Folk Alley Sessions: Jay Ungar & Molly Mason Family Band, "Ashokan Farewell" 

My wife wanted this played at her funeral. I still cry when I hear it. I miss her so much.

I'm a 70 year old woman. I lost my 96 year old father, who was the salt of the earth last week. We had his burial yesterday. My niece plays the viola, and after the military honors and Taps, she just stood aside and played this, one of his favorite songs. The sound floated on the wind and brought a sense of peaceful sorrow. I will forever associate it with my Dad.

I just reread all these comments. It's amazing how many good people there are out there. God Bless you all, stay safe.

It may sound silly but I listened to this when I placed my little dog, Huey a Rat Terrier, for cremation into the oven. I did want a stranger to handle him. He was the best friend I ever had or ever will have... I always love him but I had no idea how much until he died. I was holding him during his heart attack and he looked at me as he died and I looked at him telling him the pain would soon go away and he would be in doggy heaven. I'm 70 years old and it's been decades since my heart hurt this bad and I cried this much...

This song was well selected for Ken Burns Civil War documentary. It has a sense of sorrow and sadness that just seemed to encompass the hardship that was experienced on both sides of the fights

Now you know what the term "achingly beautiful" means.

This is by far one of favorite tunes ever..I wasn't raised on this genre of music...Im a 55 year old blavk man and I've watched the Civil War documentary about a hundred times and this song has always stuck in my head from very first time I heard it..Its sumber melody captures the very essence of the documentary..I love all kinds of music and this song really does speak to my ears immensely 🎵 ❤

I dearly hope someone plays this for me when I'm finally reunited with my little boy and go home .. So grateful for this beautiful music

This was the song that my beautiful wife walked down the aisle to when we married 15 years ago.... people thought we were crazy to play this as the "wedding March"! Her beauty is matched by this very song. Makes me smile every single time I hear this amazing song!

I'm a 63 year old man, and every time I hear this particular version of Ashokan, the tears just start...Thank you Jay.

My beautiful daughter-in-law played this today at her father's Celebration of Life. Not a dry eye in the room.

One of those rare songs that could be played at your wedding or your funeral

My father requested this be played at his funeral. We made it happen.. Kills me every time I hear it. He played bluegrass / folk, himself. I miss him so very much. Beautiful beautiful piece. God bless, gorgeous. -Bruner Baker, 1959-2010

"My very dear Sarah: . . . Forgive my many faults, and the many pains I have caused you. How thoughtless and foolish I have often been! How gladly would I wash out with my tears every little spot upon your happiness, and struggle with all the misfortune of this world, to shield you and my children from harm. But I cannot. I must watch you from the spirit land and hover near you, while you buffet the storms with your precious little freight, and wait with sad patience till we meet to part no more. But, O Sarah! If the dead can come back to this earth and flit unseen around those they loved, I shall always be near you; in the brightest day and in the darkest night-amidst your happiest scenes and gloomiest hours-always, always; and if there be a soft breeze upon your cheek, it shall be my breath; or the cool air fans your throbbing temple, it shall be my spirit passing by. Sarah, do not mourn me dead; think I am gone and wait for me, for we shall meet again." Sullivan Ballou July the 14th, 1861

Mom never said she wanted this piece played at her funeral, but she played it so often on her dads violin that it seemed necessary to bring in a concert violinist to play it at her wake. So 9 years and 3 weeks ago, that’s exactly what we did. I am a guitar player but have picked up the violin to learn this piece. I’ll play it for our friends and family on moms next birthday. Maybe I’ll get all the way through it without falling apart🥹

Can't explain why my allergies flair up every time I play this video. But, sure as sh*t, every time I do, my eyes tear up like nobody's business. It's the darndest thing.

Hauntingly beautiful. 💖 "I sometimes introduce it as, a Scottish lament written by a Jewish guy from the Bronx.” Jay Ungar

You cannot picture a Civil War Documentary without this melody.

Even though my hearings comes from a totally different acoustic culture here in Greece, this is the best sample of American music culture by far, a masterpiece.

