Allie Jean’s “Across the Great Divide” is an anthem of survival and connection

Kate Wolf’s classic “Across the Great Divide” is brought to life by Multi-instrumentalist, singer, and educator Allie Jean Burbrink. For Allie, this song is a part of her soul, intertwined in her life and musical journey.

She first came upon it in 2009, right near the beginning of her bluegrass journey. All the while, she was waging an even bigger fight than any she had experienced during chemotherapy. In those days of doubt, the lyrics and spirit of the song were a compass, giving me strength as well as comfort. Not long after, Allie started playing it with her first bluegrass band, the Whipstitch Sallies, and it became a collective hope and shot of resilience.

Allie bears the song, venerates it, and lets it connect her history to its present. Each line seems to both remember and promise, reflecting her development as an artist and as a person who has suffered and survived. In “Across the Great Divide,” Allie Jean reminds us of how music is transformative, not just as an art form, but also as a spiritual medicine. Her sincere performance can mean something to anyone who has ever leaned on a song to survive some of life’s most difficult passages.