The Trelawny Shout

Trelawny Shout is a St Piran's Day tradition begun in 2007. The Cornish Federation of Male Voice Choirs were keen to go out to the Cornish Community in an attempt to get them singing and Jim Christophers (then publicity Officer of CFMVC) proposed that every Cornish Male Choir should send social groups out into Cornwall’s pubs and (at the stroke of 9.00pm on 5th March) tune into Radio Cornwall to coordinate a mass sing-song.  The initial plan was for publicity via The Guinness Book of Records, but so popular was the idea in pubs, that the concept was adopted and sponsored by the brewery industry. The first Brewery inspired Trelawny Shout took place on 5th March 2015 with over seventy pubs throughout Cornwall taking part. This has now grown with many thousands of people from the Cornish Diaspora throughout the world taking part, when at 9.00pm everybody stops talking and raises the roofs with hearty singing of 'Trelawny'.

The Song of the Western Men

'Trelawny'

Original English Words by the Reverend Robert Stephen Hawker

English
A good sword and a trusty hand!
A merry heart and true!
King James's men shall understand
What Cornish lads can do!
And have they fixed the where and when?
And shall Trelawny die?
Here's twenty thousand Cornish men
Will know the reason why!

And shall Trelawny live?
Or shall Trelawny die?
Here's twenty thousand Cornish men
Will know the reason why!

Out spake their Captain brave and bold:
A merry wight was he:
Though London Tower were Michael's hold,
We'll set Trelawny free!
We'll cross the Tamar, land to land:
The Severn is no stay:
With "one and all," and hand in hand;
And who shall bid us nay?

And shall Trelawny live?
Or shall Trelawny die?
Here's twenty thousand Cornish men
Will know the reason why!

And when we come to London Wall,
A pleasant sight to view,
Come forth! come forth! ye cowards all:
Here's men as good as you.
Trelawny he's in keep and hold;
Trelawny he may die:
Here's twenty thousand Cornish bold
Will know the reason why

And shall Trelawny live?
Or shall Trelawny die?
Here's twenty thousand Cornish men
Will know the reason why!

Kernwek
Gans kledha da ha dorn yw lel,
Gwir lowen an golon
Yth aswon Mytern Jamys fel
Pandr'wrello Kernowyon.
Yw ordnys prys ha le ankow?
'Verow Trelawny bras?
Ottomma ugens mil Gernow
A wodhvydh oll an kas.

'Verow Trelawny bras?
'Verow Trelawny bras?
Ottomma ugens mil Gernow
A wodhvydh oll an kas!

Yn-medh an kapten, byw y woos,
Gwas joliv yn mesk kans:
"Tour Loundres kyn fe Karrek Loos
Y’n delirvsen dehwans.
Ni a dres Tamar, tir dhe dir,
An Havren ny’gan lett;
Ha skoodh reb skoodh, kowetha wir,
Piw orthyn ni a sett?

‘Verow Trelawny bras?
‘Verow Trelawny bras?
Ottomma ugens mil Gernow
A wodhvydh oll an kas!

Devedhys bys yn fos Loundres
"Gwel teg dhyn" ni a gri;
"Dewgh mes, ownegyon oll, dewgh mes,
Gwell dus on esowgh hwi!"
Trelawny yw avel felon
Fast yn karharow tynn
Mes ugens mil a Gernowyon
Godhvos an ken a vynn.

‘Verow Trelawny bras?
‘Verow Trelawny bras?
Ottomma ugens mil Gernow
A wodhvydh oll an kas!

For those who may wish to be adventurous and sing 'Trelawny' in Kernewek the words are above and a video with 'Merv's bouncing ball' to the words are below. Click the picture and a link will open to show Oll an Gwella and St Ives Community Choir singing Trelawny, in Cornish, at the Lowender Peran Festival in the YouTube video. Have fun.