Eleven Pipers (Eleven faithful apostles); Twelve drummers (Twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle's Creed).

In any case, it is a very fun song to sing!

"On the First Day of Christmas" 
(aka "The Twelve Days of Christmas"

On the first day of Christmas,

my true love gave to me,

a partridge in a pear tree.

On the second day of Christmas,

my true love gave to me,

two turtle doves, 

and a partridge in a pear tree.

On the third day of Christmas,

my true love gave to me,

three French hens, two turtle doves, 

and a partridge in a pear tree.

On the fourth day of Christmas,

my true love gave to me,

four colly birds, three French hens, two turtle doves, 

and a partridge in a pear tree. 

On the fifth day of Christmas,

my true love gave to me,

five golden rings, four colly birds, three French hens, two turtle doves, 

and a partridge in a pear tree.

On the sixth day of Christmas,

my true love gave to me,

six geese a-layin', etc

On the seventh day of Christmas,

my true love gave to me,

seven swans a-swimmin', etc

On the eighth day of Christmas,

my true love gave to me,

eight maids a-milkin', etc

On the ninth day of Christmas,

my true love gave to me,

nine ladies dancin', etc

On the tenth day of Christmas,

my true love gave to me,

ten lords a-leapin', etc

On the eleventh day of Christmas,

my true love gave to me,

eleven pipers pipin', etc

On the twelfth day of Christmas,

my true love gave to me,

twelve drummers drumming, etc

Christmas Lore--Day 5

My front yard

The words to "Stille Nacht!" were written by Joseph Mohr  in 1816 and the tune was composed by Franz Gruber.  They first performed it together at Midnight Mass on December 31, 1818.   The first English translation, "Stilly Night, Holy Night" was made in 1858 for the choir of St. Mark's Church in Brighton, England..  The English translation most popular in the United States is the John Freeman Young (1820-1885) version.  Silent Night has been translated into 230 languages.

Silent Night

Silent night! Holy night!

All is calm, all is bright

Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child!

Holy infant, so tender and mild,

Sleep in heavenly peace,

Sleep in heavenly peace.

Silent night! Holy night!

Shepherds quake at the sight,

Glories stream from heaven afar,

Heavenly hosts sing, Hallelujah,

Christ the Saviour is born,

Christ the Saviour is born.

Silent night! Holy night!

Son of God, Love's pure light,

Radiant, beams from Thy holy face

With the dawn of redeeming grace,

Jesus, Lord, at thy birth,

Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.

Christmas Lore--Day 1

For the month of December, I would like to share a tidbit of Christmas lore with you each day.  I hope that you enjoy it.

Me playing the dulcimer at the Hofauger House, Virginia's Explore Park

 God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen

The comma is important in the opening line of this hymn.  It is not, as so often thought, addressed to merry gentlemen, but rather to those who may be anxious.  Its message of God's reassuring love is specifically directed at the shepherds who are frightened by the sudden appearance of an angel in their midst.  

This hymn grew out of folk tradition, probably coming from the west of England and originating in the eighteenth or early nineteenth century

God rest ye merry, gentlemen, 

Let nothing you dismay, 

Remember Christ our Savior 
Was born on Christmas day, 

To save us all from Satan's pow'r 

When we were gone astray;

O tidings of comfort and joy, Comfort and joy, 

O tidings of comfort and joy.

The shepherds at those tidings 

Rejoiced much in mind, 

And left their flocks a-feeding, 

In tempest, storm, and wind, 

And went to Bethlehem straightway 

This blessed babe to find:

O tidings of comfort and joy, Comfort and joy, 

O tidings of comfort and joy.

Now to the Lord sing praises, 

All you within this place, 

And with true love and brotherhood 
Each other now embrace; 

This holy tide of Christmas 

All others doth deface:

O tidings of comfort and joy, Comfort and joy, 

 O tidings of comfort and joy.

