The exact origins of murder ballads are a mystery. However, they are known to have crossed the Atlantic with some of the first colonists from Scandinavia, England, and the Scottish lowlands, becoming a staple of American folk music. This dark form of storytelling originally served to recount true tales of grisly crimes, warning others not to follow the same path and suffer the same fate. Like many early folk songs, the musical accompaniment was left up to the performer, resulting in countless different versions in communities across the country. 

The banjo is the quintessential American instrument. Created by the hands of enslaved people in the new world, it is one of the few instruments with substantial cultural significance that wasn’t imported. It has a long and complicated history (far beyond the scope of these program notes) including extensive use to accompany storytelling song forms like ballads. 

In this newly-composed piece, I wanted to honor that tradition, but with a twist. Rather than setting the words to music, I chose to compose something purely instrumental that serves as a kind of abstract musical portrait for each story.