Ertach Kernow - Cornish music and dance preserved and shared
Cornish music and dance is the theme of this the 250th edition of Ertach Kernow. The Cornish National Music Archive project started during lockdown in 2020, this series of articles began at the same time and has provided an opportunity to share something of Cornwall’s historic, cultural and environmental heritage. It's hopefully encouraged greater interest. Besides these articles, which are shared on the website there is the YouTube Channel, social media, illustrated talks and many other projects worked on over many more years. More of these articles are in the throes of being turned into podcasts and videos to reach alternative audiences, including music.
Five years have now passed since the start of the COVID pandemic lockdowns, however looking back Cornish music was one of the surprising beneficiaries of this period. Cornish music which takes many forms has evolved and flourished especially since interest in national identity has grown over the past hundred years. Like the Welsh the Cornish folk like to sing, perhaps why Methodism expanded so much in Cornwall during the 18th and 19th centuries. John Wesley the father of the Methodist movement had encouraged early Methodists to ‘sing lustily and with good courage’.
During those dark days in 2020 many other people were also beavering away on a wide variety of Cornish projects. It was the rich heritage of Cornish music that led to the creation of the Cornish National Music Archive. This project was led by Dr Kate Neale working with eminent Cornish musicians and researchers Tony Mansell, Dr Merv Davey and Dr Garry Tregidga. What a wonderful archive of knowledge has been created and continues to grow. Funded by a collaboration of Cornwall Heritage Trust, Gorsedh Kernow and the Federation of Old Cornwall Societies the creation of the Cornish National Music Archive website allows people worldwide to access information about Cornish music and associated activities.
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The work of the Cornish National Music Archive involves ongoing projects to encourage interest and preserve some of the music and songs from different parts of Cornwall. Spring 2021 saw the topic of ‘Tea Treats’ covered, an important part of community life during the 19th century. During what was a much more religious and simple time tea treats were part of the local church or chapel annual event. Within tea treat events music and often dance were found at the heart of the activities. The aim of this project was to help preserve knowledge about tea treat activities and the music forming part of them. In 2022 ‘Music from the Clay Country’ was the project theme which involved working with local musicians and groups, schools and wider community organisations. This resulted in more than one hundred articles recording music and dance events along with local traditions. Last year saw the music of the Roseland highlighted which included collecting carols from this largely rural area. This culminated in the Carols of the Roseland Concert at Truro Cathedral in December 2024.
Although the heyday of brass bands in Cornwall may be over, they remain the mainstay of many towns throughout Cornwall during parades and at events. There large numbers of people who are passionate about brass bands and one of the longest running competitions is held annually at Bugle. This year will be its 98th year and will be held on 21st June. The Cornish National Music Archive has a large collection of information about Cornish brass bands and claims to have every band listed. In producing this the Cornish National Music Archive has created a lasting legacy for the many brass bands who no longer exist but form part of Cornwall’s music history. I know that within my own family Cornish music has been shared overseas. A great uncle emigrated to Timaru in New Zealand taking his cornet and musical knowledge with him. William (Billy) Osborne from St Columb Major became a well-respected band leader and conductor winning many awards. His two brothers were also noted Timaru bandsmen.
An unusual and interesting project was the creation of the ‘Kernow Bedroom Choir’ led by Daniel Woodfield. Looking back on this and listening to some of the completed pieces sung by people and with musicians of all ages it really shows how music brings people together. Supported by well-known musicians from Cornwall the project even had a song written by award winning artist Gwenno Saunders, who has done much to encourage interest in the Cornish language through her albums. Traditional songs such as ‘White Rose’, ‘South Australia’ and the more recent ‘Cornwall my Home’ were sung incorporating scores of people recording themselves at home then edited into the songs video. These can be found on the Ertach Kernow ‘Kernow Bedroom Choir’ YouTube playlist via the website.
Wassails are becoming annual events and growing in popularity throughout Cornwall. Waking the fruit trees is an ancient tradition in the hopes of encouraging a rich harvest. During 2021 regulations prevented people getting together but that didn’t stop the creation of a virtual wassail online. This featured a video with a new song ‘Wassel Kernow’ written by Delia Brotherton of Tir ha Tavas and sung by the Kernow Bedroom Choir. It included people throughout Cornwall and the world sending in their videos of personal celebrations and singing. Activities such as this and many other online events did much to raise people’s spirits and also add to this archive of music for future generations.
As the interest in Kernewek grows so are the number of traditional songs being translated and sung in the Cornish language. Perhaps one day we will match the Welsh for their passion in roaring out their national anthem ‘Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau’, translated to English as ‘The Old Land of My Fathers’, at rugby matches and other events. Cornwall’s own national anthem, like that for Wales is unofficial, Bro Goth Agan Tasow has the same tune and English title. Although far less well known it is sung at a number of events each year. Other songs which have proved popular and translated include Trelawny, The Song of the Western Men, the words in English written by the Reverend R S Hawker around 1823 and later put to music by Miss L T Clare in 1861. Other more recent popular Cornish anthems such as Harry Glasson’s ‘Cornwall my Home’ have been translated into Kernewek by Matthi Clarke as ‘Kernow Ow Dhre’. The words of Pearce Gilbert and music of Kenneth Pelmear in ‘Hail to the Homeland and translated into Kernewek as ‘Hayl dh’agan Mammvro’ by Richard Jenkin is wonderful to hear in the Cornish language. There are many more. Perhaps what Cornwall needs is a Cornish speaker who can belt out these songs in Kernewek at sporting events to popularise them. Those who have listened to ‘Yma o Hyd’ by Dafydd Iwan being boomed out at football matches by the ‘Red Wall’ of Welsh fans will understand the need to help popularise and increase use of Celtic languages through song.
Along with music comes dance and many towns and villages have held events that include furry dances, snail creep and serpent dances. Geeze or Guize dancing involved dressing up or cross dressing and often caused such mayhem in late 19th century that St Ives banned them in 1900. These dances have seen a revival in recent years and the traditional music along with them. Cornish troyls are also more widely known in other Celtic lands as céilidhs and have some similarities. Cornish music based social dances have been held for centuries to celebrate events or just to have fun. The word troyl was mentioned by the linguist Edward Lluyd in the 17th century as the Cornish verb troillia meaning to twist, twirl, whirl, spin round. There has been an increasing revival taking place from around the 1980’s following the work of Merv and Alison Davey in creating a core collection of dances. New dance groups have emerged who have created their own music and dances and lessons are widely available.
A new development has been seen in the Cornish dance scene since the 1990’s with nos lowen ‘happy night’, events. Although nos lowen dances retain the old traditional Cornish form, there are more recent dances based on traditional old steps or formations. Perhaps adding to their popularity amongst a wider range of people, especially younger folk is that these dances with less formality makes it simpler to join in and be led by more experienced dance leaders. Within the Cornish music scene nos lowen music is seen to be the most lively and adventurous. It includes beguiling music which ranges from gentle and rather hypnotic pieces to fast and furious dance music.
Once again Cornish music and dance is a theme too large to cover in this short article and much more will need to be shared in forthcoming articles. Please check out the Cornish National Music Archive website. I’m sure if you have any new information to share that hasn’t already been covered those working on this important project would be pleased to hear from you.
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