THE BIG SING
15 JUNE 2012

On Midsummer’s Day Watergate Bay hosted a unique celebration of the longest day of the year, combining song, dance and sculpture.

In 2011 200 children from seven primary schools spent the day exploring the beach through a series of workshops. Jane Darke ran a session discovering the stories of things washed up on the beach, while the RNLI taught children about beach safety.

There were also sessions on singing, dance and all the children were helped by artists Tony Crosby, Sue Kinley and Sarah Hunkin to make flags and used them to create a stunning brightly-coloured sun which flapped enthusiastically in the breeze.

The schools ended by joining together for a massed singing of beach-inspired songs such as ‘Dancing on the Beach (Street?!)’ and ‘Let’s go fly a kite‘ as the kite surfers jumped the waves behind them.

In the evening the inspiring Cornwall Youth Dance Company opened the public event with ‘Haul Away’, choreographed by Sally Williams and Helen Tiplady. The crowds on the beach were then entertained by nine community choirs, each singing some of their repertoire before being joined by St Newlyn East brass band for a massed rendition of the Mighty Ocean and The Queen of Crustacea (The Lobster Song) by Jim Carey and Nick Darke.

Amanda Harris from Keap, one of the organisers, said: “It was truly memorable to hear 250 people singing this wonderful song, accompanied by the band. This is the first time this arrangement has been heard in public and I hope this will become a tradition. You could say it was a world premiere!”

In fine tradition the event closed with a massed singing of ‘The Song of the Western Men’, known to most as Trelawny. Daphne Skinnard from BBC Radio Cornwall skilfully compèred the evening.

The event was managed by a small team from Keap, the Works, The Hotel & Extreme Academy and individual artists. It grew out of the Darke Visions Festival which celebrated the life and work of Cornish playwright Nick Darke and aims to celebrate the glories of the North coast of Cornwall through song and the creative arts. It was funded through Feast, Relays and Cornwall Learning.