Photo of the year for me ... by Jane Rawlins (read on to find out what we were up to ;-).
Dear Singing Friends,
Having written a ‘Review of the year’ at the end of 2024, I rather fancied having a go again (that's well on the way to making it a tradition!). It feels as good way of taking stock, reflecting on and understanding the joys and challenges of the last 12 months. It’s also a great excuse to share some lovely images of singing-related adventures from 2025.
However, rather than beetling through a catalogue of events, I thought I’d sit a moment and feel what the overall highlight of this last year has been for me. It came clearly and straight away – the joy in community. I treasure the connections and interconnections which bring and hold us together, which give us the confidence to offer a warm welcome to newcomers and support each other as we say fond farewells, to face life’s challenges and celebrate life’s joys.
The wonderful metaphor of singing harmonies – impossible alone - allows us to let what’s inside out, to build trust in ourselves and each other, to make mistakes and shine without fear, to be silly and go deep. Thank you for being brave and being game. Did I mentioned I have the best job ever ... and that without you it wouldn’t be a job at all? Thank you.
Having written a ‘Review of the year’ at the end of 2024, I rather fancied having a go again (that's well on the way to making it a tradition!). It feels as good way of taking stock, reflecting on and understanding the joys and challenges of the last 12 months. It’s also a great excuse to share some lovely images of singing-related adventures from 2025.
However, rather than beetling through a catalogue of events, I thought I’d sit a moment and feel what the overall highlight of this last year has been for me. It came clearly and straight away – the joy in community. I treasure the connections and interconnections which bring and hold us together, which give us the confidence to offer a warm welcome to newcomers and support each other as we say fond farewells, to face life’s challenges and celebrate life’s joys.
The wonderful metaphor of singing harmonies – impossible alone - allows us to let what’s inside out, to build trust in ourselves and each other, to make mistakes and shine without fear, to be silly and go deep. Thank you for being brave and being game. Did I mentioned I have the best job ever ... and that without you it wouldn’t be a job at all? Thank you.
So, what have we been up to this year? Levow an Bys (who describe themselves as ‘a quirky choir with heart and soul’!) started the year with a ‘Join us for January’ campaign through which we’ve been delighted to welcome several new singers to our Wednesday evening travels into harmony songs from around the world. January also saw the first of our Kana Kernow events of the year, a third visit from ‘Windborne’ the acclaimed vocal quartet from the USA who treated us to a workshop and a stunning concert. Several singers joined great revelling at the St Ives Community Orchard ‘Wassail’ on a beautifully sunny day – singing the ever-evolving wassail song ‘Avalow ryb an mor’ (Apples by the sea). New verses for this wassail are welcomed from anyone visiting the orchard who is moved to write one – the verses being recorded in the beautifully decorated logbook held in the CORE building … to be sung by anyone who fancies.
We cheered ourselves through the dark months with another ‘Singers Ceilidh’ in February – with live music and calling from the Tinners Ceilidh Collective. February saw 16 brave souls joining this year’s ‘Find and Explore your Own Voice’ course which I facilitate alongside Steve Lavington of ‘Baldrick’s Plan’. The course is intense but it’s such an honour to witness people grow in confidence and find their unique voices – supported so beautifully by their peers.
We cheered ourselves through the dark months with another ‘Singers Ceilidh’ in February – with live music and calling from the Tinners Ceilidh Collective. February saw 16 brave souls joining this year’s ‘Find and Explore your Own Voice’ course which I facilitate alongside Steve Lavington of ‘Baldrick’s Plan’. The course is intense but it’s such an honour to witness people grow in confidence and find their unique voices – supported so beautifully by their peers.
We were blessed with good weather for St Piran’s Day (March 5th) with the Golowan band now including several members of the ever expanding ‘Dawn Chorus Breakfast Band’. The ‘STRETCH’ project morphed from a pilot into a regular choir of committed souls meeting on Tuesday mornings in Carleen (with the premise of stretching ourselves in terms of technique, repertoire, tuning, blend and confidence). As part of this premise we had a technique masterclass from the wonderful Helen Porter which gave us plenty to work on!
As I continued my ‘Collaborative Vocal Improvisation’ studies, Dawn Chorus and Levow an Bys were treated to guest tutors Fran Andre and Emily Roblyn when I was away. The Spring term ended with a magical visit by ‘Heartwood’ a trio from the USA who we had first met over 10 years ago with ‘Northern Harmony’. Sarina, Heidi and Willi enchanted us with their show ‘The Well Tree’, delivered a gorgeous workshop for Kana Kernow and a stunning concert. The beauty of their work and the delight they bring to their compositions and teaching touched everyone deeply. They were a joy to host and we hope they will return to the UK and West Cornwall soon …
As I continued my ‘Collaborative Vocal Improvisation’ studies, Dawn Chorus and Levow an Bys were treated to guest tutors Fran Andre and Emily Roblyn when I was away. The Spring term ended with a magical visit by ‘Heartwood’ a trio from the USA who we had first met over 10 years ago with ‘Northern Harmony’. Sarina, Heidi and Willi enchanted us with their show ‘The Well Tree’, delivered a gorgeous workshop for Kana Kernow and a stunning concert. The beauty of their work and the delight they bring to their compositions and teaching touched everyone deeply. They were a joy to host and we hope they will return to the UK and West Cornwall soon …
Dawn Chorus went from strength to strength – ever pushing the boundaries, adding BSL to ‘Easy on the Earth’ and getting people going most Friday mornings with the inimitable sounds of the ‘Dawn Chorus Breakfast Band’. All three choirs (Levow an Bys, Dawn Chorus and Stretch) performed in a memorable concert in the cathedral in June – each doing themselves and me most proud!
