Medford musician Alex Cumming will present a program on Medford folk music luminary Olive Dame Campbell at this month’s Appalachian Traditions Discussion, presented by the John C. Campbell Folk School. Cumming is a singer, accordionist, pianist, and dance caller hailing from Somerset, UK, who is music director at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Medford.

Olive Dame Campbell (1882-1954) left incredible contributions in folk music, song, and dance, though she is most notably remembered as a founder of the Campbell Folk School in North Carolina. Born and raised in Medford, Olive graduated from Tufts College in 1900 during a time when most women did not pursue higher education. She worked as an education reformist and went on to become a folklorist and song collector working across New England and the Appalachians. She also co-published “English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians” with Cecil Sharp. The lead character of the movie “Songcatcher” was loosely based on Olive Dame Campbell.

Join Alex Cumming as he explores her legacy through images, stories, and song. Please register for the Zoom event here: https://bit.ly/2PT2qVb