Dialect and Stories

• The Carol Choir by John Barber.
• Christmas in Cornwall 60 Years Ago by Mrs. John Bonham, 1898. [Bonham 1898] Mrs. Olliver’s Tea-Party & How they spent Christmas Eve at St. Cadge.
• The Flooding of Wheal Owles by W Herbert Thomas. [Thomas 1893]
• Rozzy Paul and Zacky Martin by John Tabois Tregellas. [Tregellas]
• Two Christmas Eves by M.J.

Posted on CORNISH-L 16 Dec 2000 by Alan Travarthan

The Carol Choir was a tradition at Down-long, (the harbour area) St Ives, on Christmas Eve.

THE CAROL CHOIR

We joined the Fore Street carol choir.
The night was crisp and clear,
We started off at Virgin Street
With Cully’s “Hellesveor.”

’Andsome it was and no mistake,
The great base deep and rich,
The altos and the tenors too
Were good and true to pitch.

One dear old chap there standing by
Said, “Well I must confess,
’O Tiz like an organ, iss it ez,
A horgan, nothing less.”

We worked the Digey, through Love Lane,
It still continued dry,
Did Bunker’s Hill and Bailey’s Lane,
Then on to Chy-an-Chy.

Past Doble’s Wall, on up Dick’s Hill,
Still singing clear and sweet,
Turned right at top for Island Square,
Next stop Teetotal Street.

Our voices now were rather hoarse,
The clarinet gone flat,
So all agreed to do Carn Crows
And leave’n go at that.

From John Barber’s book of poems “Cousin Jack ashore and afloat”