Sacred Landscapes - A Musical Travelogue through Cornwall

words and music by Cornish composer and violinist Sue Aston

Cornish Photography by genius loci

Cornish sunset over sennen cove - west penwith cornwall by phil aston

music inspired by the landscape of Cornwall

by Sue Aston

Quick links - Sue Aston CDs and DVDs from AMAZON

Song of the Sun (Sunrise)

Our journey starts with the sun rising over the Cornish Landscape. Here we have tried to capture the full spectrum of emotions that Cornwall can conjure up. Cornwall is a land that is for many a land apart from the rest of England. The track also features the beautiful guitar playing of Gordon Giltrap. Don't be surprised if there are tears in your eyes after hearing this.

King Arthur's Kingdom

Cornwall and King Arthur are two names that are intrinsically linked with each other. The music starts with the sound of the ocean breaking against the Tintagel Headland .

The sunsets in Cornwall are like no other and the late summer storms offer a glimpse of mother earth at her most passionate.

Here then, is a land drenched in folklore and legend, a proud land, a sacred land, a place of dreams.

Rocky Valley (The Wooded Glen)

Alleged to be Cornwall's most haunted valley, 'If you are going to see fairies, then the Rocky Valley will be the place' said Paul Broadhurst when we visited his shop 'The Mystic Place in Boscastle'. We spent two days exploring this area and both of us saw things independently that could not be explained. This is an area of Cornwall steeped in mystery.

St Nectin's Glen - North Cornwall by Phil Aston

At the one end is the magnificent St Nectan's Kieve with it's legends of ghostly monks and Arthur's knights. The other end of the valley leads down to the sea past a ruined mill. There are two carved Labyrinths which allegedly date back to the Bronze age.

You can easily imagine the sun's rays piercing through the trees. Let the music take your imagination on a journey along the forest floor. Order your copy now from AMAZON!

Warleggan (The Singing)

Warleggan is a very remote place sitting on top of Bodmin Moor, some excellent articles of the local history of this place can be found in the publication 'Meyn Mamvro' .The following is taken from issue 36 of 'Meyn Mamvro', and is a true account of Sue's experiences there.

"I was looking forward to exploring Warleggan church, as I had read the article in Meyn Mamvro describing the bizarre lifestyle of the Rev Densham. We had had an inspiring day which saw us take in Roche Rock, The Hurlers, St Cleer and the Dozmary Pool. However, nothing could prepare me for what I was about to experience at Warleggan.

We walked up the hill to the Church ,and a sense of apprehension descended upon us. As I entered the Church, I immediately experienced the crushing effect of the atmosphere of the place. To begin with, I thought that I was going to faint, although I was feeling perfectly well and alert, but I could not understand the rushing noise in my ears.

I swallowed hard, expecting my ears to pop, but still the noise persisted.

The sound was almost electronic in a way - as though there was a motor boat droning away under the floor. As I looked around the Church, I remember feeling a sense that something powerful was present with us - it was a most disarming experience.

Still this noise persisted and apparently only I could hear it - and it was so loud. I found it incredible that people had written in the visitor's book comments describing the Church as 'beautiful and peaceful' - it was anything but to me! I was relieved to get outside, and noticed at once that the noise in my ears had stopped!'

The phenomenon described above is sometimes called 'Hummadruz'. In Paul Broadhurst's Book 'Secret Shrines' ,it is described as 'the singing' and states that it can occur on moors and in old churches.

Dozmary Pool

The lake was thought to be bottomless, however, in 1859 it dried up during a drought! It is still fondly believed to be the home of King Arthur's magical sword Excalibur, and the lady of the lake. Whatever your views are, there is no doubting the haunting atmosphere of this eerie lake which lies in the middle of Bodmin Moor.

