November 14th, 2026 4PM
Trio Appalachia
Backcountry Sketches (2025) - Benjamin Dawson
I. Front Porch
II. Quiet Holler
III. Mountain Wedding
Dance of the Copperhead (2025) - Martha Redbone
I. Andante
II. Allegro con fuoco
III. Andante
Root Songs: Echoes in the Soil (2025) - Donald W. Sorah
I. Whisper in the Hollow
II. Ridge Step & Blue-Fire Jig
III. In Sacred Stillness
IV. Fiddlefire Run
Intermission
Piano Trio No. 4, "Dumky" - Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904)
I. Lento maestoso — Allegro quasi doppio movimento
II. Poco adagio — Vivace non troppo — Vivace
III. Andante — Vivace non troppo — Allegretto
IV. Andante moderato — Allegretto scherzando — Quasi tempo di marcia
V. Allegro
VI. Lento maestoso
Backcountry Sketches
When Dr. Peter Ryan, pianist and music division coordinator at the University of Virginia’s College at Wise, asked me to write an Appalachian-infused piano trio for violinist Sean Claire, cellist Dave Eggar, and himself to play, I was delighted at the prospect. The folk music of Appalachia is near and dear to my heart, so with great excitement I took up the task. And then I
sat and stared at that blank sheet of paper for weeks.
Robert Schumann said that “in order to compose, all you need to do is remember a tune that nobody else has thought of.” The magic with bluegrass, and Appalachian folk music in general, is that once you “remember” that tune, the rest of the piece writes itself. It’s been a joy to be along for the ride as these sketches came together, and to tweak a few notes here and there. All of the primary tunes are of my own design but are steeped in the folk idiom.
Movement one, “Front Porch,” is pure fun and symbolizes the Appalachian community heritage, with multiple generations of friends and family gathered around a bluegrass jam session. Movement two, “Quiet Holler,” represents the rustic elegance of the Appalachian Mountains with a partial nod to the “hollering” quality of bluegrass singing, but primarily referencing the wooded valleys and hollows (regionally pronounced “hollers”) found throughout much of Appalachia. “Mountain Wedding” (movement three) erupts in pure joy and celebration, leaning into the Scottish/Irish roots of the region as the music alternates between a two-beat jig and a three-beat slip-jig. A baroque-era fugue makes a brief appearance, and the entire work is set up in a three-movement structure, in homage to the piano trio as an important part of the classical tradition.
Root Songs: Echoes in the Soil
Commissioned by Dr. Peter Ryan, Associate Professor of Music at The University of Virginia’s College at Wise, Root Songs: Echoes in the Soil is a four-movement work for piano, violin, and cello that seeks to honor the ancestral voices and traditions of Appalachia. Beyond a tribute to the music of a region, it is a remembrance of family, community, and the living songs that continue to shape identity across generations.
“When I reflect on my earliest experiences with music, my mind returns not to a concert hall but to the front porch of my Mamaw and Papaw’s house. On warm evenings, my Papaw and my uncles would bring out their guitars, banjos, mandolins, and sometimes a fiddle, playing folk tunes and hymns, while my mother and aunts sang in angelic harmony that seemed to last for hours. Those gatherings were my first lessons in the power of music. These porch songs shaped my understanding of music as something inherited, carried forward, and deeply rooted in place.”
The title Root Songs: Echoes in the Soil reflects the way music lies embedded in the soil of these mountains, a part of life that nourishes, sustains, and echoes through time.
• Whisper in the Hollow opens the work in the spirit of an Appalachian folk song. Its minor/Dorian tonality carries a sorrowful beauty, evoking both longing and memory. The music suggests the voices of ancestors lingering in the hollows.
• Ridge Step & Blue-Fire Jig celebrates the dance traditions of the mountains, shaped by Scots Irish roots and enlivened by Appalachian fiddle style. The 6/8 lilt conjures a communal dance on the ridge, joyful and unrestrained, before a shift into a driving 2/4 fiddle tune infused with blues and a bit of tomfoolery.
• In Sacred Stillness is an ode to the hymns that have resounded in Appalachian churches for centuries. Its slow, solemn lines honor the sound of unaccompanied voices rising and blending in wooden sanctuaries, where harmonies reside and swell as if drawn from the very timbers.
• Fiddlefire Run propels the suite to its conclusion, a fusion of Appalachian fiddling with syncopated, contemporary rhythms and harmonies. Midway through, a dramatic transformation of the opening theme reappears, serving as a reminder that the past is never left behind but is continually reborn in new forms. The work closes in a blaze of energy, with bluegrass and blues-inflected motifs in all three instruments, a celebration of vitality, tradition, and perpetuation of traditions and culture.
Piano Trio No. 4, "Dumky"
Antonín Dvořák's Piano Trio No. 4, "Dumky" is a concert hall staple of the works written for violin, cello, and piano. While most Piano Trios from the 18th and 19th centuries featured three or four movements in standard classical forms, the "Dumky" Trio unusually utilizes six movements, each bearing the title of "Dumka" (Dumky is the plural form of Dumka). The dumka is a Slavic folk musical term that was applied to epic ballads that were thoughtful or melancholic in character. Dvořák and other 19th century composers use the dumka in their compositions as an alternative to more traditional classical music forms. In doing so, they forged a unique synthesis of folk and classical idioms that led to intriguing, beautiful, and passionate works.