From a Dec. 3 post at Appalachian History by Dave Tabler.
John Jacob Niles composed the Appalachian influenced Christmas carols The Carol of the Birds, The Flower of Jesse, What Songs were Sung, Jesus, Jesus, Rest Your Head, and Sweet Little Boy Jesus.
I Wonder As I Wander, one of his most popular carols, illustrates the working methods of this inveterate collector of homegrown musicality:
“I Wonder As I Wander grew out of three lines of music sung for me by a girl who called herself Annie Morgan,” Niles explained. “The place was Murphy, North Carolina, and the time was July, 1933.
“The Morgan family, revivalists all, were about to be ejected by the police, after having camped in the town square for some little time…
Read the rest of the story at Appalachian History.
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