Wayfaring Stranger with Phil Cunningham: BBC 4 documentary on music and culture of the Scots-Irish in America

'Wayfaring Stranger' is the title of an informative, entertaining three-segment odyssey presented by Scottish folk musician and historian Phil Cunningham. ​

The narrative of the series traces musical connection between Scotland, Ulster and America, dating over several centuries from the early 18th century to the present day. Edinburgh man Phil Cunningham is a leading Scottish folk singer and composer, recognised in 2002 with an MBE, for his services to music in Scotland.

In the first hour-long segment of 'Wayfaring Stranger', Cunningham, with his accordion in train, travelled from Philadelphia down the Great Wagon Road that traverses the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia alongside the Blue Ridge Mountains, and moves into North and South Carolina, two states, like Virginia, thickly populated by the Scots-Irish.

The Great Wagon Road was where the distinctive horse-drawn Conestoga wagons passed with the settlers on board heading west to the frontier's outer reaches. It was a tough trek as the Scottish and Ulster folk headed into new territories facing the rigours of harsh weather and unfamiliar landscapes.

On the way, Phil Cunningham points out, they brought their faith, music, and redoubtable characteristics. Cunningham meets up with indigenous musicians, playing fiddles, mandolins, banjos,, and converses with local historians to focus on the music and storylines in this most picturesque region.

Tonight, on BBC-4 (9-10pm), Cunningham travels again down this route from eastern Pennsylvania, ending in Nashville, bringing the story forward at the Grand Ole Opry, 'Mother Church' of American country music, and the Country Music Museum.

Iconic Bluegrass picker and singer Ricky Skaggs appeared on last Friday night's 'Wayfaring Stranger' segment and tonight he will again demonstrate his instrumental skills and relate his Kentucky storylines as he joins Phil Cunningham, with singer/songwriter Rosanne Cash daughter of the late Johnny Cash.

Ricky is intensely proud of his Ulster family roots, as he told me when we met in Tennessee some years ago. "My folk on my mother's side were the Fergusons and Thompsons from Londonderry, Limavady and East Donegal. They came down the Great Wagon Road and eventually settled in Kentucky", said Ricky.

Many of the great American country singers of the 20th century also had Ulster-Scottish roots (most notably Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn), and Bluegrass music comes closest to the sounds and lyrics brought across the Atlantic in the 18th century. Songs like 'Barbara Allan', 'The Knoxville Girl' , and

'Streets of Laredo' (to the tune of 'Bard of Armagh') were songs from the early migration years.

Most of the estimated 200,000 18th century Ulster migrants to America were Presbyterians and Phil Cunningham rightly points out that some of these folk moved to the Baptist faith when they reached Appalachian settlements. Gospel music, defining God-fearing Scots-Irish, was examined, with the tradition of singing of the Psalms, and the vocal peculiarity of using shape notes on hymns at the open-air and rural tent missions in the forested backwoods.

The 'Wayfaring Stranger' documentary is complimented by some excellent film footage of the picturesque Appalachian backcountry, and personally for me who travelled this region for 25 years in literary pursuit of the Scots-Irish (Ulster-Scots) migrants, researching material for my 13 best-selling books, it brought back great memories of my explorations into a fascinating, most hospitable region.

I look forward to viewing tonight's BBC-4 documentary segment focusing mainly on Phil Cunningham's visit to the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, and country music

Wayfaring Stranger with Phil Cunningham is on BBC 4 tonight (Friday) at 9pm. Episodes are also available on the BBC iPlayer.