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Old & New Cornish Christmas Carols Cornish Carols - A Tradition For The World
Mousehole Softly the night is sleeping On Bethlehem's peaceful hill. Silent the shepherds watching The gentle flocks are still But hark wondrous music Falls from the opening sky Valley and hill re-echo Glory to God on high. Glory to God it rings again. Peace on the Earth goodwill to men The 19th of December is always a sad day here in Cornwall as it is the anniversary of the loss of the Penlee Lifeboat "Soloman Brown" with the death of 16 people. The anniversary is marked each year at 8pm when the display of Christmas lights is turned off with just a cross being left lit high on the hill over the village for the rest of the night. This Carol is dedicated to all men and women who risk their lives in voluntary service with the RNLI. The music is the lovely Cornish Carol "Softly the night is sleeping", it is being played by Cornish Bard Mike O'Connor *. When the music finishes click on the picture below to see the cross.
The lifeboat was completely wrecked with the loss of her crew of eight. The coaster was also lost. There were no survivors. Coxswain William Trevelyan Richards was posthumously awarded the RNLI’s Gold Medal. Bronze Medals were awarded posthumously to the remainder of the crew: Second Coxswain/Mechanic James Stephen Madron, Assistant Mechanic Nigel Brockman, Emergency Mechanic John Robert Blewett, Crew Members Charles Thomas Greenhaugh, Kevin Smith, Barrie Robertson Torrie and Gary Lee Wallis.
* This tune and other original 17th, 18th and early 19th century Cornish music is available on Mike's CD "Covath" No. Lyng 222CD available from Lyngham House Music, St Ervan, Wadebridge, Cornwall, PL27 7RT.
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