Old & New Cornish Christmas Carols
Cornish Carols - A Tradition For The World
Stratton / Bude & District
Below are two Carols from the Stratton / Bude area.
The late Andrew Jewell, who was the son of our former President Ethel (Saunders) Jewell, donated a collection of carols to our society for us to ensure that a record of a local tradition would survive.These had been sung by generations of his family at Stratton. In addition, Mike Richardson, organist of Kilkhampton church, has researched and revived many carols known in our area.
'Glory, Glory in the Highest' and 'We'll Never Say Goodbye' are two of the many versions of 'While Shepherds' and take their titles from the words of the choruses.
'Whence Those Sounds Symphonious' is known locally as the Kilkhampton Carol and up until recently the words and tune were thought to be from the North Cornwall region, but Mike Richardson has found a pamphlet indicating that the words were written by Thomas Kelly 1769-1855, an Irish Anglican priest-----so maybe the tune is from N.Cornwall
'Behold the Grace Appears' known locally as the Morwenstow Carol was sung regularly by the Chowill/Tape family of Coombe Mill who were the core of Morwenstow Band.
'Welcome That Star' words by Rev Stephen Hawker and music by Thomas Faithful Ash who was choirmaster at Stratton Church in the early 19th century.
'Modrep Maria' (Aunt Mary) words by Hawker again, recently set to music by one of our members Rev George Rowe (Jori)
'Flaming Seraphs' ie 'Hark the Music of the Cherubs' seems to be well known throughout the West Country
These are some of the carols from our Records.
Audrey E Aylmer
Recorder Bude & Stratton District Old Cornwall Society
The following article first appeared in the 1936 Winter edition of the Old Cornwall Journal and was written by Mrs Ethel Jewell.
Stratton,
in common with many other small towns in Cornwall, has a very interesting
collection of Carols, but this Carol of the Months, which has recently come to
light (1931), is as far as I can find out, unique in Cornwall, and the discovery of it is
only another instance of how much and how varied is the store of folk lore still
existing in our midst.
It
was in 1931, that in a conversation with another Stratonian, Mrs English, of
Bradford Manor, Devon, our talk drifted to some old inhabitants of Stratton,
amongst them a mother and daughter, named respectively, Lizzie and Jinnie
Kempthorne.
Immediately
their names were mentioned, memory called up their figures and their homes. At
that time they lived in a tiny two roomed cottage at Gibraltar Square, since
tumbled down. The floor downstairs was of beaten earth and the interior of the
cottage, even on bright days was so dim that it was no wonder that the upper
latch was invariably open to give the dwelling extra air and light. Moreover I
never seem to remember seeing the two women without their bonnets. To my
childish imagination it appeared as if they wore them even in bed
Mrs
English then told me that Lizzie, the elder woman was for many many years a
kitchen visitor for Christmas Day at St. Cyprian’s the home of Mrs English’s
Dr. John King, and that after dinner on Christmas evening, Lizzie would come
into the drawing room and sing this old song. She would then turn around very
solemnly three times and say to the assembled company. “Good evening ladies
and gentlemen all, I wish you a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
I
was so interested in this story that I got Miss Grace English to give me the
bare notes of the air, and this together with the words and the suggestion that
perhaps the “turning around” might refer to the Trinity I sent to Dr Ralph
Dunstan.
The
following is part of Dr Dunstan’s letter in reply.
“
The Carol of the Months” is very interesting I send you what I think might be
the rendering, and a simple harmony such as might be sung if there happened to
be “a company of singers.” “Turning about three times” might possibly in
later times refer to the Trinity, but Dr Dexter the distinguished Cornish
antiquarian, says it was undoubtedly the usual “turnings” in Sun-worship
observance, common in every part of the world. Christmas Day was one of the
chief dates of Sun-worship Festivals, the date being borrowed by the early
Christians and allotted to that of the birth of Christ.
This makes the Carol in some form or other a very ancient one, and you have certainly rescued a noteworthy example of old custom.” Dr Dunstan also added that he arranged a copy of the Carol, with details of its history, for insertion into the Second Part of his Cornish Song Book if and when it should ever be published. Alas! Very soon after this he died, and Cornish music lost its best exponent.
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Carol of the Months
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Below is a second Carol from Stratton. This one did appear in the second volume of Dr Dunstan's Cornish Song Book also with a note by Mrs Jewell.
"This carol has been sung at Stratton from time 'immemorial,' so far as our fathers and grandfathers can recollect, and is still sung there and in many other places of Strattoners foregather at Christmas. It seems to have spread to many parts of Cornwall, and our friends have taken it to Canada and other parts of North America." — Mrs. E. Jewell, Holsworthy, Devon.
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1.
Hark! the music of the Cherubs, 2.
See affrighted Shepherds gazing 3.
"Cease your feats -- a joyful story -- 4.
Yea, He leaves His blissful station. 5.
Glory be to God the Father,
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Federation of Old Cornwall Societies www.oldcornwall.org |
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