Do you know this band?
Originally posted by Matthi Clarke in the Pan Celtic Festival. The song is in Cornish. It is called ‘Yth yw hi byw’. I am extending my help in posting this for the general public. If you know more about this group and if they are still recording, please share your info by posting on the comments section.
Yn Chruinnaght’s CD ‘The Gathering’ is an exciting collection of Celtic music featuring twelve tracks donated by artists who have played at the festival over the years. The Gathering CD will raise vital funds for future events.
Those involved in the Manx music festival Yn Chruinnaght took a bold step with The Gathering. It is a compilation CD with 12 songs. These tracks were carefully selected and they all represent what is good, new and beautiful about the Yn Chruinnaght festival in the Isle of Man. Yn Chruinnaght (which also stands for the English word The Gathering) was made up of tracks kindly donated by various artists who joined the festival throughout the years.
I have to be honest, it is hard to choose which is the best track. The Gathering is a CD that boasts wonderful tracks from bands that have been part of the festival through the years. From the enchanting hammer dulcimer of Cornish band Leski, to the perky accordion of Jamie Smith’s Mabon; everything in this album shines and enriches the soul.
The tracks and artists are:
Three spires/Tregajorran furry – Leski (Cornwall) Hammer dulcimer along with irresistible rhythm makes this the best choice as an opening track. Everything about Leski celebrates the beauty of Cornish music.
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Ah, que les femmes y sont betes d’obeir a leur mari – Trio Froger (Brittany) The tempo represents Breton dances. A trio of accordion, fiddle and lead vocals.
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Our ship did sail/If young men could swim – Sheear (Isle of Man) Meaning ‘West’, Sheear is an all girl band made up of musicians and singers who come together in between playing in other bands. Whistles, fiddles, piano, flute and vocals make this track a magical listening experience.
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Mae gen i fuwch – Never Mind The Bocs (Wales) The great thing about the Celtic language is that you don’t have to understand it, to appreciate the sound it makes. Such is the case of this Welsh track from this five-piece band. From Cajun to ceilidhs, via Blues and folk-rock, the contemporary approach of Never Mind The Bocs will charm lovers of Dougie McLean and Planxty.
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Just for Sean – Leo McCann (Scotland) What he can do with button box and tin whistle will find you tapping your feet and rocking your body. Leo has recorded over twenty albums. This track is an example of his fine musicianship distilled through years of playing in his own solo albums as well as other bands. Hands down! This is one of the great trad music I heard in ages.
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In with the bricks – Pipedown (Scotland) I wrote about them in my previous article and hearing this track proves my point that they are a force in the Scottish folk scene. In With the Bricks applies the skillful ease of poly-rhythms and the mellifluous sound of the small pipes.
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Kishtey ny yindyssyn – Staa (Isle of Man) A little bit on the groovy side with the infusion of reggae, bossa and vocal harmonies reminiscent of The Beach Boys, Staa will warm you to their music right away.
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Sumach – Scoot (Cornwall) Trad driven with hints of jazz and funk this Cornish band will enchant lovers of traditional Irish and Scottish music. The undeniable command of skill and technique are displayed in this wonderful track which is a duet between acoustic guitar and flute.
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Bonny broom – Imrama (Ireland) After thirteen years of playing, this track shows the refinement of this band. Influences of Planxty, Sweeney’s Men, The Bothy Band, and Steeleye Span are evident in their recordings.
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Kilmartin sky – Rachel Hair (Scotland) I became a fan of her music and I wrote about her band in my previous post. Rachel is the best Scotland has to offer in terms of harp playing. Delicate and haunting, this track celebrates the power of Celtic music through nuance and grace. A truly enriching and perky listening experience that made me tap my foot as the track gathers rhythm when it reaches the middle part.
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Derriere chez moi, ‘y a un etang – Chal ha Dichal, with vocals by Lors Landat (Brittany); The reason why I am crazy about Breton music is because of the energy and passion all Breton performers give when they sing or record albums. This track shines with so much positive energy that I end up smiling after.
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Fiddler’s despair – Jamie Smith’s Mabon (Wales) Well, introduction is not needed when you talk about this band. Energy and skill are consistent with their every track. Despite the title, Fiddler’s despair is a joy to listen to.
