THE John Harris Newsletter Society No 63 Summer 2018 KYNANCE COVE Captured in word - and music Composer-in-residence at Truro Cathe- The piece was performed at a concert schools and cellist Natalie Clein. Tony dral, Dobrinka Tabakova, has set the at Truro Cathedral earlier this year, on Langford takes an in-depth look at the words of John Harris’ poem Kynance May 11, with the BBC Concert Orches- project on page 3. Cove to music. tra, around 100 choristers from local Picture by Thom Alsop, Wikimedia. JHS 2 Bi-Centenary Festival - engineering company) had been re- sponsible for above ground structures 16-18 October 2020 which could be seen, sometimes from Arrangements are continuing apace great distances, and it seemed that this for the above festival with the bro- spectacle created some sort of jealousy chure (listing the various events) having in my employee! just been circulated ‘across the pond’ Well, when we read of all that John to various groups in their respective Harris achieved during his lifetime in countries. This has brought an initial mining, building, scripture-reading response with people expressing an and the written word, he doesn’t stand interest in being kept informed of its out quite like Brunel’s structures or progress. To those of our members those of my uncle, but nevertheless, his reading this in countries other than success is not to be laughed at for it all Britain, please do not forget to register came at a great cost. I love the gentle- your interest as soon as possible. It ness of some of his poetry such as this won’t commit you to anything at this extract from: stage, but we need to know that it will My Infant Daughter Falling attract enough interest to make it vi- Asleep on my Knee able. (Publicity mailing within the UK How softly dost thou fall asleep will take place later this year.) We are Sweet cherub on my knee! also seeking sponsorship for the event No bird can sing itself to rest and if anyone (at home or abroad) can More carelessly than thee. make a contribution, it will be greatly Five minutes since I heard thy song, appreciated. (Our treasurer’s details And stroked thy little head: are on the back page.) But now I lay thee down to rest Within thy cradle bed Family visits and Sleep on, sleep on, my innocent! When years are sped away, engineering achievements O may thy rest be then as sweet While visiting our daughter Helen, As it is now this day! son-in-law Mario and granddaughter General Data Protection Tamsin in Chippenham (Wiltshire) during the schools’ half-term holiday, Regulation & subscriptions we were quite taken with Isambard You should all have received a GDPR Kingdom Brunel’s brick railway viaduct form for completion and return to the in the heart of the town with traffic secretary. Although this may seem ‘over passing constantly through its arches. the top’ for this small society, we are It was a reminder of John Harris’ 19th obliged to comply with the law so I do century when such intricate work was urge you to ensure that you have given achieved with the least of mechanical permission for your personal data to be equipment. However much we might used solely for the society’s purposes. admire that viaduct, it pales into insig- When completing those forms, please nificance when compared to Brunel’s check whether your subscription pay- engineering feat of constructing the ment is up to date (£6 per annum due Clifton Suspension Bridge that carries on January 1). This payment is some- road traffic high across the River Avon thing that can easily be overlooked so gorge near Bristol or, seemingly, his please check your records and, if ap- even greater feat in constructing the propriate, use the information on the Tamar (railway) Bridge across the River back of this newsletter to settle your Tamar at Saltash in East Cornwall. account. Thank you, in anticipation Built in 1859, it provided the first rail that you will attend to this matter. link between Cornwall and the rest of Lastly, I reiterate my entirely Britain, and is still much in use every personal request but I am asking day in the 21st century when rolling each member to consider mak- stock must surely be far heavier than ing an additional financial gift, when the bridge was built! however small, towards the 2020 A comparison of Festival, as the collective amount would indicate to potential spon- achievements sors a degree of commitment from I once had an employee who had spe- our members which will be greatly cialised in drainage schemes and laying Chairman’s ramblings appreciated. water mains below ground whereas my Kind regards to all throughout the with Paul Langford uncle (who worked for