Many singers and the ‘Breakfast Band’ also played a role in the revived ‘Carleen Tea Treat’ now in its 4th year (after a 34th hiatus). This year the band had over 20 musicians, the sun shone, the parade was led by a stunning giant goat puppet and our new tune ‘Dancing on the Elephant’ was played on Trew Green.
Many singers and the ‘Breakfast Band’ also played a role in the revived ‘Carleen Tea Treat’ now in its 4th year (after a 34th hiatus). This year the band had over 20 musicians, the sun shone, the parade was led by a stunning giant goat puppet and our new tune ‘Dancing on the Elephant’ was played on Trew Green.
Meanwhile, quietly, without fuss, (and now in at least its 12th or 13th year) those who like starting the week with gentle meditative singing continued to meet for ‘Songs with Spirit, Songs of the Soul’ on a Monday morning, singing in a circle in the beautiful St Pol de Leon church – a precious practice which always seems to find those who want it and need to be there. The CORE-Us sessions at the St Ives Community Orchard became a regular monthly ‘drop-in‘ session, also with a gentle meditative and inclusive focus – singing in the moment with great cakes! (thank you Phil!).
We had 3 lively ‘Summer Sings’ at Carleen to keep us going through the summer break, and three hearty ‘Community Carols Workshops’ at Marazion Community Centre … helping to keep the traditional Cornish carols alive while raising a bob or two (currently c. £1,200!) for St Petroc’s work to end homelessness in Cornwall – Meur ras (Thank you) one and all. November also saw Levow an Bys sing at the TATE Winter festival – this year doing a ‘pop up’ singing all along the balcony of gallery 7 (you can’t say we’re not game!).
We had 3 lively ‘Summer Sings’ at Carleen to keep us going through the summer break, and three hearty ‘Community Carols Workshops’ at Marazion Community Centre … helping to keep the traditional Cornish carols alive while raising a bob or two (currently c. £1,200!) for St Petroc’s work to end homelessness in Cornwall – Meur ras (Thank you) one and all. November also saw Levow an Bys sing at the TATE Winter festival – this year doing a ‘pop up’ singing all along the balcony of gallery 7 (you can’t say we’re not game!).
I was fortunate to teach on 4 residential Singing holidays this year. They are always a joy as a disparate group of people form themselves into a harmonious whole – a true singing community over the course of a few days. We sang at Trewidden (sadly for the last time), at Sharpham House (with its 3-storey floating staircase) and I collaborated with Jane Harris (of Songways) for the 3rd time at Halsway Manor (The National Centre for Folk Arts) on the Devon / Somerset border. We love working there – bringing together song, dance and live music with a scratch band led by our fiddles. I was invited to run a course for the ‘Short Courses’ department of Falmouth University and in July invited Jane Harris to join me to offer ‘Choir in a week’. This was great fun and went down really well. It included a trip to St Ives to sing in the CORE building of the Community Orchard and at the TATE. We were delighted to be joined by caller Nina Fenner to create a ‘Nos Lowen’ with Cornish tunes and dancing.
This year while we have enjoyed welcoming many new singers to our singing community, it was with great sadness that we said farewell to Des Harris and Paul Hickson. It was an honour to join forces with singers from Marazion Apollo choir to sing 'Cornwall My Home' under Paul's window as he entered his final chapter, and to sing with Des Harris' friends and family in celebration of his life at the Marazion Quaker meeting house. They are both enormously missed.
We took our carols and the willow lanterns made at community workshops out into Marazion (for Switch on night), Mousehole (for the locals feast at the Old Coastguards), to Godolphin House, to the Eden Project, and most memorably for Marazion’s new Winter Light parade ‘Golowi Gwav’. This magical event was conceived and masterminded by Alex Gorée-Wéry and the Decorative Lights Committee – along with Geraldine Jones (who designed and built the stunning ‘stellate dodechahedron’ lanterns) and with wonderful support from the ‘Godolphin Hotel’ (now under the management of ‘St Austell Brewery’). We wore crowns of lights on our heads, carried our lanterns, did a spiral circle dance on the sand as we sang the new ‘Golowi Gwav’ song, and - with permission of St Aubyn Estate - paraded across the causeway over to the Mount where we sang around the Christmas Tree. We returned to the Godolphin for mulled wine and a proper Cornish carol session fit to raise the roof. Bravo and thank you to everyone involved – what a beautiful, memorable community event!
I wish you good health, good company, good singing ... and more joyful adventures than we can currently imagine for 2026,
With gratitude and all best wishes,
Pip
With gratitude and all best wishes,
Pip