Women of Cornish Music: Past & Present - Project Launch!
/The contributions of women to Cornwall’s musical heritage are to be uncovered and celebrated in a new Hypatia Trust project for 2020-21. ‘Women of Cornish Music: Past & Present’ has secured a £33,600 National Lottery grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and further funding from the Cornwall Heritage Trust and Screen Cornwall to work to rebalance the awareness of women’s roles in Cornish music-making past and present.
Like other areas of Cornish heritage, mainstream ideas of the region’s music remains rooted in male figures and traditions such as male-voice choirs and brass bands, but women have always been active in leading and shaping Cornish music. Dr Tehmina Goskar, director of the Curatorial Research Centre and an active researcher into Cornish traditional music, explains:
‘The work of musical women in Cornwall past and present has been astonishing, for example, the founding of early operatic and orchestral societies was very often fronted by a woman. The composition of the earlier version of Trelawny—Cornwall’s unofficial anthem—was by a woman. The revival of Celtic-Cornish instrumental and sung traditional music and carols has also been significantly led by women, such as Hilary Coleman, Frances Bennett and Sally Burley. Without their skills in capturing, recording and sharing since the early 1990s we just wouldn’t have our rich traditional repertoire.’
Over the course of the 15 month project, which is the first of its kind, we’ll be hosting a programme of events to explore and celebrate music of various genres in our region through a female lens. A volunteer research group will be recruited to delve into archives around Cornwall and discover the stories and music of historical women. Composing and conducting workshops aimed at building girls’ confidence in these male-dominated areas will be delivered in partnership with the Cornwall Music Service Trust, a charity committed to supporting the aspirations of young people in Cornwall through music education.
Gareth Churcher, Head of Service, says: ‘Cornwall Music Service Trust is delighted to be supporting the Hypatia Trust in such an important and exciting project. Musical culture in Cornwall is something that should always be celebrated but to highlight women is a focus that is long overdue. Congratulations to the Hypatia Trust on securing the funding and we very much look forward to working with them on this innovative project.’
Short documentary films will also be commissioned, telling the stories of modern women who are both achieving great things and supporting others through music in their community. Florence Browne, who is leading the project, says: ‘We’re thrilled to have been awarded this funding and we hope that this will create real opportunities for musicians, filmmakers and researchers, and strengthen links creative links within Cornwall and beyond. If you’d like to get involved with the project we’d be very keen to hear from you’.
We’ll be recruiting and training volunteer researchers in January 2020 and begin the programme of workshops and commissions shortly after. For more information about the project and joining the research group, contact Florence Browne: florence@hypatia-trust.org.uk.
More information about our brilliant funders:
National Heritage Lottery Fund
