As part of Athens State University’s bicentennial “Athens Forever Series,” the university will host “Crossing Bows for the Championship: A History of Fiddling in America and Limestone County, Alabama,” featuring Joyce Cauthen.

Joyce Cauthen is the author of “With Fiddle and Well-Rosined Bow: The History of Old-Time Fiddling in Alabama” and producer of the CD, “Possum Up a Gum Stump: Home, Field and Commercial Recordings of Alabama Fiddlers.” For a decade, she served as executive director of the Alabama Folklife Association, producing CDs and books on Primitive Baptist hymn singing, Sacred Harp singing, children’s folksongs, Alabama quilts, programs on Alabama’s foodways and more.

A scholar of traditional music in Alabama, Cauthen will speak on a subject with a rich history in Limestone County. Beginning with the introduction of the violin to the American colonies in the early 1600s, she will tell how fiddle styles were influenced by the country of origin of those who played that instrument, calling attention to fiddlers of African ancestry in the development of a Southern style of fiddling.

The free “Lunch and Learn” event will be held noon Thursday, Sept. 2. Lunch will be provided. The series aims to highlight the achievements of women; therefore, Cauthen will also talk about female fiddlers who participated in local fiddlers’ conventions and excelled in a form of music historically dominated by men.

Fiddler Jim Cauthen, Joyce Cauthen’s husband, will join her to musically illustrate this talk, which is made possible with funding from the Alabama Humanities Alliance, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The event is free, but space is limited. To reserve tickets, visit www.eventbrite.com or contact communications@athens.edu by Friday, Aug. 27.