On Sunday, April 26, at 3 p.m, Sheila Kay Adams, balladeer, musician, storyteller, novelist, humorist, and treasured North Carolina folklorist, will perform at the Weymouth Center, 555 Connecticut Ave., in Southern Pines.

"This event will be a special treat for residents of Moore County and surrounding counties, as she is a much-loved performer all over this part of the country," says a spokesman. "It will also be an education for those unfamiliar with our cultural heritage in the western, mountain section of our state."

Adams comes from a small mountain community in Madison County. For seven generations her family has maintained the tradition of passing down the English, Scottish and Irish ballads that came over with her ancestors in the mid- 1700s. Adams learned these ballads from her older relatives, primarily from her great-aunt, Dellie Chandler Norton, and cousin, Cas Wallin.

After teaching 17 years in the North Carolina Public School System, Adams decided to pursue a career in writing and sharing the music, stories and heritage of her Appalachian culture. Traveling extensively, she has performed at major festivals, colleges and universities in the U.S. and overseas. She has been a regular performer at the famed International Storytelling Festival in historic Jonesborough, Tenn.

In performance, Adams sings the traditional Appalachian ballads in the same style in which they were handed down to her -- the same intensity, the same profound feeling for the ballad and in a powerful, strong voice.

She is also known for her award-winning accomplishments on the five-string banjo. Adams plays a clean, drop-thumb style called clawhammer and has taught at numerous music camps throughout the country. She and her late husband, Jim Taylor, made several recordings that feature traditional fiddle tunes from the Civil War era. She has been a featured performer in several documentary films, news and magazine articles, and was a technical adviser and singing coach for the award-winning film, "Songcatcher."

"Audiences love to hear Adams tell stories about her childhood and the community in which she grew up," says the spokesman.

Under the direction of author Lee Smith, Adams compiled several of these stories that were published by the University of North Carolina Press. The book, "Come Go Home With Me," was a 1997 winner of the North Carolina Historical Society's award for historical fiction. The audio book, read by Adams, was released in 2005.

Her latest book, "My Old True Love" (Algonquin Books, 2004; paperback by Ballantine Books, 2005), is a novel based on a true family story. It was a finalist for the Southeastern Booksellers Association's 2004 Book of the Year Award and a finalist for the Appalachian Writers Association's 2004 Book of the Year Award. A CD of fiddle tunes, ballads, and shape-note hymns accompanies the book.

Sheila Adams has three children and is passing the traditions to them. Her son, Andrew Barnhill, will perform with her at Weymouth. She and her family still reside in the county in which she was born.

In April 1998, Adams was chosen to receive the prestigious North Carolina Folklore Society's Brown-Hudson Award in recognition of her valuable contributions to the study of North Carolina folklore.

"Weymouth is honored to present Sheila Kay Adams to its membership and to the public at large," says the spokesman.

The at-the-door charge will be $10 for members and students and $15 for nonmembers.

"Weymouth is also most grateful to the 13 sponsors who are supporting this program," says the spokesman.

A reception with refreshments to meet the artists will follow the event.

"Please come early as space is limited," says the spokesman.

For more information,call the Weymouth office at 692-6261.