This recording and sleeve notes kindly provided by Chris Trevena at Sounds Like Cornwall.
SIDE ONE:
1. THE SONG OF CORNWALL Michael Matthews Soloist: Gary Mitchell
2. HAIL TO THE HOMELAND Kenneth Pelmear
3. THE FLORAL DANCE Katie Moss, An K / Dinham Soloist: Albert Clemo
4. CORNISH FANTASIA Goff Richards Soloists: Gary Mitchell, Marshall Tamblyn
SIDE TWO:
1. WALK IN THE LIGHT Buhr
2. JOHNNY COME DOWN TO HILO Arr George Mitchell
3. THE LORD’S PRAYER Albert Hay Malotte
4. CHING-A-RING CRAW Arr Aaron Copland
5. THE GYPSY Traditional
6. SHORTNIN’ BREAD Arr K Dinham
7. CLOSE THINE EYES leuan Rees-Davies
8. THE CREATION Willy Richter
MEVAGISSEY MALE CHOIR Formed in 1974, the Choir, comprising around 70 members, has developed into a mature choir of high repute in and out of its home county of Cornwall. Presenting about 25 concerts a year and raising many thousands of pounds for charity, the Choir has travelled extensively at home and abroad. A concert tour of Gibraltar in 1979 with a performance at the famous St Michael’s Cave, was followed by trips to Holland and Germany. resulting in a musical relationship with two German choirs with reciprocal visits to Mevagissey. 1986 saw the establishment of the “Friends of the Mevagissey Male Choir”. In 1987 the Choir represented Cornwall on stage at the International Travel Trade Fair at Olympia, London, singing on the same day on the College Green at the Houses of Parliament and at the Trocadero Village, Picadilly Circus. In 1988, the Choir had the distinction of giving a recital, by invitation, in the nave of Westminster Abbey. A concert tour of Canada is organised for the autumn of 1990 and consideration is being given to a subsequent tour to the USSR. Accompanied from its inception by Brian Mitchell, the Choir has progressed under the direction of Harold Trethewey, Gary Mitchell and, since 1979, the present musical director. Harold Miller. It has, over the years, gained a reputation for presenting light entertainment as well as the sterner stuff of the traditional male voice choir.
Programme Notes:
Each side of this tape is arranged as a mini-concert with soloists from within the choir.
SIDE A evokes the spirit of Cornwall and takes its title from the final work Cornish Fantasia composed by Goff Richards and commissioned by the Cornish Federation of Male Voice Choirs for their festival involving 33 choirs at the Royal Albert Hail in 1988. The introductory bars swing us back in time to Trelawny, followed by a selection of Cornish songs adroitly scored and switching in mood and tempo until we reach the climactic finale Trelawny Lives. The soloists here are Deputy Conductor, Gary Mitchell, tenor. and Marst-hill Eilimblyn, bass. The Choir is joined by Agnes Jane, piano and Paul Hiley, timpani and percussion. With music, Michael Matthews and words by John Knight, The Song of Cornwall, sung by the Choir. won the award in 1981 at the first Song for Cornwall contest. The soloist is Gary Mitchell. Hail to the Homeland by Cornish composer Kenneth Pelmear, lies at the heart of Cornwall as truly as the ever-popular Floral Dance is a cameo of Cornish life. The latter is arranged by Ken Dinham, a vice-patron of the Choir. and the soloist is Albert Demo.