Pop Goes the Weasel

One of my favorite songs to sing when I was growing up was "Pop, Goes the Weasel". I had many fantastical images in my head about what the words meant! As an adult, I have became very interested in all of the variations of this song.

I always sung this version when I was a child:

While all around the cobbler's bench,

the monkey chased the weasel,

the weasel though it all in fun,

Pop, goes the weasel.

Penny for a spool of thread,

Penny for a needle,

That's the way the money goes,

Pop, Goes the weasel.

Many of the folks that I have talked with sing this version:

While all around the mulberry bush,

The monkey chased the weasel,

The monkey stopped to pull up his sock,

Pop, goes the weasel.

Which version have you heard or do you have a different one?

The Mountain Dulcimer

IT was Christmas1982, and there was a very strange looking package under the tree. It was long and skinny and I knew that I had not asked for anything that could possibly be in that box.  Grandma and Daddy seemed all excited for me to open that package, so I went ahead and tore into it.  Inside the box was a brown instrument case.  Inside that case was a weird looking instrument that I had never seen before.

My first dulcimer was ordered from Sears & Roebuck!

They happily explained that it was a dulcimer and that they couldn't wait for me to learn to play. Er, okay . . . what is a dulcimer?!?  There was a little instruction sheet included with information on how to tune it and it also had the music for "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star".  I quickly tuned the instrument and figured out how to play using a wooden noter & a pick.  Needless to say, I became bored pretty quickly with that tune!  My dad immediately started requesting that I play "Wildwood Flower", which was his favorite tune.  I had been playing that tune for years on the piano, so it was not too difficult to figure it out on this new instrument.  My dad was pleased as punch to hear me playing that tune!   (An interesting side note was that I had been playing the piano for 10 years and the trumpet for 7 and I could not play either of them by ear, but with the dulcimer, it just seemed normal to do so!)

A couple of years later,  I became very involved in Appalachian Studies while attending Radford University and I met another dulcimer player, Teresa, in one of my classes.  We started playing together during the Highland Summer Conference, sitting around at various places on campus.  We played a wonderful version of "Old Joe Clark" where one of us played harmony & the other played melody.  We also played "No Place Like Home", "The Riddle Song", and "Send the Light" just to name a few. (There is an amusing story about Teresa & me getting stuck in an elevator with our dulcimers, but I will save that for another time!) That fall, I bought my second dulcimer from Audrey Hash when I attended the Ferrum Folklife Festival.  

Audrey Hash at the Ferrum Folklife Festival circa 1985

My second dulcimer--built by Audrey Hash

Over the years since then, I have went through stages where I very seldom touch my dulcimers.  These periods are usually followed by almost manic phases where all I want to do is play and buy more dulcimers for my collection!

Unfortunately, for the last couple of years, I have not been inspired to play because I so closely associate some of my best playing with when I worked in the 1837 Hofauger House at Virginia's Explore Park.  Since the park closed, it just does not seem right to play in a modern setting.  I know that eventually, I will want to play again.

NOW, I would like to share a video of me playing when I still worked at Virginia's Explore Park, but first, I would like to tell you a bit about the tune that I am playing.

In the fall of 2006, I realized that I was not going to be able to keep and maintain my grandmother's home.  One of the hardest things was going through everything and deciding what to keep, what to sell, and what to trash.  It made me start thinking about all of the questions that I wish that I had asked my grandmother before she died. Now, there were things lost to time that I would never know the answers to.  That inspired me to write "Burnette's Lament".

View my dulcimer research paper "The Dulcimer in Southwestern Virginia"
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B6xl8Ry9w4H0YmE3YTEwMjktMDk3YS00YmY4LWJmMjYtYTI2ZjhhOGIzNWVm&hl=en_US

Here is a great article from The Roanoke Times by Ralph Berrier, Jr., about the dulcimer exhibit at The Blue Ridge Institute located at Ferrum College, Ferrum, Virginia.
http://www.roanoke.com/extra/wb/295962