Roseland Carol Project

Since 2023 the Cornish National Music Archive, Roseland Music Society, and St. Gerrans & Porthscatho Old Cornwall Society have collected, researched, and performed music associated with the Roseland.

Our Roseland Carol Project is tremendously exciting. In Cornwall we have a special cultural tradition of singing “local” carols – carols which are loved and performed on the streets of local villages. We have collected 40+ carols with a Roseland connection, and each one has a fantastic story. Some come from the collection of Francis Woolcock (1810-1888) a dairyman who lived at Fore Street, Tregony; yet more from Mr W. C. Dunstone of Portloe, and published in the Cornish Song Book in 1929.

Historic newspapers have revealed more. An article from 1904 related how a carol named “List Our Merry Carol” was performed at the school in Philleigh. At Portscatho, in the past, carollers always ended their performance with the “Christian’s Goodnight.” On Boxing Day in Portloe the residents started carolling by the chapel, and then performed the carol “Awake! Awake!” outside of the church. There is also a Cornish language carol which has become part of a St Just and St Mawes tradition.

We collected carols connected with all Roseland parishes except Ruan Lanihorne, however, a grant from Sheffield University allowed us to commission a brand-new carol for Ruan. All the carols and their stories will be collected into a new book. Available: https://kernowgoth.org/product/carols-of-the-roseland-including-tregony/


In the autumn of 2024, we were joined by 3 choirs/groups: -


Each of the choirs/groups learned a number of the Roseland carols.

In addition, two new choirs were formed: -

The Carols of the Roseland were rehearsed throughout the autumn and winter of 2024. Ten of the carols were performed on Wednesday 4th December at Truro Cathedral. Including the singers, over 500 people attended the service, which was a huge success. The Service can be seen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSRHnGj3qoA&t=1829s&ab_channel=FederationofOldCornwallSocieties

The choirs involved incorporated the revived Carols of the Roseland into their repertoires, and included them in various events across Roseland, and beyond, in the Christmas period.

Find out more about Carols of the Roseland here