Global Jamming

21/07/2026

Another summer highlight - Steeple Woodland Nature Reserve's open day on 12th July was great fun, with many activities - and of course some live music!

Thanks to Sarah from the St Ives Concert Band and fellow Bagas an Norvys players Katrina and Vaughan for joining us for some tunes. Here's the classic "Bodmin Riding", complete with a taste of John Barber's St.Ives Feast Song.

We also aired our new tune "Up to the Steeple" for the first time and Vaughan performed his classic "Gocky Bosvargus" - one we'll be including at future St Ives civic events.

Another successful year for this brilliant St Ives community project, which a few of us started back in the late 90s.
Thanks to Kim for the clip.

20/07/2026

Great day out at Lafrowda Festival - as always - on Saturday. Many thanks to Helen Davies and team for inviting us to work with Cape Cornwall School's music department to put on a join-in workshop in the Plen.

We sang a mash-up of songs about fish (from three continents) and one about saving our swallows, plus enjoyed a lovely jam session led by a young cellist. Loved having some of our musical friends from St Ives along too.

Thanks to Andrew George for this clip that perfectly captures the atmosphere!

17/07/2026

Looking forward to Lafrowda Festival's family activities tomorrow - we'll be in the Plen at 4pm, with students from Cape Cornwall School, singing songs about fish and swallows and doing some drumming.
Bring some percussion if you fancy joining in :)

23/06/2026

Pleased to announce a series of five Cauldron sessions at the The Western Hotel as part of this year's St Ives September Festival. All sessions run from 2-5pm, entry is free.

A few of us family and close friends wanted to do this in memory of Toni Carver, editor of the St Ives Times & Echo who ran these sessions - and others - for many years.

Toni was a beloved part of our family and community and a huge supporter of music and culture in the town. All of the Cauldron hosts (see poster) were closely involved with Toni through music sessions and his constant support for local culture and causes.

We're kicking off with the first session on Saturday 12th, where we'll be joined by cellist Kari Prince and uilleann piper Alan Burton, among others.

All are welcome to come and take a turn, jam along and most of all to be part of these celebrations of Toni's life and of his place at the heart of our community.

14/06/2026

The next phase of our New Wood Symphony is complete!
We had a fantastic time with Altarnun Primary School, composing rhythms and melodies inspired by a host of invertebrates we found at Symphony Woods, Bodmin Moor. We learned quite a few colourful Cornish names for these precious mini-beasts along the way too :)

Here's a short film below of what we got up to.

Thanks to Cornwall National Landscape for their support.

We've just started working with Launceston Primary School, who will be taking inspiration from the birds found on the moor, with particular focus on the migratory stories of the swallow and cuckoo. We've partnered with schools in Durban and Lagos, who are creating their own musical celebration of the winter abodes of these truly awesome birds.

Thanks to Cornwall Community Foundation for making this next phase of the children's symphony possible.






https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sXq3mdoeiI

08/06/2026

Not music this time, but something global and very special to us - a new film bringing together an interview Gavin conducted out in Guyana with one of his Guyana Forestry Commission colleagues in 1995 and some of the photos he took during his years working out there.

https://youtu.be/0MRWp00A3cU

Mr Ulric “Jakey” Jacobs of the Guyana Forestry Commission, intervie...

28/04/2026

We're excited to be starting the next phase of our New Wood Symphony next week, when we'll be working with Altarnun Primary School and Launceston Primary School on outdoor musical composition at Westmoorgate, near Trewint. These will focus on the fascinating worlds of insects and birds in our environment, drawing inspiration from their sounds, life cycles and migratory routes.

Our New Wood Symphony will comprise musical movements composed by these and two other local schools - Coads Green Primary School and finally South Petherwin Primary School

Thanks to our current funders, Cornwall National Landscape and the Cornwall Community Foundation.

We'll be launching a new Justgiving page shortly to help us complete this exciting project and bring these young people's wonderful creative contributions together.

23/04/2026

Calling musicians! Come and join us on May Day (Monday 4th May), when we'll meet at St Ia church at 11am before heading down to the harbour for St Ives' annual maypole dancing festivities.

Our community civic band - Bagas an Norvys - is always open to new players - please get in touch if you're interested in joining us. (There will be another opportunity to play for the Mayor's choosing procession on 18th May).

Another wonderful St Ives tradition kept alive, since its revival in 2000 by Mayor Chris C**klin and Mayoress Shirley Beck, along with St Ives museum curator Stanley C**k and others. Thanks to Rotary Club, St Ives Town Council Cornwall and St Ives Concert Band for ensuring that May Day remains one of the highlights of our town's yearly calendar.