Ballad singing is at the heart of the traditional song experience in Ireland and Appalachia. Many songs which travelled to Appalachia with the Scots-Irish migrations continue to be sung in various forms across Ireland. Aileen and Olivia have been exploring versions which they have learned from local singers in their regions such as Andy Connors (Enniscorthy, Wexford) and Rick Ward (Boone, North Carolina) as well songs learned from recordings of singers from past generations such as Tom Moran (Leitrim) and Lee Monroe Presnell (Beech Mountain).

Olivia Phillips is a traditional singer, Appalachian studies scholar, & PhD candidate in Folklore at Indiana University. She grew up in Western North Carolina’s musically rich Beech Mountain Community, where her family has lived for many generations. Olivia has studied with Appalachian traditional singers Susan Pepper and Rick Ward and is grateful to have learned from the performances of many others.Her research on Beech Mountain singing traditions has been supported by fellowships from Indiana University, the University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill, the Society for American Music, and the North Caroliniana Society. She holds degrees in ethnomusicology and vocal music education.

Aileen Lambert is a traditional singer, song-writer, composer, educator and project facilitator. She is passionate about researching, creating and sharing traditional and traditional style songs. Aileen delivers traditional song workshops in Primary Schools with the Heritage-in-Schools Scheme supported by the Heritage Council and published a children’s songbook called ‘The Frog and the Mouse’ in 2021. Aileen’s repertoire features many songs drawn from the rich store of Wexford traditional song. She also has a deep interest in songs connecting Newfoundland and the SE of Ireland and in 2019 recorded an album of traditional songs from Wexford and Newfoundland entitled ‘The Wexford Lovers’. In 2024 Aileen received an Artlinks Bursary to explore common song repertoire between Ireland and the Appalachian region in the US.