Briar Branch Concert

BRIAR BRANCH is a homegrown, hometown string band. Long time Black

Mountain residents, Julia Weatherford and Pearl Shirley, mother and daughter, have

been singing and playing together since the 1980s. Expect to hear mountain

music with sweet vocal harmonies, toe-tapping banjo songs, and hard driving Old

Time fiddle tunes. Feel the pull of sweet sad ballads with rich

cello accompaniment.

JULIA WEATHERFORD - VOCALS, CELLO, FIDDLE, GUITAR

Julia Weatherford has been a full-time artist/musician for as long as anyone can

remember. She is veteran performer on both cello and fiddle with notable

performing groups that range from The Asheville Symphony to the world fusion

Akira Satake Band. She was the artistic director of the legendary Black Mountain

Festival in its early years, and more recently the Coordinator of Fiddle Week at

The Swannanoa Gathering. Currently she performs regionally with StrathSpan and

Ceilidh Doon, and is the cellist of choice for the Canote Brothers, and is the

mother of Pearl.

PEARL ANGELINE SHIRLEY - VOCALS, FIDDLE, BANJO.

Pearl Shirley grew up in Black Mountain, NC, soaking up traditional Appalachian

music and dance almost without noticing. She picked up a tiny violin at age 5, and

since then has fiddled her way through hundreds of foot-stomping contra dances

and folk concerts. Pearl has toured with the popular contra dance band Mock

Turtle Soup, and she currently performs with the acclaimed old-time band, Blue

Eyed Girl. Pearl is the daughter of Julia.

Tickets are $20. Doors open at 7:00pm and seating is first come first served. Online ticket sales end an hour before the performance time, but there may still be tickets available for purchase at the door. Call BMCA for availability at 828.669.0930.

Host or Publisher Black Mountain Center for the Arts