Beltane Fantasy

As Spring turns into Summer, the season's round is marked by the Celtic festival 'Beltane' (May 1st). On this day the fertility of the Earth Mother was reaffirmed and celebrated*. The music here is a Celtic stomp with fiery violins, and a throbbing rustic rhythm. In Padstow in North Cornwall, the 'Obby Oss' winds its way through the streets representing death and rebirth of life throughout the seasons . Cheryl Straffon describes Padstow on Mayday as being a very Pagan place, and indeed it is one of the few living Pagan festivals that has not been Christianised in any way.

Legend of Roche Rock

Roche Rock near St Austell in Cornwall - by Phil Aston

Just off the A30 towards St Austell looms the magnificent spectacle that is 'Roche Rock' Here is a Hermitage built into the rock itself, that is full of legend and superstition.

The holy well below the hermitage is said to move with the ebb and flow of the sea. The music here builds around cascades of driving violins and atmospheric keyboards simulating the howling winds as it winds its way around the ruins high on the rock.

Spirit

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When you travel through Cornwall, you can very often start to feel really good about life, the universe - well anything really! There is something that permeates through the very rock, the rugged coastline, the friendly and hospitable people that gets inside your very soul. 'Spirit' is about that feeling, with it's hypnotic percussion and emotive violin playing. It is music that will help conjure up your favourite aspect of Cornwall whenever you need to connect to it's Sacred Landscape.

Pagan Celebration

'Pantheism' is a term used by people who believe God is in everything you see. In Cornwall there is very much a blurring between the belief systems of the older religions and those of the more established religions. In a place as isolated as Cornwall and a place where so much depends on the land and the seasons it is not hard to see how this came about.

You will find that a lot of the places you visit are still very much in use by the locals and visitors alike, even though the places themselves are thousands of years old. Here we have tried to capture the essence of 'The Wheel of the Year' festivals and celebrations. The track has a gypsy feel to it with a lovely violin melody from Sue.

The Waltz of the Merry Maidens'

A haunting waltz, a stone circle , legends of uninhibited dancers and musicians being turned into stone leads us to music inspired by The Merry Maidens' Stone Circle. The Merry Maidens is a precise circle of 19 evenly spaced granite stones*. Both Sue and I have dowsed the energy line of this site, and whatever your views on this subject are, there is no doubting the strong atmospheres that sites like these can generate.[reference* Ian McNeil Cooke 'Mermaid To Merrymaid (Journey To The Stones)']

Bound in Gossamer Threads

Carn Kenidjack is also known as the 'Hooting Carn'. West Penwith in Cornwall

This is inspired by an area of the Land's End peninsula called the Gump, which is a stretch of moorland around the north-east of Carn Kenidjack. There are many tales in this area of mystery lights (sometimes known as faery lights), and the area itself is full of mystical significance with many ancient stones and sites.

In fact, Carn Kenidjack is also known as the 'Hooting Carn'. It is described in Cheryl Straffon's 'Guide to Ancient Sites in West Penwith' as follows: '

A deep silence and mysteriousness hang over it, the spirit of the past seems to reign here...Macbeth's witches might have danced on such a spot'. The name 'Hooting Carn' comes from the sound that the wind makes as it blows through this rocky outcrop. Underneath the gaze of Carn Kenidjack is Tregeseal Stone Circle.

You can easily imagine the ancient peoples of the area looking up at the Carn and feeling connected with the land.

The area is also rich in folklore about the Faery ,and this is where the title of this track comes from. The legend tells of a man who, on the night of a harvest moon, saw strange lights over the area, and, on closer inspection, saw it's faery treasure.

Tregeseal Stone Circle in West Penwith Cornwall

Enchanted by the music emanating from the area, he quickly fell asleep. On waking, he quickly found himself alone on the moor, tied to the ground by thousands of gossamer threads.

Summerlands

Summerlands is a evocative word describing a place of rest where the soul visits after passing over. Cornwall is a special place where, if you take a moment to look around, notice the sky, listen to the air itself and breathe it in, you can start to connect with those who have gone before.

When you look across this rugged coast, you are seeing and hearing the same sights and sounds that our ancestors experienced, whether that is 50 years ago or 4000 years ago. What you feel inside, the calm, the passion, and the joy at being lucky enough to be able to experience the Cornish landscape, it is the same feeling that they felt when they looked out to sea. Whatever your belief system, Cornwall can, if you let her, be the Summerlands of your heart and dreams.

