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A Name Perpetual (Hanow a
bes vynytha) was commissioned for the Cornwall Youth Wind
Orchestra by Keskerdh Kernow, an organisation formed to promote the
Cornish culture and to commemorate the Cornish Rebellion of 1497, when
the people of Cornwall rose up against the Monarchy. Under the
leadership of Michael An Gof and Thomas Flamanck, a Cornish host,
sometimes estimated to number as many as 15,000, marched to London in
protest against excessive taxation. Arriving at Blackheath, they were
attacked by the King's army and defeated, and the two rebel leaders
were hung, drawn and quartered. On his way to his death, An Gof stated
that he would have "a name perpetual and a fame permanent and
immortal".
A Name Perpetual
tells the story of the Rebellion in four connected scenes. The music
includes strong elements of the Celtic music tradition, being
structured around an old Cornish folk tune. The first scene introduces
fragments of the folk theme and reflects the anguish of the Cornish
people. The second scene opens with the folk theme on solo piccolo and,
as different instruments enter one by one, the march is depicted with
its accumulation of forces en route.
The march halts suddenly as the
Cornishmen discover the unexpected arrival of the English army and the
subsequent music portrays the Blackheath Skirmish. In this scene the
orchestra is divided into four parts, each working independently to
create a sense of chaos, with the stronger elements of the brass and
bass instruments representing the English, while the woodwind and
saxophones represent the Cornish, struggling to sustain the folk tune
throughout the battle.
Eventually all the parts come together
and the final section is a lament for the lost Cornishmen, fading away
to leave only a haunting off-stage trumpet solo.
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