A goose bump inducing glimpse into Cornish culture is being offered by Visit Cornwall in its latest short film, A Cornish Jukebox which has been released in the lead up to St Piran’s Day (5 March).
In an evocative three minutes, the film captures the warmth and emotion characteristic of pubs across Cornwall as it joins the Cape Cornwall Singers in a traditional pub singing session at The Star in St Just. Like many other similar groups around them, the surprisingly tuneful group of 17 working men, regularly burst into song over a drink to revive a tradition created by ancestors. Once sung in Cornish mines and to the rhythm of the sea, the songs are now Cornish anthems and provide onlookers with an often spontaneous form of local entertainment.
As a symbol of Cornwall’s rich and unique culture, traditional pub singing has been recognised by Visit Cornwall, the Cornwall Development Company tourism service, as a fun and engaging way in which visitors can connect with Cornwall. Malcolm Bell, Head of Visit Cornwall, explains: “Cornwall is spectacularly beautiful and full of charm, however many existing, and more importantly potential new visitors, do not realise the character and warmth of our people and communities. A Cornish Jukebox showcases the soul of Cornwall and the spirit of those living on the edge of the ocean at a time when we are celebrating the patron saint of Cornwall, St Piran.”
A Cornish Jukebox was produced by De Facto Films and features ‘Cornwall My Home’ which was especially written for the Cape Cornwall Singers by Harry ‘Safari’ Glasson. Producer, Emma George, comments: “It was important for us to capture the spontaneity of the singing to show that Cornish singers sing for the love of it, they sing for themselves not for an audience - it is just part of Cornish life. Similar scenes take place in pubs all over Cornwall and we wanted to re-create this for A Cornish Jukebox.”
Julian German, Cornwall Council Portfolio Holder for Economy and Culture, comments: “We want our guests to fully appreciate what makes the Duchy so very special and to experience the real Cornwall that we all love. This film is just one of the steps that we are making to encourage visitors to discover the culture of Cornwall.”
A Cornish Jukebox is one in a series of short films being released by Visit Cornwall in 2014 to highlight what is special about Cornwall and to showcase lesser known gems. To view A Cornish Jukebox video visit http://youtu.be/n5mluQSwE6Y and share using #loveCornwall and #ACornishJukebox.
