Sounds on Oberlin Concert: Christmas Strings and Vocals

Laurelyn Dossett
Christmas Strings and Vocals: Original Roots, Folk & Bluegrass
Sunday | November 16
3:00 p.m. | Sanctuary

Singer/songwriter Laurelyn Dossett lives and writes in Stokes County, NC. Her songs have appeared in film and television (Hell on Wheels, Ain’t In it for My Health) and have been recorded by many artists including Grammy-winning Levon Helm (Anna Lee) and Rhiannon Giddens of the Carolina Chocolate Drops (Leaving Eden). She is currently finishing an album of new songs, with M.C. Taylor of Hiss Golden Messenger producing.

She has written the songs for seven plays, staged at Triad Stage and Playmaker’s Repertory. Her song cycle, The Gathering: A Winter’s Tale in Six Songs was commissioned by the North Carolina Symphony and premiered in Raleigh in 2011. She will be a featured artist with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra December 2025, performing some of the songs from The Gathering.

Laurelyn has written songs for various protest movements in North Carolina including My Beloved Enemy and Vote Against Amendment One. She remains a voice for social justice and environmental activism in North Carolina and beyond. The River’s Lament is her testament to the devastation of the Dan River coal ash spill. She founded the annual “Songs of Hope and Justice” at the North Carolina Folk Festival.

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

Here are a few videos:
https://youtu.be/fibjzIR0Ajw?si=upCbO3-4pKr5tIHk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=supfx7HVdmA