To me the song talks of missing home, the nostalgia of a life a young soldier in the civil war once knew but will never have again. Its truly immaculate and is one of the most powerful pieces of american folk tunes ive heard.

I have this on repeat whenever I visit the Graves of my mother and grandmother. I lost them both in just over a year. I miss them more than I can express. This song makes me smile and cry all at the same time. My prayers and hopes are with everyone. God bless you all.

My granddaughter played this at my wife of 53 yrs funeral. It has been a favorite of our 1st heard watching "Civil War" documentary on PBS years ago. This version is beautiful too.....

Even first generation American born who are DEVOTED to this greatest country can learn appreciation of folk music. ASHOKAN FAREWELL. Ken Burns...thanks for introducing this girl of Cubans to love heritage from music. Folk music must never be forgotten.

I played this on my violin for my dad today while waiting for the funeral home to come pick him up. Music was the most important thing for him after my mom died and he loved this song.

you have contributed mightily to this Nation by this beautiful piece that Ken Burns knew, upon hearing, encapsulated the tragedy, poignance and soulfully sad beauty of one of the most destructive albeit heroic times in Our history. Thank You!

It must be the ultimate satisfaction in life to know you created a thing of beauty that will live as long as there is one human being who remembers.

This is a song that encourages us to let go of all the tears, we forgot to shed, whenever that earlier time was.

Jay Ungar and Molly Mason look like they're in Heaven while playing this song. Total serenity?

Even though this was never intended to be a Civil War song, it still fits. It has to be one of the best melodies ever recorded. I never get tried of hearing it. It always brings up emotions within me.

I just paused the credits at the end of Ken Burns' "The Civil War" and I see that Jay Ungar composed this beautiful song. When I watched it the first time around, 25 years ago, I assumed this was a folk song written during the Civil War era. Either way, it's one of the most haunting and evocative melodies I've ever heard.

This music transports you to a bygone era. The The violin strains and guitar plucks, evoke pain, joy, sorrow, longing, and determination. It burns images in my mind of being a picket along the banks of the Potomac or Rappahannock rivers gazing at the campfires of the opposing army, thinking, of home, family, and impending battle. The love for this song is evident on Jay's face as he savors each moment. Ashokan Farewell is one of my favorite musical treasures. Thank you Jay and Mason family for such a moving performance.

This music reminds me of the beautiful America I knew. God bless her always.

Makes me remember my mom. She loved the Burn's series. We often talked about it and she convinced me to learn how to play this piece on the piano. I would play it and she would waltz around the living room. I found the CD and gave it to her. Then, she would grab me and waltz around the living room with ME! It gave me some timeless memories of her. And all because of a song.

I first heard this lament in 1990 while watching Ken Burns' amazing documentary about the US Civil War on PBS. Shortly thereafter, I became involved in Civil War reenacting. While attending a reenactment of the August, 1861 skirmish between the Missouri Home Guard and the Missouri State Guard in Athens, Missouri, a friend and I were sitting and talking about the upcoming battle. As we were talking, a beautiful rendition of Ashokan Farewell drifted through the trees. We walked towards the sound, and came upon a small family band. The song was being played by an 18-year-old young lady in period dress. People were sitting around in amazement as she played the most amazing version I have ever heard. I will remember it forever.

So, here in the UK, students are always being told to listen to classical music when studying. Because they say, it calms the mind and gets you in the right place. And they are not wrong. Fortunately, here in the UK we have a GREAT music station called Classic FM, and they know that 100's of 000's of GSCE, A-Level and Degree level students listen to them every day. And back in the spring of 2003, I was one of those students - aged 39! I was sitting at my desk at home in my digs. It was a nice afternoon and I would have loved to have been in the park opposite, but I had work to do. The first exam of my Philosophy degree was fast approaching, so I was at my desk. In the background, natur. ally, was Classic FM. Then, this piece of music came on. I took no notice of it at first. But then, it started to grow on me. And grow. And grow. I am trying to take notes, but the paper in beneath me is being stained by tears. By the end of the piece, I am in floods of tears. The music stops. The presenter, Natalie Wheen says 'And that was The Ashokan Farewell, by the Band of the Royal Marines - a piece of music that has been known to reduce grown men to tears.' I rang her up during a commercial break and said 'you are not wrong there'. Since then, it has become my favourite piece of classical music and yes, I have no doubt it will be played at my funeral. But a year or so after first hearing it, I am at the end of a wonderful week on a youth camp and need to find something for the closing ceremony. So, out I go with my MP3 recorder and get soundbites from all the youth activities. At the closing ceremony, I play each sound clip, overlaid with The Ashokan Farewell. Now, its not just me in tears, but 1000 campers! What a wonderful piece of music!

