Epic Ballads - Stories for the Whole Family by Charlotte Blake Alston and Josh GoforthThe Apple Seed • Season 13, Episode 3
Feb 5, 2026 • 28m
Gather your family for great stories from great storytellers. This weeks' stories features traditional and modern ballads, one of the world’s oldest storytelling forms, used for centuries to preserve epic events, big emotions, and pivotal moments in human history.
(00:00) Introduction by host Sam Payne.
(01:26) "Barbara Allen" by Josh Goforth. A traditional ballad, "Barbara Allen," which is more than 300 years old and reflects the enduring storytelling culture of the Appalachian region.
(10:29) "Building a Doorway to Story," by Sam Payne. A story about when Sam and his siblings helped his dad build a special bookshelf, that held a record player. And how that record player helped him find the doorway to some of the great works of famous poets and musicians.
(14:52) "Hammers of Steel - The Ballad of John Henry" by Charlotte Blake Alston. A powerful spoken ballad about the legendary American folk hero John Henry, who famously challenged a steam-powered machine in a battle of human strength versus modern technology.
Stories bring us together and the stories on The Apple Seed will spark memories that you can share with the people you love. The Apple Seed is a storytelling podcast by BYUradio and is hosted by Sam Payne.
The Apple Seed is produced by Sam Payne, Wendy Folsom, and Brian Tanner.
Assistant Producers - Madie Clasby, Keri Griggs, Paige Jensen-Rutter, and Kay Hendrickson
Post-Production Supervisor - Trent Reimschussel
Editor - Madie Clasby
Audiovisual Technician - Kiplin Merrill
Post-Production Audio Engineers - Taehyeon Ted Kim and Kiplin Merril