The Story Behind the Song: "Ghost of Old Crozet"
- Kinnfolk
- May 7
- 3 min read
We released our newest album, “Star Above the Mountain,” back in February 2025. The album included ten tracks: 7 Kinnfolk originals, 2 trad favorites, and 1 original song NOT written by us.
Join us as we go behind-the-scenes and explore the making of “Ghost of Old Crozet,” written by our good friend Terry Wetmore...
Written by Terry Wetmore
Terry was a phenomenal bodhran player, a talented composer, and the Julie’s mentor back when she was first learning the bodhran. He died suddenly in 2020, leaving quite the hole in our local Irish session.
Terry was writing new songs right up til the end, and he frequently performed them at the Roanoke session. “Ghost of Old Crozet” was one of those songs. Sometime he called it by that name, sometimes he called it “Ghost of Crozet Tunnel” (you know how songwriting goes)…but whatever the title, every time he sang it, we all listened with rapt attention.
This song is extremely special to us. Fun fact: “Ghost of Old Crozet” nearly made it onto our second album, The Knotted Circle, back in 2022. It made the short list of songs to bring into the recording studio…but it turns out we weren’t ready to record it yet. It meant too much to us.
We want to extend our sincerest thanks to Jane Grannis for trusting us with Terry’s legacy giving us permission to record the song. And also to Tim Sauls (banjo) and Burt Mitchell (harmonica) for recording with us and appearing in the music video—not to mention the work they did for Terry’s original arrangement of the song!
Making the Music Video
Of all the music videos we've made, this one was simplest in concept. That's because the Blue Ridge Tunnel is a place that you can visit—and that’s exactly what we did, filming on-site to bring this song to life!
The tunnel is just under a mile long and contains NO LIGHTS, so the only way to walk through is via flashlight or headlamp. We had a great time playing with light and darkness, using the natural light outside the tunnel as well as a few lanterns. Some of those shadows and silhouettes were found rather than planned...which makes for a fun and creative filming session!
Click above to watch the video. And be sure to watch to the end if you like bloopers!
Some Facts About the Blue Ridge Tunnel
⚒️ Located beneath Rockfish Gap in Nelson County, Virginia, the Blue Ridge Tunnel was built between 1850 and 1858.
⚒️ The tunnel’s designer and chief engineer was Claudius Crozet (hence why it is also called the Crozet Tunnel).
⚒️ At the time of its opening in April 1858, it was the longest tunnel in the United States (4,237 feet).
⚒️ In the pre-dynamite days, laborers blasted through the tunnel with hand tools and black powder. The hardness of the rock proved an unexpected challenge. One year, progress consisted of only 12 feet per month on the east side and 72 feet per month on the west.
⚒️ A recorded 189 men, women, and children died during the 8 years of the tunnel’s construction. Many of these deaths occurred during a cholera epidemic in 1854, but other causes of death included “blown up,” “accidental sliding of earth,” and others.
⚒️ The tunnel was used for 86 years, until it was replaced by a new tunnel in 1944.
⚒️ The tunnel was donated to Nelson County in 2007 and opened as a walking trail on November 21, 2020.
Stay tuned for more entries in the "Behind the Song" series! In the meantime, you purchase a copy of "Star Above the Mountain" in our online shop or listen on your favorite music streaming platform. 🌟⛰️
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