author
Margaret MacArthur
Drawn to the songs ordinary people carried in daily life, she became one of Vermont’s best-known keepers of traditional music. Her work as a performer, collector, and musical historian helped preserve ballads and folk songs that might otherwise have been lost.
1 Audiobook
History of Scotland
by Margaret MacArthur
About the author
Born in Chicago in 1928, Margaret MacArthur grew up moving around the American West and encountered folk music early in life. After studying at the University of Chicago, she moved to Vermont, where a deep interest in local song traditions shaped the rest of her career.
MacArthur became known not just as a singer, but as a careful collector of traditional music. She learned songs from Vermont singers and from other regional traditions, recorded field material, performed widely, and often accompanied herself on dulcimer and the custom-built instrument that became known as the MacArthur Harp. The Library of Congress and Vermont Folklife both highlight her role in preserving and sharing traditional songs.
Her legacy reaches beyond performance. Recordings, papers, and field collections connected to her work are preserved at the Vermont Folklife Center, reflecting a lifetime spent listening closely, documenting generously, and bringing old songs to new audiences. She died in 2006.