Redruth is putting on a big St Piran's Day celebration, including a rugby match and if we can get there before 1pm it will be free always a good incentive. If you are around and about the local area the timetable is here.
To celebrate, we will be singing a rousing chorus from the Cornish Anthem.
Trelawny
Lyrics by Robert Stephen Hawker (1804–1875)
A good sword and a trusty hand,
A merry heart and true!
King James's men shall understand
What Cornish lads can do.
And have they fixed the where and when?
And shall Trelawny die?
Here's twenty thousand Cornish men
Will know the reason why!
And shall Trelawney live?
Or shall Trelawney die?
Here's twenty thousand Cornish men
Will know the reason why!
Out spake their Captain brave and bold:
A merry wight was he:
"If London Tower were Michael's hold,
We'll set Trelawney free!
We'll cross the Tamar, land to land,
The Severn is no stay:
With 'one and all', and hand in hand,
And who shall bid us nay?"
And shall Trelawney live?
Or shall Trelawney die?
Here's twenty thousand Cornish men
Will know the reason why!
"And when we come to London Wall,
A pleasent sight to view,
Come forth! come forth ye cowards all,
Here's men as good as you!
Trelawney he's in keep and hold:
Trelawney he may die:
But twenty thousand Cornish bold
Will know the reason why!"
And shall Trelawney live?
Or shall Trelawney die?
Here's twenty thousand Cornish men
Will know the reason why!
This time last year, we were in the process of selling the house. Thankfully it is all done and dusted and this year we are currently settling in and enjoying ourselves.
2 comments:
I remember learning and singing this song, in primary school, back in the mists of time, there was a bbc schools radio programme, we all had our book, with words and music, and belted it out as our trusty hands twitched, a classful of little kids in a tiny village school, all ready to march on London to free Trelawny. Mind you, we were in Yorkshire, not Cornwall, but we were stirred by the song and ready to join the cause.
Our class teacher was Miss Verity, who was very proud of the fact that her brother was Hedley Verity, Yorkshire and England cricketer. She always seemed very old to me. Perhaps she was, because Hedley died in the second world war, in 1943. His greatest cricket season was in 1936, when his bowling won the ashes....
Funny how a song can bring memories back. I remember Miss Verity despaired of my scrawl, and would grip my little nine-year-old hand in hers, crushing it, as she led it through smooth curves and loops on the page, yet once released it would resume its jagged, blotty spider-crawl.
Grace, she was called. Grace Verity, she was kind of fierce in an old-lady schoolteacher sort of way, but i liked her. she was always fair.
Love hearing old memories, and I think I also would have loved Miss Verity too...
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