Come along and enjoy learning and singing some traditional Cornish Carols. This is a workshop - not a service - and it is completely relaxed and informal, and great fun. You do not have to be able to read music. You do not need any previous musical experience. All the music can be learned by ear.
The Cornish Carols are a phenomenon, and a thriving christian tradition across Cornwall. We'll be singing through several of them during on our Cornish Carols Evening, and singing in four-part harmony. You will be stunned at how amazing they sound after just a short practice.
We will focus mainly on carols composed by Thomas Merritt, and, as the music and words are in the public domain, you can download our 2017 workshop materials here. And some part-learning materials (not recordings of the singing unfortunately) are provided below. This will be our seventh Cornish Carols event.
Cornish refreshments (tea and saffron cake) are provided.
Content from Previous Years
We started with While Shepherds Watched to the rousing tune LYNGHAM. We sang Star of Jacob - a piece which is gradually becoming more familiar to us as we revise it year by year. We did Lo, He Comes an Infant Stranger to the Thomas Merritt tune (both these tunes are familiar to anyone who sings on Christmas Eve in Falmouth), plus a recap of Hark the Glad Sound. Our main focus was on Angels from the Realms of Glory by Thomas Merritt. The sound of the rousing singing was inspiring to hear, and it was moving to be a part of it. We welcomed complete beginners, who largely learned by immersion, as well as those who have been singing these tunes all their lives.
We hope the event can grow further in coming years as word gets around. Further resources on the Cornish Carols can be found on our resource page here.
The 2018 Workshop was great fun
Cornish Carols Workshop
Cornish Carols Workshop
Saturday 24th November 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Come along and enjoy learning and singing some traditional Cornish Carols. This is an afternoon workshop - not a service - and it is completely relaxed and informal. You do not have to be able to read music. You do not need any previous musical experience. All the music can be learned by ear.
The Cornish Carols are a phenomenon, and a thriving christian tradition across Cornwall. We'll be learning three or four of them in full harmony. You will be stunned at how amazing they sound after just a short practice.
We will focus mainly on carols composed by Thomas Merritt, and, as the music and words are in the public domain, you can download our 2017 workshop materials here. And some part-learning materials (not recordings of the singing unfortunately) are provided below.
Cornish refreshments (tea and saffron cake) are provided.
One of the carols we focused on is Thomas Merritt's version of ANGELS FROM THE REALMS OF GLORY.
You can hear the separate parts below, or click on the download buttons to download mp3 versions to your device. Unfortunately, this is not a recording of our singing, but a computer simulation, however it can be a useful way to become familiar with the parts.
The vocal score can be downloaded here.
The vocal score with a piano accompaniment can be downloaded here.
