The Museum of North Carolina Handicrafts at the historic Shelton House is sponsoring an Appalachian Christmas musical event that evokes nostalgic recollections of holiday celebrations evident in early settlements in the Appalachian Mountains.

Performed by noted folk and traditional musicians Anne and Rob Lough and the Trantham Family Band, the evening celebration of music, song and folklore will enable the audience to reminisce about the heritage that still emanates from the deep coves, the valleys, and the dwellings of this region. Both groups of musical entertainers are annual performers at the Smoky Mountain Folk Festival and have performed at Mountain Heritage Day in Cullowhee.  

Blue Ridge Books, Christmas Everyday and Olde Brick House have tickets for the Appalachian Christmas event scheduled for 7 p.m., Dec. 4, at HART’s main theater.  Ticket prices are $10 for adults, $5 for children 5 to 15, and free admission for children under 5.

Anne Lough is a nationally known traditional musician, highly acclaimed for her skill as a performer and educator. Dedicated to preserving traditional music, stories and folklore, Lough devotes her time to festivals, workshops, performances and school residencies. In addition to being a regular instructor of mountain and hammered dulcimer at the prestigious John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, Lough has taught at the Swannanoa Gathering, Western Carolina Dulcimer Week, Augusta Heritage Dulcimer Week and numerous other festivals and workshops throughout the country. Anne’s Lough’s husband Rob is a full-time insurance agent but accompanies his wife at special programs and is a capable and entertaining musician and vocalist.  

Jim Trantham, the first generation of the three-generation Trantham Family Band, has been collecting and performing traditional songs for 60 years. Trantham has performed in many of the schools and universities of the Southeast and in five European countries. Trantham holds awards from some of the most highly regarded folk stages in North Carolina. In addition to his musical skills, Trantham is a noted maker of musical instruments, crafting all of the instruments used by the family.  

Jim’s son Doug Trantham began performing with his father at an early age. Doug Trantham, like his father, is an accomplished musician and vocalist, specializing in banjo, hammered dulcimer, and guitar. Doug Trantham’s daughters Emily and Sara have, since early childhood, been performing with their father and grandfather in the award winning Trantham Family Band.