Cam Kernewek

Cornish Dance display group and Ceili Band 1979 – 1997

 

 

Many people were involved with Cam Kernewek during its 18 year history, past members and friends are invited to contribute to this project with their own memories, photos and videos. Images of ephemera such as festival programmes and posters also help to tell the story of Cam Kernewek. Contact us by email or leave a comment below

 

 

 

 

A short history:

In Dec 1979 Sheila Buse and her brother John Bolitho invited a group of friends who had been involved with the Pan Celtic Festival in Ireland to meet at her house in Bude and discuss arrangements for the Cornish representation at the festival the following May. The possibility of forming a group to display Cornish dances and costume was mooted and it was agreed to bring a group together to rehearse the following January. The name adopted was Cam Kernewek meaning a Cornish step (can also be spelt Kamm Kernewek or Kabm Kernewek).

Initial members were John Bolitho, Sheila Buse, Pat and Dave Crewes, Merv and Alison Davey, Mo and Erne Keast, Ray and Judy Delf. The group met at the Molesworth Arms in Wadebridge where Ray, Judy, Mo and Ern ran the Wadebridge Folk Club. Ray had been taught accordion by the renown Charlie Bates of Padstow and lead the music for the group. Cam Kernewek enjoyed great popularity at the festival in Killarney and were invited to represent Cornwall at the Festival Interceltique in Brittany in August of 1980.

Group membership increased considerably during 1980 and practice sessions were moved to the Perranporth Inn in Perranporth. It was here that John Bolitho introduced the dancers to Arthur Biddick, now retired to Goonhavern but erstwhile accordionist and bandsman from Boscastle who had been involved with Cornish step dancing. Arthur became a regular attendee of Cam Kernewek practices and acted as a coach and teacher for the step dancing. Jim Pengelly, another Padstow accordionist (and Rays Uncle) joined the group and together with Nigel Nethersole, Mike Hartland, Merv Davey and Peggy Morris formed the core band for Cam Kernewek.

Over the next two decades the group performed regularly at Celtic festivals in Wales, Ireland, Brittany and Scotland and found a natural home at the Isle of Man’s Yn Chruinnaght festival. Membership varied greatly over the years with the involvement of many dancers and musicians. By 1997 the group had become extremely popular for ceilis as well as dance displays and festivals but the pressure of so many gigs coming in inevitably took its toll on the wider creative interests within the group. Cam Kernewek drew to a close in October 1997 but three new groups arose out of it: Asteveryn who continued with the established formula of Cornish ceili band and dance display team; Tan Ha Dowr were a Cornish youth dance team that focussed on scoot (step) dances; and Pyba who pursued an interest in Cornish Guize dancing and historical dance in Cornwall.

Timeline Highlights

• 1979 Cam Kernewek formed
• 1980 Pan Celtic Festival in Killarney and Rakes of Mallow International Festival andFestival    Interceltique in Lorient
• 1981 Returned to both the Irish Pan Celtic and Lorient Festivals and attended Yn Chruinnaght for the first time and continued to represent Cornwall at these festivals for the next two decades.
• 1982 Cam Kernewek joined the Guest Nations at the International Folk Festival at Sidmouth
• 1983 Dancing England  “A rich seamof Celtic Dancing – Showing much closer links with Wales, Ireland and Isle of Man then neighbouring England” (5^th Dancing England Programme),  International Folk Festival, Holland
• 1984 Concert in St Davids Hall Cardiff.  “Cam Kernewek …… encapsulating and conveying the enigma of the Celtic spirit which inspires families to work so tirelessly to preserve the traditions and culture they hold so dear. It was one of the dancers from their midst [John Bolitho] who was really the star of the evening singing two Cornish folk songs in a rich and lilting baritone voice and creating a magic atmosphere.” (Western Mail April 7^th 1984)
• 1885 First Dance group in Truro Cathedral as part of Three Spires Festival
• 1987 Performed in Brenda Wootton’s production of “Ann Jeffry” at Festival Interceltique in Lorient
• 1988 Awarded Distinction in instrumental ensemble class at Cornwall Music Festival: Folk Play “The Hard Rock Miner” toured.
• 1992 The “Corollyn Cornish Dance Video Project” in association with Plymouth University which was entered for the Celtic Film Festival in Brittany
• 1994 Took part in “Gwayr Myr” an excerpt from the Cornish Miracle Plays at Perran Round.
• 1996 Produced album of dance music “Cam Kernewek – Troyl Band”
• 1997 Cam Kernewek disbands, Asteveryn, Tan Ha Dowr and Pyba form.

