Edited by Kate Neale, Terry Knight and Nev Meek. Published by the Federation of Old Cornwall Societies.
Various sources record that street carolling occurred in Roseland villages with choirs going door to door, or from place to place. We have accounts of street carolling from Portscatho and Portloe. Elsie Thomas recalls a carolling route across Philleigh parish taking in the main church-town, but also outlying hamlets such as Treworlas. Father Doug Robins recalls a similar tradition where they drove from location to location. Carolling has always been popular with schools, churches, and chapels. Currently, carol services are regularly held across Roseland, some outside in conjunction with Christmas tree lighting events. In addition to the usual church and school events, The St Anthony’s Noyse also hold an annual event at Portscatho, the St Mawes Waits perform at the Tresanton Hotel, Rhos Keur perform at St Mawes, and the Philleigh Philleys hold an annual ‘Carols in the Bam’ event.
This is where the inspiration for this book has come from. ‘Carols of the Roseland’ grew out of the broader ‘Music of the Roseland’ project, which was a collaboration between St Gerrans and Porthscatho Old Cornwall Society, the Cornish National Music Archive, and the Roseland Music Society during 2023 and 2024. This undertaking aimed to research and perform a wide range of music associated with the Roseland, and involved community research to record, present and even commission new takes on different types of music found on the Roseland – from folk songs to hymn tunes, and classical work inspired by the beautiful local landscapes. As research for the scheme progressed, Christmas carols and carolling traditions were unearthed. The ‘Carols of the Roseland’ project grew organically as it seemed a wonderful opportunity to gather together carols known and performed on the Roseland, and its close neighbour, Tregony. The purpose of this project has therefore been to research and publish carols with Roseland connections, so they can be used and enjoyed by more people.
Index of Carols
(with links to videos of carols performed at Roseland Carol Concert at Truro Cathedral Dec. 2024)
- A Child this Day is Born
- A Christmas Carol
- A Christmas Eve
- Angels from the Realms of Glory
- Barnicoat
- Dunstan
- Chope & Irons (Christmas Eve)
- Arise and Hail the Glorious Star
- Awake, Awake
- Awake My Harp
- Awake Ye Nations
- Barnicoat
- Dunstan
- Christians Awake
- Christmas Ode
- Comfort Ye
- Glory in the Highest!
- Hail, Smiling Morn
- Hark the Glad Sound
- Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
- Heir of Promise
- How beautiful upon the mountains
- In the Garden
- List Our Merry Carol
- Luminary Bright
- Rejoice
- Resplendent Beauty
- Rouse Rouse
- Ruan Lanihorne
- Seraphic Minstrels
- Softly The Night Is Sleeping
- St Day Carol (Carol Kelinan Sen Day)
- St Day Carol (in SWF)
- Star of Bethlehem
- The Christian’s Goodnight
- The First Nowell
- The Seven Good Joys
- There Rose a Light
- The Wassail Song
- What Melody
- While Shepherds
- While Shepherds
- Mount Zion
- New Tregoney
- Ould Zaddock
- Lyngham