Lowender Youth Folk Ensemble with Cornish musician Will Keating. (Photo credit: Lowender)
Cornish folk music has always been fond of its ancient traditions and celebrations. Through festivals such as Flora day to celebrate the coming of spring and Montol to celebrate the coming of winter, music has always been a big part of these traditions. Now, that music is enjoying a huge revival. Festivals are seeing more attendees every year, with Flora day being dubbed “more important than Christmas,” and seeing 25,000 visitors in the streets of Helston.
I spoke with Jeremy Kennedy and attended several folk music events to learn more about how this part of Cornish culture has grown to the size and popularity it now enjoys.
Across Cornwall, folk music nights and events can now be found at local pubs such as the Countryman, the Moth and Moon, Cornish Bank, Botallack Count House and Old Ale House. These events are informal but loved. They are kept free of charge and stress, especially for new musicians who may want a more relaxed event.
These Cornish folk music groups have now become so prominent that they are now welcoming folk musicians from around the British Isles, Europe and North America especially from Ireland and the United States of America. These genres do not always have the popularity to have their own spaces thus often performing in shared venues with their Cornish counterparts.
However Cornish folk music still maintains several dedicated venues such as the Countryman if that is your preference. Other venues like the Moth and Moon have become fascinating amalgamations of music from many origins that encourage people from all backgrounds to come together and share songs, folk music has been so inspirational to some attendees that they have begun writing their own songs in folk style these modern folk songs can occasionally be heard at these shared venues such as The Moth and The Moon and Cornish Bank in Falmouth.
The sense of friendliness and welcoming atmosphere at these events is unmatched. They welcome all. Whether you’re Cornish or not. Can play an instrument or sing. Or even if you just want to be a part of the audience and listen.
Folk music is still rising in popularity and everyone is welcome and encouraged to take part, and there are hopes that it could the heights of popularity it enjoyed all those years ago returning a part of lost identity to the county.