The track features an emotive violin solo from Sue. Order your copy now!

Madron :

A lone violin evokes the spirit that is Madron Holy Well. Madron is reached at the end of what seems like a walk through an enchanted forest. The well itself is usually under water, the nearby trees are heavy with prayer offerings in the form of Clouties.

Nearby is the ruined chapel with it's corner font. Look out into the green labyrinth of trees, and feel yourself literally being drawn in. Madron is a powerful place, and, like Sancreed, will reach out into your very being.

NB: It is probably worth pointing out that sensible footwear is a must, as the footpaths to many of the places described here are usually very muddy!

Earth Sorrow - Sancreed Holy Well :

Originally Earth Sorrow was a reaction to hearing how local Methodists had removed Clouties from the trees near 'Sancreed Holy Well' A report on this can be found in 'Meyn Mamvro'. The sorrow comes from the landscape itself. If all the parties concerned took a step back, they would see that their intentions have a common link. The only difference is the way in which their prayers are expressed.

Sancreed Holy well is a very atmospheric place. In all our visits to Sancreed ,there has always been a low mist, and the lonely calling of birds in the trees. In Sancreed itself there is a church, a telephone box, a couple of houses, and that is about all. Sancreed is a very old place, some say the spiritual centre of West Penwith, but it is the Holy well itself that defines it's personality. When you approach the well, you are engulfed by a strong awareness of an omniscient presence,which is surrounding you and watching every move that you make. A hush seems to descend upon every animal and bird.

Sancreed Holy Well in West Penwith Cornwall by phil aston

There is no sense of good or evil, just a very strong feeling that here is a place which is very ancient indeed. Sancreed makes you feel as though you are alongside something very powerful, and it's personality reflects your own feelings and intentions.

Paul Broadhurst describes Sancreed in his book 'Secret Shrines' as 'out of all the sites I have visited, Sancreed possesses the most potent atmosphere of extreme antiquity, something that is beyond the range of words and the conscious levels of the mind'

Sancreed well is situated down a flight of granite steps, and it really is like entering the womb of Mother Earth. Whatever the weather conditions are like outside, once you are down amongst the cold granite rocks and luminous lichen, a real sense of peace and a primeval atmosphere envelopes you.

Cheryl Straffon describes Sancreed in her book Pagan Cornwall Land of the Goddess' as a 'deeply evocative and magical site - a haven of tranquility' . We could not agree more. The track itself features Gordon Giltrap on Midi Guitar and a very emotive violin solo from Sue.

Alsia

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Phil's gentle guitar picking opens this piece about the very beautiful 'Alsia's Holy Well'.

There are ghost stories and legends about this isolated part of Cornwall, and it is this little known holy well, which emanates such peace and tranquility, that inspired this gentle music.

Unlike Sancreed and Madron, where the presence of the Spirit can sometime be a bit overpowering, Alsia is a gentle and fragile place.

Yet again the feeling of not being alone is very apparent, but at Alsia, it is more like being comforted by a solitary angel. It is locations like Alsia that require utmost respect from the visitor. You may well see offerings tied to nearby branches, and small items near to the well itself. Please respect these. I'm sure Karmic law prevails even more strongly in these holiest of places.

Song of the Sun (sunset)

And so we bid goodbye to this visit to Cornwall with a return to the main theme, but this time with a more organic approach to the musical arrangement, with a soothing violin solo. There may be sunsets in other parts of the world which are more beautiful, but to us (and perhaps to many of you), nothing can compare to the passion and spirit of a Cornish Sunset.

Musicians

Sue Aston: Violin / Keyboards

Phil Aston: Guitars / Percussion

Mike Lavender: Keyboards / Special Effects / Layering

Special Guest: Gordon Giltrap

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Sacred Landscapes - A Musical Travelogue through Cornwall

words and music by Cornish composer and violinist Sue Aston