Arran Boat Song is an Irish air written about the Isle of Arran, a Scottish island located in the North Channel of the Irish Sea, separating Ireland from Scotland. Just over 5,000 people inhabit this island. Even today, the Isle of Arran is dependent on ferries to connect it to the rest of the world. The tone and tempo of Arran Boat Song is typical of all Irish airs -- mournful and slow.

Greensleeves is a traditional English folk tune, originally written in the early 1500s. Legend has it that the original lyrics were written by King Henry VIII of England (1491-1547) for his love, Anne Boleyn. It became the Christmas carol "What Child Is This?" when new lyrics were written in 1865 by another Englishman, William Chatterton Dix. It is still a popular melody around Christmastime in America today.

Auld Lang Syne is perhaps the best known of Scottish holiday songs. It was originally a poem by Robert Burns, written in the mid-1500s. The song's name is in Scots, and literally means 'old long since', or 'days gone by'. Auld Lang Syne is played, sang and danced in Scotland on the last day of the year, on the Scottish holiday of Hogmanay--the celebration of the New Year in the Scottish manner. The roots of Hogmanay reach back to the pagan celebration of the winter solstice. Thanks to Gordon Nelson for suggesting this tune.

Fiddle player Heather Bossert, and synthesist Paul Cunningham chose these songs after being inspired by a recent exploration of Appalachia that brought them through Mt. Vernon and Berea, Kentucky; Roan Mountain, Tennessee; and Hiltons, Virgina.

Spending time in this beautiful area led them to think about the music of Appalachia and its roots in the music of the British Isles, particularly Scotland and Ireland. Many of the tunes played and instruments used in Appalachian music, such as the fiddle and banjo, have Scottish and Irish origins.