New music based on historic songs, tunes and dances celebrating the Roseland’s fishing and farming traditions will take centre stage tomorrow at St Mawes Memorial Hall as part of the Roseland Festival.
The ‘troyl’, or Cornish ceilidh, will see the first performances of new creative work commissioned especially for Music of the Roseland, a collaboration of Cornish heritage and music groups working together to research and share music connected with the peninsula throughout 2024.
Attendees will be treated to a line-up of firm favourites and exciting new pieces.
Toe-tapping dance music will be performed by rising star Finley Bray, his father Matt and sister Eva. At just 16 years old, talented guitar and banjo player Finley has been commissioned to create a new tune to go with the Portscatho Furry Dance, which is danced at their regatta every August.
Singer and multi-instrumentalist Martha Woods has been commissioned to create two new pieces based on Roseland folk tunes and songs from the 1940s: Oxen Ploughing and The Herring Song.
The two young performers will be joined by Portscatho shanty singers Du Hag Owr – meaning ‘black and gold’ in the Cornish language. The group made headlines in 2021 when they were invited to sing for G7 world leaders at the international summit in Carbis Bay.
The fun begins at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £5 and are available from www.visittruro.org.uk.
Dr Merv Davey, Cornish National Music Archive (CNMA) co-editor, said: “One and all are welcome at this great event. It’s brilliant to have emerging performers to play alongside such firm favourites.”
This event is the latest in a series of events running throughout the year, with Roseland-connected hymn tunes at Philleigh Fayre in August and local carols later in the year.
The Music of the Roseland project has been funded by FEAST, the Cornwall Community Foundation, the Federation of Old Cornwall Societies and many other local bodies and organisations.
It is being run by the CNMA - a voluntary partnership project between Lowender CIC and the Institute of Cornish Studies at the University of Exeter - the Roseland Music Society, and St Gerrans and Porthscatho Old Cornwall Society.