BRISTOL, Va.-Tenn. (Oct. 24, 2025) – You’re invited to a very special evening steeped in Appalachian heritage as the Birthplace of Country Music Museum proudly presents “Love & Murder A Capella,” a deeply moving gathering of traditional ballad singers known as A Nest of Singing Birds. The concert will be held in the museum’s “acoustically perfect” performance theater on Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. EST, the perfect venue for such a powerful and moving display of unaccompanied voices and timeless storytelling.
Led by eighth-generation ballad singer Donna Ray Norton, the evening brings together some of Appalachia’s most cherished voices for a centuries-old tradition of storytelling in song – the ballad swap – with performers Sheila Kay Adams, Leila Weinstein, Sarah “Songbird” Burkey, and Darci DeWulf.
Channeling the spirit of the region’s oral history, the ballad swap offers an intimate glimpse into a practice passed down through generations. Ballad singing in the Appalachian mountains, and particularly in Madison County, North Carolina, holds a vital place in American folk history.
“Back in 1916 English folk song collector Cecil Sharp traveled to Madison County and was so impressed by the number of talented voices he found there that he described the region as ‘a nest of singing birds,'” said Museum Director Dr. Rene Rodgers. “Over 100 years later, Donna Ray Norton and a new generation of ‘singing birds’ are carrying on that uniquely Appalachian tradition. We are very excited to bring this collective to the museum for folks in our region to experience and enjoy.”
Today, this unique tradition – spanning more than nine generations – faces new challenges. In the wake of Hurricane Helene, which devastated parts of the singers’ hometown, the Nest of Singing Birds collective has taken their regular ballad swap, traditionally held at the Old Marshall Jail, on the road to raise awareness of the fragility of both the practice and the region from which it was born. For more information about The Nest of Singing Birds, visit NestOfSingingBirds.com.
Tickets to “Love & Murder A Capella” are on sale now for $20 (price includes all applicable taxes and fees) and may be purchased through the Events page at BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org. Do not miss this opportunity to experience a powerful piece of living history, through the voices of those keeping it alive.