Brilliant and full of emotion. Anyone with a pure heart will find this tune heartwarming.

what I love so dearly about this video is that the musicians are not just playing a collection of well composed notes, but they are pouring all of themselves into the piece. I've been a performer on stage for nearly half my life, and one of the first lessons you learn as an artist of any kind is that a piece is rarely breath taking or touches another soul unless you pour your own soul into it. These musicians do just that, and at such depth that is nearly impossible not to touched by the piece. The longing, sadness, joy, remembrance, and hope within the piece is not just there because of the collection of notes, but also because that was the intentional vision of the composer as he wrote this piece. Truly a master work.

My goodness, how could anyone give this magnificent music a negative vote? It is superb..

Many seem to believe that this is an "old Civil War tune." It is an original by Jay Ungar, composed in the 1980's, as I recall.

The interesting thing is, this song was written by Jay when leaving the beautiful Ashokan Music Camp one year...it’s a beautiful camp in the Catskills that Jay and Molly very lovingly run...he was sad at leaving and wrote this song to the Ashokan Camp. I very much like thinking of this song in relation to the camp instead of war.....

The sun is sinking low in the sky above Ashokan The pines and the willows know soon we will part There's a whisper in the wind of promises unspoken And a love that will always remain in my heart My thoughts will return to the sound of your laughter The magic of moving as one And a time we'll remember long ever after The moonlight and music and dancing are done Will we climb the hills once more? Will we walk the woods together? Will I feel you holding me close once again? Will every song we've sung stay with us forever? Will you dance in my dreams or my arms until then? Under the moon the mountains lie sleeping Over the lake the stars shine They wonder if you and I will be keeping The magic and music, or leave them behind

two years ago the most beautiful and precious woman I've ever met walked toward me down an aisle lined with a couple of our favorite people to begin the rest of our lives together... to this song:)

One of the most beautiful melodies ever written.

It's amazing how I can imagine listening to it on a bayou in my home state of Louisiana, or floating through the Everglades, staring across the expanse of a Montana meadow and sky, walking through cottonwoods and poplars in Colorado, feeling the wind blow across the Texas hill country, riding a train through the northeast, or going on a hayride through the Vermont fall on the way to a bonfire, but it's not a song for the city. The city is just fancy clothes on the outside. This piece is the soul of what our nation was and still is in the hearts of those who truly love her.

My only question is, "Did Ken Burns make this tune famous or did Ashokan Farewell make Ken Burns famous?"

Ken Burns Civil War documentary brought me here.... Wow, such a beautiful tune.

I think these must be the most beautiful sounds humans have ever made.

This beautiful piece of music was being played as my wonderful jazz pianist father was just passing. I was sat with some of my siblings holding his hands and this was played as he took his last breath. He had lived a very full life and had a big love of music. So I thank you for this wonderful piece of music as it was so fitting for how we felt. ❤

Very Hauntingly Beautiful.Hard To Believe That It's Only 30 Years Old!! Sounds Like Something That should've Came Over From Ireland or Scotland in The 1700's!!

The Civil War was fought in ten thousand places; from Valverde, New Mexico and Tullahoma, Tennessee, to St. Albans in Vermont, and Fernandina, on the Florida coast. More than three million Americans fought in it, and over six hundred thousand men, two percent of the population, died in it.