I think everyone who loves Celtic music should get this album. It only features the best and the brightest from the Celtic nations. The album features a beautiful photo by Dimitar Pentchev with a nice album artwork by Adam Rhodes. It also boasts an informative liner notes. I think liner notes are very important. Dave Rowles made a great arrangement in this compilation CD.
Special thanks to Laura Rowles for this wonderful treat.
You can buy the CD here: http://www.ynchruinnaght.com/cd/
Yn Chruinnaght Inter-Celtic Festival – 14-21 July 2012
2012 marks the 25th anniversary of the death of Mona Douglas, the founder of Yn Chruinnaght Inter-Celtic Festival. Throughout her life Douglas was passionate about promoting and supporting Celtic culture, and she was respected throughout the Celtic world for this. Douglas had a vision of a Manx national festival, and this resulted in Yn Chruinnaght being started in 1977. However, unfortunately she did not live long enough to appreciate the huge success of her legacy.
Yn Chruinnaght aims to foster cultural relations between the Celtic nations, whilst also working to promote Manx culture, both on the Island and further abroad. The festival features performers from all of the Celtic countries in various venues throughout the Island. As well as music and dance performances, the festival also includes language events, lectures, workshops, art exhibitions, and fantastic sessions.
This year promises to be a particularly exciting festival, with the line-up so far including Scottish fiddle supergroup, Blazin’ Fiddles, mighty Breton band, Forzh Penaos, progressive Cornish group, Pentorr, and the extremely talented Rua Macmillan Trio. Manx bands that will be appearing include new Manx trio, Barrule, Strengyn, and Nish as Rish, who had the honour of winning the Trophée Loïc Raison at Lorient festival last year.
The festival offers much to keep visitors occupied throughout the week; however, there is still plenty of time to explore the beautiful Island. The Isle of Man boasts fantastic beaches, striking mountains, and picturesque glens, and has attractions to suit everyone.
For more information on the festival, see www.ynchruinnaght.com or email ynchruinnaght@manx.net
For more information about the Isle of Man, see www.visitisleofman.com
Dalla: All Geared Up To Play!
We are in our second part of the our Cornish coverage. It is amazing how youtube has made the world so small. A lot of things to see and hear and all we need to do is look for them.
Musician Tori Amos is one for those captivated by the beauty of Cornwall that she relocated there: http://www.yessaid.com/timeline10.html .
In this article I will paste informational videos I have compiled through research that will shed light to the Cornish identity and its music. Now is the time to make way for something totally wonderful and unique.
Now for those of you who may be wondering what’s going on with the famous Cornish Celtic band Dalla, then check tis one I grabbed from their website:
Saturday 5th November Proper Job Cornish Evening
Fowey Town Hall, 7.30pm,
Dalla Trio (Neil, Hilary and Jen) in informal concert,
plus live sketches and supper.
Tickets £10 – including supper,
(from Bookends of Fowey, or call 01726 832595)
Wednesday 16th November The Truro City of Lights Party
Lemon Street Market, Truro, time tbc,
Party on after the parade with Dalla, The Hornets, and more!
(For tickets and further information call Event Cornwall: 01872 888089)
Friday 25th November Double Bill Dance Night
Grampound Community Hall, 7.30pm,
Dalla and The Gumbo Flyers
Mix some “hot ‘n’ sweaty Cajun & Zydeco fever” with those infectious
Cornish nos lowen grooves!
(Tickets – £8/ £7 conc./ £5 children, call 01726 883874)
Every Tuesday at Seiners, Perranporth, 8.00pm:
Join some of Cornish music’s finest musicians for an exuberant jam session and usually a bit of a shout too, in an informal and relaxed setting.
(www.seiners.co.uk, 01872 573118)
Now for online radio that has been trying to spread the language and music, check out RanG which has a lot to say about Cornwall. And this is also a show by Matthew Clarke whom I had that I had an honor to interview in our previous episode. Click the icon to go to the site 🙂
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Now going into bits and pieces of Cornish history, I got something pasted for you here. I admit they are not my own but I really appreciate the efforts of the people who put them up.
So our intro is this video:
Who are the Cornish people? This next video will further explain that:
And this one video of The Simpsons you might find amusing:
Now this is every surfer’s dream:
I will have more about Cornwall so stay tuned. I love doing this!
