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Children get Cornish lessons with award-winning singer Gwenno
Children get Cornish lessons with award-winning singer Gwenno

BBC News

time11-06-2025

  • Entertainment
  • BBC News

Children get Cornish lessons with award-winning singer Gwenno

Schoolchildren have been given a lesson to remember about the Cornish language by singer Mercury Prize-nominated artist, a native Cornish speaker, gave a music workshop at Mevagissey Community Primary School based around Cornish culture and singer said she wanted to share her experience of speaking the language because it was "a lovely thing that's about love and relationships".The event was organised by the Lost Gardens of Heligan ahead of a festival celebrating Cornish culture in July. As well as explaining to the children why the Cornish language faded out in the 18th Century, Gwenno also gets the children to sing a song in Cornish called Eus keus (Is There Cheese) .The singer said "the language has resurrected and it's had practically no help apart from dedicated people who want to keep it alive".She added: "The language tells us so much about this landscape and it's people... it's something worth respecting."I can make it fun for the children because, when I sing in Cornish, it brings me back to when I was a kid and we were just making up silly songs." Teacher Lauren Rees said: "It's not a curriculum-based subject, so it's difficult to find time to fit it in. However, there are different ways."Seeing how inspired they were was great, and they're already asking if we can start a Cornish language club." Matthew Shaw, Heligan Homecoming Festival director, said: "It was fantastic to see Gwenno run a Cornish language music lesson for children at Heligan's nearest primary school. "The children really enjoyed the music and were fascinated to learn about the Cornish language and its history."

‘The language is part of my life': Gwenno shares songs in Cornish to inspire new generation
‘The language is part of my life': Gwenno shares songs in Cornish to inspire new generation

The Guardian

time08-06-2025

  • Entertainment
  • The Guardian

‘The language is part of my life': Gwenno shares songs in Cornish to inspire new generation

The Mercury prize-nominated Cornish/Welsh singer Gwenno Saunders has said that Cornish should be more widely taught to children in the far south-west of Britain to protect the language and preserve local culture. Gwenno spoke after visiting a school in the fishing village of Mevagissey on the south coast of Cornwall before a performance at the nearby Lost Gardens of Heligan. Year 5 pupils at Mevagissey community primary school joined her in singing. She covered an eclectic range of subjects, from the importance and vitality of Kernewek (Cornish) to rebellions of the 15th and 16th centuries – and cheese. Gwenno, whose parents are a Cornish poet and Welsh language activist, sings in Cornish, Welsh and English. She said: 'The children in Mevagissey weren't that familiar with the language because they don't have access to it. I think it would be really useful for it to be on the curriculum. It's really nourishing for children to learn about local heritage and history in a language that is from the place where they live. 'It's so easy in a very globalised world to feel like everything's the same and there's only one way of doing things. Having local strains of history and language and accents gives you a sense of place and sense of community and creativity.' Gwenno was nominated for the Mercury prize in 2022 for her acclaimed third record, the Cornish-language Tresor. She is appearing at the Heligan Homecoming festival on Thursday 19 June as part of a lineup of artists, comedians and thinkers exploring the themes of home and belonging. She last performed a gig in Cornwall at the Minack theatre in 2023. Among the songs Gwenno performed for the children in Mevagissey was Den Heb Taves, meaning 'a tongueless man'. Gwenno said: 'It's about losing your language and how that contributes towards losing your grounding and your footing.' She also spoke to the children of the Cornish rebellion of 1497, partly a response to hardship caused by the raising of taxes by Henry VII to go to war, and the Prayer Book Rebellion of 1549. 'Children love those sorts of really deep, dark, big ideas,' Gwenno said. 'I think that when you go into school and you're having a conversation it's really important to try and push it emotionally and intellectually. 'Often people think: 'Oh well, we've lost our language because it wasn't important or it was irrelevant' and actually, so often it's systematic and it's structural why a language dies or almost dies.' She said she wanted to convey to the children that Cornish was an integral part of her life. 'The language is something that's part of my life and part of my home life and I think if a language comes from that I think it has a real chance to thrive.' Cornwall council believes there are about 500 advanced Cornish speakers and 2,000 with basic levels of Cornish. It has designed a free initiative called Go Cornish for Primary Schools to promote the language and culture. It says Cornish culture is 'thriving' with more people getting involved with programmes and events celebrating Cornish food, heritage, sports and music. Gwenno also sang a rousing song with the Mevagissey children about cheese called Eus Keus? (Is There Cheese?). 'I thought we should probably lighten it. The thing about any language or culture is that you've got to find the absurd in it and the humour. It's really cathartic to shout about cheese. It was fun to do. I'll be singing that till I'm 90 if I'm still here.' The Heligan Homecoming festival takes place on selected dates between 13 and 22 June 13. For details go to

Shadi's take on the first American Pope
Shadi's take on the first American Pope

The National

time10-05-2025

  • Automotive
  • The National

Shadi's take on the first American Pope

Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine Power: 420kW Torque: 780Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Price: From Dh1,350,000 On sale: Available for preorder now %3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJames%20Gunn%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Chris%20Pratt%2C%20Zoe%20Saldana%2C%20Dave%20Bautista%2C%20Vin%20Diesel%2C%20Bradley%20Cooper%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458. Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm Transmission: 10-speed auto Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km On sale: Now Price: From Dh590,000 Price, base / as tested Dh525,000 / Dh559,000 Engine: 3.0L V6 biturbo Transmission: Nine-speed automatic Power: 369hp at 5,500rpm Torque: 500Nm at 1,800rpm Fuel economy, combined: 8.0L / 100km AT4 Ultimate, as tested Engine: 6.2-litre V8 Power: 420hp Torque: 623Nm Transmission: 10-speed automatic Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800) On sale: Now Ministry of InteriorMinistry of DefenceGeneral Intelligence DirectorateAir Force Intelligence AgencyPolitical Security DirectorateSyrian National Security BureauMilitary Intelligence DirectorateArmy Supply BureauGeneral Organisation of Radio and TVAl Watan newspaperCham Press TV Sama TV

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