Ken's Civil War documentary is one of PBS greatest achievements and Jay's Ashokan Farewell is one of the most haunting instrumentals I have ever listened to. I return here often to listen to it and have watched Ken's documentary twice. To think the first battle and the last battle were fought on the same man's land is not only ironic, but to me indicates a Biblical intervention. Well Done Jay!

But especially when Molly is playing is the sweetest form of heavenly bliss! Love that so much.

The melancholy this song evokes racks me to the core every time I hear it. When first seeing the Civil War documentary back in the 90's I was shattered to the bone with the violence we did to ourselves in this country, and still do. This melody captures the sorrow, the grief and pain that the American soul endures but will not own.

If the vanishing America of yesteryear has a voice, this must be it.

This performance is haunting. ❤ We're blessed that these beautiful artists shared it with us!

This song brings tears to my eyes every time i hear it. Moving, beautiful....

When I first heard this I was deployed. I was up in a guard tower with an M240B and had a picture of my parents, sisters, and dog in my helmet. While I looked at the picture of my family, I thought of when I was a kid at my grandma's farm in southern Indiana sitting on her barn watching the sun set as the wind rippled through the wheat. No song ever made me miss home so much or gave me such drive to make it back.

Jay Ungar, your 'Ashokan Farewell' is a popular tune here in County Down, Ulster, Ireland. I heard it at last Saturday night's session in Doran's pub, Hilltown. Many musicians here go straight into a fast dance tune from airs like that and the effect on the listeners can be explosive. Blind Mary, leaving Lerwick harbour, an Cuilfhiom (the Coolin) are the sort of tunes your tune keeps company with here. Honourable company indeed, and clan Mason too.

Bravo, absolutely beautiful. Still wiping the tears from my eyes. May the Lord hold y'all in the palm of his hand.

One of the most beautiful pieces of music I've heard....

Every few months I have to hear this. Reminds me of the meaning of life..

I plan to play this at my grandfather's funeral on 18-02-14 He passed last Tuesday after his fight with lung cancer, aged 81.

One of the most moving, bittersweet, and wholesomely warm pieces ever composed. Imagine listening to this live amidst fall foliage in Ashokan village, reminiscing about loved ones who passed and those still with you, being one with life, nature, and the world.

A rare gem of composition. Admittedly, it got a lot of exposure due to the Ken Burns series but it's a genius melody, hands down the best I've heard in many years.

This was the tune that inspired me to learn the violin at the age of 69. It's my go to tune after trying to learn classical music. Im now 73 and still love this tune so much, so very beautiful. Thank you for the inspiration, I have never regretted picking up my first violin.

Jay Ungar just proved every violin teacher wrong. You CAN play very well despite wrong wrist form. 😄

A great Southern Lament; such beautiful music.

Played this at my poppy's funeral. Reminds me of the simplicity and good moments in life we often overlook and take for granted. What a beautiful piece of music.

it just does not get any prettier than this.

Thank you Jay Ungar and Molly Mason Family Band - that was absolutely beautifull.

I have recently suffered a loss and this music has helped me in my healing process

Keep coming back to this one over the years, simply wonderful. Thank you so much!!!

I’m amazing to me this song was made in the 1980s it has such an old world feel to it.

I used to go to a potluck dinner group back in the early 80s at my friend Bill's house. There was a guy there named Jay, who played in a local group called "Fiddle Fever". Everybody said he was very good. There was a potter named Joy Brown who worked hard making various kinds of pieces. We were all basically poor young adults, mostly in our twenties, trying to find a place in the world. Years later, I heard that he was a touring pro with Molly Mason. Then I was driving in the car one day, going to a tennis tournament, and the album version of this song came on the radio, and I thought I would die, it was so beautiful.....they said it was called "Ashokan Farewell" and the author was Jay Ungar! The same Jay I had met at the dinners! Joy Brown got a lucky break, and her work took over the NYC streets for a while. My son, who was just a baby at the time, is a professional singer-songwriter and world-class juggler....I am a singer-songwriter too,. Who knew? We were just hacking around....untappedcities.com/2017/05/18/adorable-bronze-figures-by-joy-brown-arrive-on-the-broadway-malls-in-nyc/ Jay is not Irish, but this song captures the essence of the longing for the homeland that Irish-Americans felt in the 1800s, when they came on coffin ships looking to survive, never to return...I think that's why it gets me, since I had 8 great-grandparents like that......Check out the song "Letters From Ireland" about the same subject...also heart-breaking......

