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Kentucky’s State instrument comes to Butterfly Bottom
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Appalachian Dulcimer
(Wiki Commons, author unknown)
Well I’ve been and gone and up and done ’er. Ordered a dulcimer. In my very first effort as an Examiner I mentioned my love of Southern music and with the exception of the five-string banjo there’s no instrument more Southern than the Appalachian dulcimer. Only those two show the Celtic heritage of their servants by imitating the drone of the pipes.
It's dark among the trees (Povah)
But let’s not get into that. I’m too excited to argue – though I know you’ll find that difficult to believe. It’s hard not to be excited when down there, in Eddyville, KY 40238, a man adept in the magical lore of such things has begun to put one together for me.
I’ve only ordered a basic model because I don’t know yet if I’ll be able to do the instrument justice. I do reasonably well on the guitar in various incarnations and am competent enough on the autoharp, but my accordion playing isn’t up to much and I struggle with the smallpipes. The Celtic ancestors don’t want me to have it too easy it seems, but if they relent on this one and I get the hang of it okay – and unlike the pipes and the squeeze box, it does have strings – I’ll get Jack to make me a fancier one.
If I do get the hang of hit (excuse the aspirant, but it is Kentucky’s State instrument and I want to start off with it on the right foot, metaphorically speaking) I’ve made a little promise. I’m going to take it up to the top of the hill beside the house, up to where the little cemetery is, in among the trees there, and I’m going to sit down just outside the rusty wire fence and play When First Unto This Country.
Why? I don't know, I just think I should. When first I went there to introduce myself – it’s marked on the plat – it was awfully dark up there among the trees, and plants have tried to hide the stones. I also got the feeling it may have been a long time since they’d had a bit of company. I’d like to let them know I’m here and maybe, just maybe, the instrument will know it’s in the right hands.
If I think I’ve got it off right enough, I’m going to play Old Grey Dobbin as well. There’s a few small gravestones up there that I suspect are reminders of where little ones were laid to be at peace. It’s an Australian tune, but most kids seem to like it.
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