The 'Boro Sessions for "Sunday Afternoon with Laurelyn Dossett"

The ‘Boro Sessions proudly presents one of North Carolina’s most treasured songwriters, Laurelyn Dossett at The Back Table, 816-A South Elm St., Greensboro, NC.

Laurelyn is known for her advocacy efforts, her work with Triad Stage, and her original songs, recorded by the likes of Levon Helm and Rhiannon Giddens.

Ms. Dossett is based in Stokes County, NC. Her songs tend to reflect the stories of the region, both traditional and contemporary. One of the most sought-after voices in creative collaborations, she co-founded Polecat Creek with singing partner Kari Sickenberger. Laurelyn is a frequent performer at regional music festivals such as Merlefest and has been a guest on the radio show Prairie Home Companion. She has toured with folk legend Alice Gerrard and songwriter Diana Jones, and premiered composer Kenneth Frazelle’s song cycle, “Songs in the Rear View Mirror,” and has toured with the North Carolina Symphony.

Laurelyn formerly partnered with Triad Stage’s Preston Lane on five plays featuring regional folklore and original music: Brother Wolf, Beautiful Star: An Appalachian Nativity, Bloody Blackbeard, Providence Gap and Snow Queen. An adaptation of Bloody Blackbeard toured NC schools, and both Brother Wolf and Beautiful Star are published by Playscripts and have gone on to have professional productions in cities across the U.S. A song from Brother Wolf, “Anna Lee,” featured on Levon Helm’s Grammy-winning record, Dirt Farmer, is included in the documentary film about Helm’s life, called “Ain’t in it for my Health,” and is featured on the 2011 Grammy-winning CD Levon Helm’s “Ramble at the Ryman.”

Commissioned by the North Carolina Symphony, Dossett and the symphony premiered her song cycle, “The Gathering: A Winter’s Tale in Six Songs. She performed with singer and fiddler Rhiannon Giddens of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, legendary Nashville mandolinist Mike Compton, and North Carolina’s own banjo virtuoso, Joe Newberry. The accompanying CD, “The Gathering,” was released to critical acclaim, including top holiday picks from the Wall Street Journal, LA Times, and USA Today.

Laurelyn has written and performed with Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR) and they released a collaborative CD, “The Collide.” Her song “Leaving Eden” is the title track of the Grammy-nominated recent release by the Carolina Chocolate Drops.

Laurelyn has taught songwriting and singing at the Augusta Heritage Center, as well as at many universities, workshops and festivals. She is the recipient of the Betty Cone Medal of Arts, the recipient of the North Carolina Arts Council Fellowship for songwriting, winner of the Chris Austin songwriting contest at Merlefest, and a fellow at the Virginia Center for Creative Arts.