the same civil world! JHS 3 WORDS & MUSIC Kynance Cove. Picture by: Andy Wright from Sheffield, UK. (Wikimedia Commons) John Harris poem is captured in music BY TONY LANGFORD ing way to block chords.” welcoming and enthusiastic about this But that is not all. Gray says: “There project,” says Dobrinka. When Dobrinka Tabakova, compos- are also more subtle effects like dreamy In preparatory workshops they were er-in-residence at Truro Cathedral, harmonies that, for me, evoke memo- joined by choral scholars from Truro was looking for a suitable text for a ries of hazy sunshine at the end of a Cathedral. new Cornish work she recalled reading day on the beach.” The culmination of the venture was about the life of John Harris. In preparing Kynance Cove, Do- a concert at Truro Cathedral on May She wanted to “bring a stronger brinka Tabakova collaborated with 11 this year, with the BBC Concert Cornish connection to the piece” and Truro Cathedral and the BBC Concert Orchestra, around 100 choristers from thought “the descriptive nature poems Orchestra, where she is also composer- local schools and cellist Natalie Clein. of Harris would fit the image.” Do- in-residence. In the words of Dobrinka Tabakova brinka selected his 1855 poem Kynance The involvement of three local it brought “the downs and cove of Cove. schools – Truro High School for Girls, Kynance to the grand cathedral.” The finished piece is 12 minutes long Truro School and Richard Lander The wide range of music in the and, in the words of Christopher Gray, School – was another aspect to this concert also included an arrangement director of music at Truro Cathedral, work. “They have all been extremely of the folksong Shenandoah, a Bach “Dobrinka has delivered something concerto and a recent work by Cornish really special.” Dreamy harmonies composer Graham Fitkin. He highlights the direct way “she has It was recorded for BBC Radio 3 depicted the rolling waves in semiqua- evoke memories of and a CD will be released later this vers that act as an undercurrent run- hazy sunshine at year. ning through most of the music.” John Harris captured the beauty and He points out how the “wondrous the end of a day on atmosphere of Kynance Cove in words. cliffs” of the Harris poem are repre- the beach Now Dobrinka Tabakova has captured sented by “the waves occasionally giv- his words in music. ‘ JHS 4 Extracts On the Tresavean man-engine A singular hobby horse After the miners had gone down, and Mr. Blitz, jun., son of the Signor Blitz, from the most of them had returned, many of whose slight-of-hand performances West Briton the visitors descended a few fathoms. are so well known, astonished the We went to the bottom, at a time inhabitants of Redruth, on Wednesday, - life in when nearly all the candles (placed in by travelling down the steep street of the shaft) were burnt out. While we their town on a wine-puncheon! Cornwall were on the journey, our light was ex- The barrel was placed on its side, in the early tinguished, and there we were, moving and Mr. Blitz, standing on the centre, up and down, making no progress.... propelled it with his feet . 19th century 4 November 1842 Stopping his singular hobby-horse in [The man-engine at Tresavean the hill, and turning it round at pleas- comprised two parallel rods of wood ure, he arrived at the bottom of the running down the shaft, power-driven street “safe as a cat”. from surface. Each had steps spaced He then, still keeping his place on along its length. As one rod was made the cask, ascended the street at the to fall the other rose, pauses in their western end of the town, and returning movements allowing miners - by the in the same manner, finally “drew up” light of candles fixed to their hats - to his conveyance in front of the green step alternately from one to the other, market, where he was loudly cheered and so progress up or down the shaft. by the crowds who had assembled to This was the first machine of its kind witness his performance. in Cornwall, where miners were accus- 11 November 1842 tomed to climbing up or down thou- sands of feet of vertical ladder roads.] Woollen mill at Ponsanooth Our light was On Saturday morning last . a fire extinguished, and broke out in the woollen factory, belonging to Mr. Lovey, at Ponsanooth. there we were, mak- The factory consisted of five stories, ing no progress.... and the upper storey contained a quan- tity of wool, some of which was skin wool of the current half year, and there Income tax collectors was a quantity of oily wool from the In a parish on the eastern side of carding engines, which is technically Falmouth harbour, where the Income known as “flyings” .