Tam Kernewek “ A bit of Cornish” Volume 30 Issue 4 Winter 2012 The Cornish Gathering 2014 The big news of this issue of Tam Kernewek is the announcement of our next Gathering. When no one came forward during the past year, the CAHS officers decided that we could wait until 2014 (if need be) to have a gathering, allowing any organization enough time to put things together. This change would also resolve conflicts the Gathering has had with other major Cornish events during the odd-numbered years. In September we had two organizations who were thinking about stepping forward. I’d like to thank the Toronto Cornish Association for their considerable reflection for hosting the event. The Gathering 2014 will be hosted by The Cornish Society of Greater Milwaukee. The Cornish So- ciety will team up with John Gleeson and the Celtic Studies Center at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. John is the co-director of the Center and senior lecturer at the University. Joe Trewyn had the spark of an idea to include the Center in the planning, and this has lighted up new possibili- ties. Milwaukee offers a rich, urban setting with multiple opportunities. The university offers a body of knowledgeable (and younger) Celtic enthusiasts. Joe thinks it may be a bit of a departure from previous Gatherings, but the university connection also opens up new doors to promote Corn- wall and Cornish culture. Co-chairs Maribeth Sullivan and Katherine Herman are just beginning to work on details. Please make sure you keep late summer 2014 open for the Gathering! Thanks to the Cornish Society of Greater Milwaukee for taking this on! Have you seen the new look of our website: www.cousinjack.org? It looks great! The site is easy to navigate and the pictures bring a wonderful showing of our Cornish activities and the best of Cornwall. Be sure to check it out! “Meur rasta” to Ron Carbis and others for the new appearance. As we reach the end of 2012, I wish you all good health and peace. Cornish American Heritage Society Cornish American Heritage Nadelik Lowen ha Blydhen Nowydh Da! Tom 61 Dr. Benjamin Bruch to Teach an Introductory Cornish Language Course in Mineral Point What is the Cornish language? Like many places in Britain, Cornwall has its own dialect of English, and many people there still use dialect words or speak with a Cornish accent. But Kernewek, the Cornish language, is something else entirely: like Irish, Gaelic, and Welsh, Cornish is a Celtic lan- guage, as different from English as French, German, or Russian. After centuries of decline, Cornish is making a comeback, and Corn- wall’s national language is now beginning to be taught in schools and used on street signs alongside English. Why learn Cornish? Some study Cornish to reconnect with their own Cornish ancestors. Others are drawn to it by the lure of the landscape and the mu- sic of exotic place-names like Goonhilly, Landewednack, Lostwithiel, Praze-an-Beeble, and Trelowarren. About the instructor: Dr. Benjamin Bruch, a world-renowned authority on Celtic studies, will offer a short introductory course in the Cornish language at the Pendarvis historic site in Mineral Point in March and April 2013. A native of Wisconsin, Dr. Bruch currently lives and works in Iowa. Dr. Bruch was made a Bard of the Cornish Gorsedd in 1998 and played a key role in developing the new standard spelling system for Cornish which was adopted in 2008. A graduate of the Department of Celtic Languages and Literatures at Harvard Uni- versity, he has taught Cornish and other Celtic languages to students of all ages at schools, colleges, and cultural events in the Unit- ed States, Great Britain, Germany, and Austria. About the course: The Cornish course will be held at the Pendarvis Historic Site in Mineral Point on two Tuesdays and two Saturdays in March and April. The first of these sessions will begin with a special presentation on the Cornish language and St. Piran’s Day (Cornwall’s na- tional holiday, celebrated annually on March 5. Tuesday, March 5, 12:30-1:30 PM - The Cornish Language and St. Piran’s Day - FREE Tuesday, March 5, 2:00-8:00 PM - Cornish Language Course, Session One Saturday, March 16, 9:00 AM-4:30 PM - Cornish Language Course, Session Two Tuesday, April 2, 12:30-8:00 PM - Cornish Language Course, Session Three Saturday, April 27, 9:00 AM-4:30 PM - Cornish Language Course, Session Four Each session of the language course includes a one-hour break for lunch or dinner. Each session will include a review of all previous material as well as adding new material. As a result, even students who can only attend a single session will be able to acquire a basic knowledge of contemporary spoken Cornish. All participants will also receive a course pack containing handouts, lessons, and other Cornish language resources. Registration and costs for the language course: Adult - $30 per session ($120 for all four) Student (age 12 through