In the 2017 documentary Wayfaring Stranger (Musical links between Scotland, Ulster & the USA) Pt. 2, Scottish musician and broadcaster Phil Cunningham travels to Appalachia and the Deep South to trace the enduring influence of Scots-Irish and Ulster-Scots settlers on early American music. Around the 30-minute mark, the documentary shifts from haunting psalm-tune traditions into a powerful, living expression of that heritage at Camp Fasola, where shape-note singers—including David Ivey, Jesse Karlsberg, and others—demonstrate the deeply communal spirit of this uniquely American style. The film makes clear that shape-note singing, while forged in the American South, resonates with centuries-old vocal practices brought by immigrants from the British Isles. It’s a compelling reminder that what we sing today in square formations across the country (and the world!) is not an isolated phenomenon but part of a much longer and richer transatlantic musical story.
View the entire series:
Wayfaring Stranger Part 1 – The first episode looks at how Scottish music & songs travelled to Ulster with the Scottish Presbyterian settlers of the 1600’s where it was absorbed to became an important part of the culture for Ulster-Scots (Scots-Irish). Later they would take this music to Appalachia as colonial immigrants to America.
Wayfaring Stranger Part 3 – This third and final part explores the enduring Scots-Irish (Ulster-Scots) musical influence on Appalachian music in the 20th century and beyond. Including Country, Bluegrass, Gospel & Folk music.
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