BIO

Here is some material which can be used for publicity, posters, etc.  ell.

Mary Smith is a traditional singer from central Virginia.  Her father, Ronald Smith, was an avid collector of traditional American folk music, old time Country and Western, Bluegrass and Gospel.   It was a natural step for her to take up the guitar, and her interest in the ballads of the Appalachian Mountains led to her to explore the traditional songs of England, Ireland and Scotland.   She is a popular performer at festivals, coffeehouses and concert venues in Virginia and Washington, DC, and also gives   educational presentations and workshops on traditional ballads.  She released her  CD “Of Rogues and Lovers” with the collaboration of the Irish traditional group KILLULTAGH,  from Ulster,in 2003. 

Mary says of her music:  “I’ve often been urged to do more “contemporary material” that “people can relate to”, but I’ve never taken that advice.  I have to sing from the heart, and I feel like the traditional songs have drawn me to them and not the other way around.  They still have something to say, and they still are relevant to all of us, if we are willing to listen.  The essential human condition hasn’t changed over the centuries, and the roots of traditional music go deep into our collective soul.  We still fall in love, we experience joy and regret, longing and fulfillment, loneliness and friendship.  And all of these emotions and more are expressed in the song tradition, often more exquisitely than in any classically constructed poem or polished contemporary song.  It is their simple humanity that makes them beautiful, and I hope that, through me, you will hear the voices of countless others who have lovingly sung and cherished the songs over the years.”

                                         Reviews: 

             “…one of the most remarkable aspects of Smith's singing is her complete absorption in, and assimilation of Irish and Scottish approaches to songs and ballads. There is no suggestion here of an outsider donning a disguise. Instead Smith is affected by the very same muses which give rise to the vocal styles of native Irish and Scottish singers. (Indeed many native singers will envy her compelling blend of rawness and purity and her ability even in the longest ballads to command the listener's attention until the very last note!)…a singer with a superb repertoire and an instinctive feel for delivery. Aiden Crossey, on-line Trad Music Magazine “Pay the Reckoning” out of London. 

            “A strong, clear voice…a singer in the true traditional style” Pat Troy, WUST Radio in Washington, DC 

            “A rich, expressive voice and an instinctive feel for traditional singing, she delves into the essence of a song and draws in the listener – never forgetting that the point of a ballad is to tell a story.  An extensive repertoire from the American, Irish, Scottish and English traditions, well researched, well delivered, and sung from the heart.” Kevin Donleavy,  WJTU Radio in Charlottesville, VA  (historian and musicologist, author of “Strings of Life – Stories and Recollections of Old-Time Musicians from North Carolina and Virginia”           

Workshops 

Mary combines her love of history (she holds a Masters Degree from the Sorbonne) and music to present workshops on the ballad tradition.  Her focus is on the ballads of the British Isles and Ireland, and how they made the transition over to America.  She has worked with members of the group “Southern Horizon” who specialize in music of the American Civil War (1861-1865) and has given workshops and musical presentations at festivals and to cultural groups in Virginia such as the St. Andrew’s Society, The Scottish Society, and the Irish-American Society of Greater Richmond.