Cornish traditional music played by Dalla at the additional “Nos Lowen” event hosted by Asturia … fine food and well-poured cider too – cheers, 😀
The dance – Mr Martin’s Reel (collected by Mr Hedley Martin in a place called Morval, near Looe) – is well known across Cornwall, and was danced at family parties, usually in a kitchen on the slate slabs. Young people would travel from farm to farm during the festive seasons, drink cider, socialise and perform such dances as this by way of entertainment. Often the dance was done in fairly heavy clogs with iron scoots, like horseshoes, on the bottom to increase the noise of step dancing.
“Nos Lowen” is Cornish for “Happy Night” … full of dancing, singing, eating and drinking … similar to a
Breton “Fest Noz”…
So I am devoting this week and probably the next week to Cornwall. Reasons? Nostalgia. I remember I covered something about Dalla a year or two ago and at that time everything was OK in my life. I had not much worries. My constant happiness was keeping this blog up to date and also participating in my blogger community and writing posts.
Time has made things changed. I am glad I’m still here. I am glad I am hanging on and still keeping this page current. Now I love looking at the beautiful pictures of Cornwall. So relaxing. Cornwall is known for its beaches and rugged coastline. What’s more exciting is that there is a thriving traditional scene there. Just listen to this sound clip by Matthew Clarke:
To demonstrate further, Cornwall here’s a nice view of the Cornwall coast.
Right now I am still getting to know more about the culture of Cornwall and the people who play a big part on the propagation of it. I am currently working on an interview of Craig Weatherhill.
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Just in time for the Thanksgiving, Shishonnah has just released their album Elysian Dreams. I would describe the work of the duo Jenne Lennon and Liz Madden as a cross between Dead Can Dance, Loreena Mckennitt and Clannad.
www.glencoerecords.com
www.healingsunproductions.com
www.myspace.com/shishonnah
www.facebook.com/shishonnah
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I also got a scoop that Moya Brennan did guest vocals for Secret Garden. This is an amazing project since I am a big fan of both Clannad, Secret Garden and Moya’s own solo career. The song is “The Dream” taken from “Winter Poem“. More here: http://www.clannad.nl/2011/10/moya-brennan-on-secret-garden-single.html
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Matthew Clarke: one of theleading voices of Cornwall who continues to spread the cultural identity of his nation through music and language.
I stumbled upon his podcast by accident and out of that came the awareness of his talent as a musician. My interest in the culture of Cornwall started when I did a research about Celtic languages. Since then I was in touched with the culture through music. Dalla proved to be one of those bands that embody the spirit of the nation. I listened to them and promoted their music. Craig Weatherhill (author) and Sue Aston (violinist) are among those I have talked to in the past, when dealing with Cornish literature and music.
Here, Matthew shares with us his insights into things that he is passionate about. There is so much beauty in Cornwall that people need to know and one of them is knowing its unique Celtic language as well as the music that continues to let itself be heard. Other than the setting for Daphne du Maurier’s 1938 novel Rebecca and later done into a movie by Alfred Hitchcock, Cornwall is so much more.
* You started kernowpods around July of 2011. It’s more than a year now. So far what are the challenges of this endeavor?
It is tough starting a business in these times but I have had a huge amount of support from Cornish business and organisations. One of the biggest helps was ‘Unlocking Cornish Potential’ who gave me training and financial support (from Europe) for the first year in business. The other main challenge was to explain exactly what I do – as there is no-one else in Cornwall with my business model. Essentially I was converting my broadcast skills to business. The podcasting element is the main tranche of this, and it is also the part of my business which developed out of producing ‘Radyo an Gernewegva‘ every week.
* What are the great things you gained having this show?
Essentially I began this podcast radio service because the Cornish language cause is/was not being supported to any serious extent by any other radio station in Cornwall. The BBC only produces 5 minutes a week! RanG started off as Nowodhow an Seythun (News of the week) several years ago… and then eventually mutated into a full music and magazine programme. I have gained a large worldwide audience for the language – people learning it in Cornish communities around the globe – as as a side advantage, created a place to play some of my own music in Cornish too.
*Your work is an asset to businesses as well as people who are into teaching. I am a product trainer for a private company. I dig what you are trying to say. When did you discover having this passion to teach?
I wouldnt actually say I have a passion to teach. I would say I NEED to teach because I prefer speaking in Cornish to English, and there aren’t enough Cornish speakers about. The only way I can rectify this is to provide services to help people reach fluency.
