Cornish traditional music

Summary

Cornish traditional music follows Cornwall’s dance tunes, songs and revived community practices, including contemporary arrangements and folk-derived bands. Cornish-language pop is related but is not automatically traditional repertoire.

Contemporary and trending

Current recordings and concert performances keep this repertoire in circulation. The listening collection includes recent and worthwhile earlier versions, with performer and version credits retained; it does not treat an upload date as a composition date. Dalla, Skillywidden, the Rowan Tree, Bert Biscoe, the Changing Room and Bagas Degol offer routes through revival, song and contemporary folk development.

History

Collectors, local players and the revival from the later twentieth century helped recover and circulate tunes and dances. Dalla and associated musicians contributed to that revival; Dalla stopped touring in 2017, so later activity should not be attributed to an unchanged touring band.

Musical characteristics

Fiddle, accordion, clarinet, bouzouki, percussion and voices appear in varied combinations. Dance rhythm and named local repertoire connect acoustic performances with nos lowen and more amplified or electronic folk settings.

Geography and communities

Cornwall is the connected heartland, with village dances, festivals and teaching as important as urban venues. English-language Cornish songs and instrumental tunes coexist with Cornish-language singing; language alone does not determine membership.

Artists

Dalla, Skillywidden, the Rowan Tree, Bert Biscoe, the Changing Room and Bagas Degol offer routes through revival, song and contemporary folk development.

Recording entrances

Dalla — Dalla - The Sundial; Skillywidden — Skillywidden - Five Horned Beast (Kabm Pymp) (Klub Nos Lowen). These are particular versions, not a claim that every work by each performer belongs here.

Related genres

Welsh folk; Welsh-language pop and rock.