Memorabilia

Cam Kernewek called their beast "Pen Gwyn" as an intentional pun rather than the traditional "Pen Glas".	Dress Rehearsal at Molesworth Arms 1980	Moleswoth Arms 1980
Mark Dungey dances with Cam Kernewek at St Just in 1980	How I Joined Cam Kernewek – Mark Dungey. In 1980 I was asked by Trevor Lawrence, from Penzance if i would be the driver of a 2nd minibus to Southern Ireland. He explained that there had been a Cornish presence at a Pan Celtic Festival at Killarney in South West Ireland for many years. This year had seen an increase in the numbers of people wanting to attend the festival. One minibus was to be used to take dancers and a musician of a Cornish Dance group called Cam Kernewek to the festival, to perform there. There were quite a lot of non participants wanting to go to the festival. There was enough to fill a 2nd minibus. The minibus would travel through Wales to take the ferry from Milford Haven to Cork. So I became the 2nd minibus driver. We stayed at a guest house on the outskirts of the town. As none of the non participants hadn’t been to this part of Ireland before. I became the scenic tour driver, taking us all to the places of tourist interest. At the beginning of the week we did the longer journeys, such as the Ring of Kerry. After covering the entire distant tourist places to visit. We did shorter trips.
It was after returning from one of these shorter trips, that we discovered that the dance team had been performing in the town during the day. We thought that all the festival activity was in the evening. Had we known this, we would have been back sooner to support the Cornish contingent. However, there seemed to be a problem. Dancers were running around, getting ready to meet a film crew. So I asked, what was the panic? Someone said that Merv is sick and we are short of a male dancer. You will do said a female dancer. I will do what, I asked. You can dance in Merv’s place, she said. I have no idea about dancing. I had always avoided it at school. I was then taught a processional dance by Jenefer Lowe. It was Heva. This seemed extremely complicated to me at the time. As it involved going backwards. After being taught this dance I was asked. Do you have a black shirt? I said who wears a black shirt? Oh, you do. Before I knew it I was borrowing a spare black shirt and my brothers black boots (No black shoes were available). I was also asked I had a Cornish Tartan kilt? I said that I had no reason to own a kilt. Someone said you can borrow Merv’s, as he is sick. Wearing a kilt was a first for me. I thought that the pleats were the fancy part. So they must be in the front. One of the female dancers took hold of the kilt and rotated it 180 degrees (While I was wearing it), so that it faced the correct way. Nobody had thought about the fact that I was a lot taller than Merv and his kilt looked a little small on me!! The rest of the dance team had already left for the town. I had to run along with one of the female dancers and her teenage daughter, to catch up the rest of the team, to dance in the middle of the town while being filmed by a Welsh TV crew. We caught up the rest of the dance team in the middle of the town. The Welsh TV Crew did not turn up. We danced Heva for the crowd that had gathered. Pat Crewes was standing beside me telling me what to do. I thought why I am I doing this, surely you should be here in my place? Next we were taken behind the main street to a hall where there were some teenage female Irish dancers. We were apparently going to teach them how to dance Heva. I though this is going to be interesting! I was given a tall Irish teenager to partner for the dance. She asked me what she should do. I said follow those in front of us. Obviously she had no idea that I just stepped in to the dance team at the last minute and didn’t have any experience whatsoever. The Welsh TV Crew made contact later and the team was to dance at Muckross house, by which time Merv had recovered. Back at the guest house. I was asked by Jenefer, what I did on Sunday afternoons. Not expecting what was coming next. I innocently said nothing. She said that you can come to my dance class at Connor Downs. Pat Crewes asked me and my brother. Were we free during the first week in August? As the team was going to a Celtic Festival in Brittany. There was room in the team’s minibus for two more people. We would obviously have to pay our own ferry fare. There was plenty of free accommodation in a school. Anyone who joined the dance team would also get free meals. My brother already had time off work booked for the exact period. I was asked if I could get time off from work. After arriving back home. I checked with work and I could get the time off for the Lorient festival period. In the meantime I had started attending Jenefer’s dance club at Connor Downs W.I