high school) - $10 per session ($40 for all four) Age 11 and under - Free To register, please send a check (payable to the Cornish Language Class, Richard Baker, Chairman) to Richard Baker, 1520 Coventry Court, Reedsburg, WI 53959. Please also include a separate sheet listing your name, address, phone number, e-mail address, and the dates of the sessions you plan to attend. Please make your reservation by Friday, March 1, 2013. Late registrations may be ac- cepted if there is room in the class. Point of contact: Dick Baker, phone 608-524-1490 or 608-963-3529; e-mail [email protected] NOTE: Most people will be too far away to attend, but Dick would like to raise an awareness in the language. Perhaps it will trig- ger something somewhere. If you are too far away why not start a course in your area? If you have a society newsletter please include this article in your next issue. 62 Correspondence from Societies an array of instruments - Fiddle, and Cousin Jack Website voice, accordion, guitar, cittern, uku- lele, percussion, tuba, trombone, cornet and tenor horn.) The beautiful blending of old The album can be obtained at: and new makes the newly www.richardtrethewey.co.uk/shop/ renovated Mineral Point Pub- for 10 pounds via paypal. lic Library a "CROWN JEW- EL" amongst libraries. Grand From TCA newsletter reopening on a crisp October ———————————————————————- day found many eagerly Search Google.com and be pleasantly pleased with awaiting the ribbon cutting the results of “Allantide”. ceremony. Anxious to try out the new elevator and discover From Dick Baker unavailable nooks and crannies it was a great adventure for all ————————————————————————————- in attendance. For those not on the Cornish List here are some wonder- Our hats off to all who ful sites to visit: Recorded in Stone from Marquette Iron Range, Michigan: made it possible. On the top floor hangs the 3 sec- http://voices.nmu.edu/content.asp?PageName=Cornish tion Bas Relief, created by sculptor Bruce Howdle And for a detailed analysis of Cornish Migration in Fal- and commissioned by the mouth and Camborne: Southwest Wisconsin Cor- nish Society. www.casa.ucl.ac.uk/surnames/ papers/20_cornish_migration.pdf One of many newly donat- From Gail Ford on the Cornish List ed artifacts it reflects the Cornish heritage of the area and best +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ typifies the great pride the community has in its library. May the next 100 years of service be as great as has this one. Some of the CANSW & other Cornish marched Catherine Whitford On a lovely spring day a small band of Cornish Editor Note: gathered at Nelson Bay for the 5th Clans on the You may remember that Coast Festival. Though mainly Scottish in content, in the last issue we had other Celts are made very welcome. So it was that 7 drawings of the bas relief. These are a won- members of the CANSW plus 2 others were there. derful addition to the Some marched in the parade and showed off our library and our heritage. flag and Cornish tartan. We enjoyed a Cornish pasty from Mal Leyland’s stall, and the music, dance and ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Celtic games going on around the oval. www.cornishmemory.com is a site that has archive film footage, audio recordings and recollections and photographic images. Some feature the Cornish broadcaster Ted Gundry. Kitty Quayle ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Heather Dale has been in touch with a delightful young Cornish musician: Richard Threthewey. She heartily recommends his music and hopes to have a chance to meet him at some point. He has a new CD called “Dig Where You Stand”, with very catchy songs about Cornish life. You can watch his video at www.youtube.com (The album features 13 songs and tunes celebrating the indus- tries that have contributed to Cornish identity and culture. A mixture of traditional and contemporary music. Featuring From Cornish Assoc. of New South Wales newsletter 63 Correspondence con’t The UK’s First Cornish Cornwall Tourism Pasty Festival Cornwall's tourism board from August this year has been advertising Cornwall all over the world as a Duchy, Celt- We would like to thank eve- ic region and emphasizing Cornwall's unique culture and ryone involved in the or- heritage; rather than as part of England and as a County. ganisation of the Cornish Pasty Festival in Redruth, 21st-23rd September 2012. We are proud to have hosted This follows ongoing criticism from Cornish circles that the UK’s first Cornish Pasty Festival. the unique cultural and constitutional status of the Duchy We would like to stress that as of Cornwall was being ignored in attracting visitors, and the first festival, and therefore commercial criticism that the 'brand' being presented as a ‘pilot’ event, we felt that Cornwall for tourism and trade was bland and undiffer- overall it was a big success in entiated, within and outside Cornwall.