* Cornwall is a place of huge Celtic heritage. I see you are passionate about the music and the language. What are the positive things you learned about reviving the language …the whole Cornish culture itself?
The positive points about reviving a language is that it is a steep slope that has been climbed once you realise it by looking back – at the moment in question it feels like you are banging your head against a brick wall. Essentially, I see no positives in the action of reviving a language as I see the positives in not letting a language be lost in the first places. It is unfortunate that we need to revive a language – one that should never have been let go in the first place.
The new anthem for the Cornish language written by Matthew Clarke, performed by Skwardya with additional help from: Elizabeth and Josephine Stewart; Phil Knight; James Dundon and Chris Cadwur James. From the Skwardya CD ‘An Eledhva’. http://www.geocities.com/skwardya http://www.kesson.com
*Can you give us list of music we need to check out?
Anyone wanting to check out Cornish language can have a tough time finding stuff – even in the modern digital era. So much is not available. Much was last available in the days of vinyl and cassette. This is why Radyo an Gernewegva is so important! Try and listen for the following artists (yes I have put myself in there??!!! and no this is not a chart with an order of importance):
1. Graham Sandercock
2. Brenda Wootton
3. Richard Gendall
4. Phillip Knight
5. Skwardya
6. Dalla
7. Brian Webb
8. Krena
9. Ragamuffin
10. Hanterhir
*With all the work you do, what are you trying to accomplish?
I am trying to make sure the language I feel at home with speaking is still there for future generations, and to make sure I have people to talk to! Yes, it is really THAT selfish!
* Radyo an Gernewgva is something I am familiar with! The site is also entirely in Cornish. Do you plan putting up English support for non native speakers? I however think that what you are trying to say about keeping the language alive makes a big sense. The language goes hand in hand with the music. I remember hearing Brenda Wootton singing in Cornish and I was shocked by the beauty of it all. Are there links you can give enthusiasts who are trying to learn the language?
There is no plan for English support to RanG – it takes enough barely funded time as it is to do what I’m doing (barely funded, not because The Cornish Language Partnership (Maga) doesn’t want to fund RanG more, but because it has not got much support from the Government) . If someone else wants to do that bit – all power to their elbow. This service is aimed at people who have learned a certain amount of Cornish and want to become fluent, or fluent speakers. It can be enjoyed for its music content if a listener has no knowledge of Cornish.
The best link to give for enthusiasts is www.magakernow.org.uk – this is the Cornish Language Partnership and is a one stop shop for anything to do with the language.
* Been listening to your music with your project Skwardya. What are your plans for this band?
The band began in 1999 and finished playing gigs in 2002 when I moved to East Cornwall. I moved back a few years later and we began doing gigs again in 2006-2010. We stopped gigging again after the PanCeltic last year – though some recordings are still being made. We have released 4 CDs – all can be found on http://www.kesson.com. We have not produced a CD for a long time as it is expensive and it is tough marketing them. The only outlet for the music currently is on Radyo an Gernewegva. I have uploaded a few things to CDBaby – but this takes time and costs too – and the rewards arent that great.
* What would you suggest to musicians (Cornish and others) in order to push the music forward? I know the internet has been helpful as a tool to reach people around the globe but are there also other means that the musical culture can be spread?
I know there is Kesson.com … however, there is no organisation properly and professionally marketing Cornish music in the way that Sain does in Wales. Cornwall desperately needs a body to do this. The problem is that people’s lives are tough in just trying to make enough money to pay the mortgage or rent at the moment – and few people have the time or money to do this sort of thing effectively.
*Are there things you wish to finish in terms of broadcasting and music before the year ends?
Radyo an Gernewegva needs a new backer as European money will start running out. It also needs more commitment from Cornish speakers. I cannot do all the work myself. Sometimes you will get someone offering a programme or some audio from something – but they end up (often) as unreliable. This programme goes out every week – I need to put it together every week. It cannot move forward until there is more professionalism in the approach to developing the language from its supporters.
Last question: What’s your message to your followers as well as people who like to blog about music?
My message is:
Govenek a’m beus hwi dhe omlowenhe an ilow ha skoedhyewgh an taves yn pub le pynag a vo chons dhywgh!
I hope you enjoy the music and support the language everywhere it may be possible for you to!
Celtic Music Fan 