hall. (I discovered later that Jenefer also had her own dance team and that they were called Ros Keltek and were formed the year after Cam Kenewek). I was taught the core Cornish Dances that others had already learnt. After a few weeks I was contacted by Alison, who said that if I was to go to Brittany. As a member of the dance team, that there were other dances that I would need to learn. She said that there wasn’t enough time to teach Jenefer, in order for her to teach me. So could I come to the Molesworth Arms in Wadebridge on a weekly basis? The practices were at the Folk Club which was in a building behind the Molesworth Arms. There I met the rest of the team who had already been practising the dances, that Alison had researched and Merv had researched the music. There was a square set dance called Tremadheves which I leant by the fact that everybody else was in the correct position and so it was obvious where I was meant to be! I was to go to Lorient as a reserve dancer. This was to cover any situation such as when Merv went sick in Ireland. I remember Ern Keast saying (Because he had asthma I believe and hence breathing problems) that he could only do one dance at a time. I thought, so can the rest of us! In the end Mo an Ern Keast decided not to go to Lorient. So I was no longer a reserve dancer. I was now in the team.
Cam Kernewek regularly represented Cornwal at the Pan Celtic Festival In Ireland	The Pontardawe East Meets West festival was one of Cam Kernewek's favourite festivals	Cam Kernewek was the first dance group to represent Cornwall at the Festival Interceltique in Lorient in 1980
Cam Kernewek at Killarney 1981with Roger Harrison	Roger Harrison: a few words from the depths of my memory of Cam Kernewek and Pan Celtic 1981. I remember the fact that it was the first time that a Cornish dance team had attended the festival and by all accounts they were well received. RTE filmed us down at Muckross, and I believe that that maybe available somewhere, but can’t think where I’ve seen it. I don’t think I actually taught you the 6 hand reel but we spent a number of hours every morning practising it in the car park of the Gardens Guest house where I would “coach” you all and make sure that all the lines were straight and timings of turns were correct etc. It was the dance that we entered in the dance competition, the first entrant by a Cornish team, and we came second to an Irish team, which was a great achievement in itself. We also went to a school to show them our dances, which could be done in those days as the festival was held in May, unfortunately that can’t be done now that the festival is held during the week following Easter. Also that year, four of our members formed a group to enter in the Celtivision contest, as it was known then. Myself, you, Ray Delf and John Bolitho but I can’t remember what we called ourselves. We didn’t do too bad, we came second to the Irish entry, who were represented by Clannad, so I think we did pretty well all things being considered. When we met a few years ago in the Ring ‘O’ Bells you mentioned the memory of the big whistle that I had hanging from my belt, well I still have that, although I drifted away from the playing for a number of years and did try to get back into it again but the wind and speed of the fingers were not what they used to be. I went home for 6 weeks and then returned to Ireland and have been here ever since, 40 years this year, but fondly remember the days of Cam Kernewek and the friends that I made there, sadly a few have left us, John Bolitho, Sheila Buse and, more recently, Ray Delf, all very much missed. Roger
Roger Harrison's Low D Whistle in its leather case looked suspiciously like a truncheon!
“Cam Kernewek …… encapsulating and conveying the enigma of the Celtic spirit which inspires families to work so tirelessly to preserve the traditions and culture they hold so dear. It was one of the dancers from their midst [John Bolitho] who was really the star of the evening singing two Cornish folk songs in a rich and lilting baritone voice and creating a magic atmosphere.” (Western Mail April 7th 1984 re concert in St Davids Hall Cardiff)	The first group to dance in Truro Cathedral	“A rich seamof Celtic Dancing – Showing much closer links with Wales, Ireland and Isle of Man then neighbouring England” (Dancing England Programme 1983 ),
Cam Kernewek 1990	Cam Kernewek dancers in the Gwary Myr at Perran Round 1994	Bal Maidens 1990
Cam Kernewek drew to a close in October 1997 but three new groups arose out of it: Asteveryn who continued with the established formula of Cornish ceili band and dance display team; Tan Ha Dowr were a Cornish youth dance team that focussed on scoot (step) dances; and Pyba who pursued an interest in Cornish Guize dancing and historical dance in Cornwall
Asteveryn	Tan Ha Dowr	Pyba