Welcome! I grew up at Porthcothan Bay on the north coast of Cornwall. After college, I took two gap years before heading to Cardiff University to study a BA in English Literature and Music, and then an MA in Ethnomusicology in which my thesis focused on the Padstow carolling tradition. I then returned to Cornwall and working at Idenna, a creative marketing company, for two years.
After a cycle tour through Spain and Portugal, I moved to London in 2014. Later that year I won funding from the AHRC to pursue a PhD into Cornish Christmas carolling traditions in South Australia and California. I had an incredible four years focused on this work, and was privileged to spend some time in both South Australia and Grass Valley, as well as winning a five-month AHRC fellowship at the Library of Congress’s Kluge Center. During this time I also started learning Cornish at City Lit.
I returned to Cornwall in 2018 where I completed my PhD. I also returned to work at Idenna until 2023, and at other points also was a viola teacher for Cornwall Music Service Trust, and briefly at the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic, and gave undergraduate history seminars at the University of Exeter.
Since then I’ve had the pleasure and privilege of becoming involved in various Cornish music and heritage organisations, initiatives and projects. I was also honoured to be made a Bard of the Cornish Gorsedh in 2019, taking the name Gwandryades an Mordrik, which translates as ‘low-tide wanderer’.
I am now spending most of my time running around after my little boy, and in any spare time I can get, reading and researching. I continue to give talks and presentations, at both at academic conferences and community events.
Hi.
Read the Guardian piece and also have perused but not yet bought the Hark book/cds. It’s good that this tradition is being kept alive.
I am a little busy much of the time with work commitments but in this spare moment thought to send this…
I noticed that in the book Donald Broad is mentioned and his music for a carol (that was unknown to me) was published. I thought it might be of interest /use to someone that I own one of his manuscript books with the music for several of his hymns and inserts of some pieces that he played. The only recorded instance I know of his work is an arrangement of the lovely Lynmouth by Redruth Town Band…
Hoping that you and yours have a wonderful Christmas.
Steve, thanks for the message! I’ve sent you an email, hoping to hear from you.
Have you researched Cornish immigration to the upper peninsula of Michigan? The choir of Wesley United Methodist in Ironwood sang Cornish Christmas carols for many years. The carols came over with Cornish miners who came to work the iron and copper mines of the area.
Dear Rev. Bartlett, thanks so much for the message and the question – I’m writing you an email!