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Old Cornwall Christmas Traditions Cornish Carols - A Tradition For The World
8. Truro
The picture of Boscawen Street, Truro is from an original drawing by Thomas Allom which was engraved onto steel by F. J Havell and printed in black and white in 1831. This carol "A virgin most pure" is one of the ancient ones collected by Davies Gilbert and printed in 1822. The Rev. G. H. Doble, Vicar of Wendron said that it was the finest written in the seventh mode. At the time that Davis Gilbert was collecting the carols, the people of Truro were worshiping in the parish church of St Mary the Virgin, as another 58 years were to pass before Truro became a Diocese with a Cathedral. The Cathedral was built on the site of a 16th century parish church (St Mary the Virgin) to a design by church architect John Loughborough Pearson, heavily influenced by Gothic architecture. Truro Cathedral has three massive towers and spires. The central tower and spire is 250 feet tall, the western ones are 200ft. This was the first cathedral to be built on a new site in England since Salisbury Cathedral in 1220. Other venues had been considered for Cornwall's Cathedral. The medievel ecclesiastical centre of Cornwall had been Bodmin and many thought that this should have been the choice, however, the original Cornish See was at St Germans where the present church is built on the site of a Saxon Cathedral. Bishops were recorded here from 931 to 1043. King Athelstan made Conan the first Cornish bishop, until 1043 when the see was transferred to Crediton, and thence to Exeter in 1050. Two other places with a strong claim were St Columb and Launceston. Eventually on the 11th August 1876 a Bill was passed by Parliament establishing the Diocese of Truro. The site chosen was where the 16th century parish church of St Mary the Virgin stood. The South Aisle of the parish church was incorporated into the design and today this is called St Mary's Aisle. To build a large building on this site meant that a number of properties on the northern side of the proposed development had to be bought and demolished. This was done by 1880. Edward White Benson was the first Bishop of Truro (1877 - 1883). He had been Headmaster of Wellington College and then Chancellor of Lincoln Cathedral. It was his vision that really established the new Diocese of Truro and the building of this Cathedral. From 1883 until his death in 1896 he was Archbishop of Canterbury. Whilst the New Cathedral was being built a wooden building was used for services and in his biography of his father his son Arthur Benson writes "My father arranged from ancient sources a little service for Christmas Eve - Nine Carols and nine tiny lessons which were read by various officers of the church beginning with a chorister, and ending through the different grades, with the Bishop." This service has been held for the past 130 years and has become a much loved part of the Cathedral’s traditional worship at Christmas.
Thanks to Hymns and Carols for making the midis scores available to use.
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