A modern classic., like the Civil War documentary it illuminated to great effect. Wistful, sad, moving but somehow hopeful. I’m always on the edge of tears listening to it

I always get chills when this song is played. I live only a few miles from Shiloh National Military Park, and go visit there often. Everytime I hear this song, its like it takes me back to that time in history. Very powerful

Thank you.....so beautiful....so painful so lonely......wonderful.

This tune was played at my great aunt's funeral last weekend. Beautiful song! 🌷🌹🌻🌹🌺

I've heard this incredible song in The tv serie Yellowstone and wow I was totally in love.

I taught Strolling Strings in Newburgh, NY in the '90's . Jay Ungar came in to do a workshop on Ashokan Farewell with my students-- wonderful experience for all!!!

Is that beautiful or what!? Done very slowly like a waltz should be, and every note just hangs there and lets you enjoy it. Jay and Molly are really team and their admiration for each other is so evident in every video I see of them. When I heard this song on the Ken Burns special, I'd not heard of Jay and Molly. I thought is was so beautiful, and then I saw them on PBS's show, Old Time Country Music the was hosted by Bob Everhart on Iowa PTV. And now on here. Thank you for posting this!

I hear in this beautiful melody that times have been hard before, that they may be hard now, and that they will be hard again, but that the spirit of humanity - dogged, imperfect and hopeful - will persevere.

Just beautiful. Amazing how powerful music can be.

lovely beyond words.

This song reminds me of Upstate NY, where Ashoken is. It makes me proud to have been born a Knickerbocker.

This is the most heart-rending composition. It speaks of love, loss, longing, and warm remembrances.

We stood at the overlook at Pea Ridge battlefield and our small children said "this place makes me sad." I told them that the place had been made Holy ground by the prayers of the men wounded and dying there. We all had a good cry considering the last cries of those wound boys knowing they'd never see home and hearth again. My own ancestors fought for the south and made their sacrifices. All blood is red north south black white. Once it is spilled you can't tell from whence it flowed.

Absolutely beautiful! I get choked up each time I hear this. Was a favorite of my father’s. I can still see him in his big leather chair, tearing up as he watched Ken Burns’ Civil War series while listening to this wonderful song for the thousandth time! :) God bless you, Dad.

The most plaintive beautiful tune I've ever heard

This was played at my Dad's Funeral. Max Pylant. A great man and Father.

I want this played at my funeral, but I would like to be there to hear it! 😢

God knows what I would give up to play like this. Fantastic job 👏. Spot on performance

When I was just a small little brat, I remember the farmers, ranchers, and all kinds of other folk getting together, bringing whatever instrument they played, choosing a place and all getting together. My Ma and others would cook and cook, a couple of water troughs filled with ice and A-1 Beer. Started around 6:00 when the chores were done and might go till way way in the morning. My Da played his banjo and he played it well. Miss those days, all the farmers and cowboys who'd get together and have fun. Anybody got out hand they took care of it without calling the Sheriff but there were always one or two deputies there too and they sang and played as well. All gone now, farms and ranches now just part of West Phoenix or Goodyear or Buckeye. Sure miss those day.

No matter how many times I hear this, it's still the most touching and beautifully composed song I've ever heard. Goosebumps from the first to the last note. Bravo

I am facing a bitter health crisis and it is 60/40 it will it not turn out well,. I want this to be played at the beginning and, more in keeping with my personality, Happy Trails at the end of the memorial. I'm with you on having a good drink while listening to this lament!

This song strikes deap into the soul.

This is one of those pieces that can be played at almost any function.

Jay's use of grace notes brings out so much emotion makes me tear up

beautiful. so sad, yet once of the most inspiring pieces of music I've heard.

So moving. This instrumental is so haunting. I remember it in the Ken Burns PBS special on the Civil War.