On Saturday, March 7, at 9:15 a.m. the You Bet Brass will summon Grass Valley’s citizens, children and dogs to the intersection of Mill and Bank streets for the annual St. Piran’s Day celebration and pasty tossing contest.
The St. Piran’s Day motto is, “Everyone’s Cornish today!”
At 9:30 a.m. Mayor Hilary Hodge will proclaim St. Piran’s Day and master of ceremonies and town crier Paul Haas will ring the town bell and present the awards. They will arrive at the event accompanied by Pipes & Drums of the Northern Mines.
Festivities begin with flags and the singing of the American and Cornish national anthems at 9:45 a.m., a Cornish-American “naturalization” ceremony and then the tossing of pasties.
The mayors of Grass Valley and Nevada City lead off the competition, followed by the police chiefs of the two towns, other dignitaries and leaders and then citizens and children.
Come join in the fun, rain or shine, and take a turn competing for a winner’s ribbon. Bring your leased dog to help clean the streets of shattered pasties, which contain organic dog food in a liver crust, baked by Carol Kinyon.
Brass instruments are essential to Cornish culture. Since ancient times the Cornish have mined tin and copper in their native land and then traveled across the earth to tunnel into hard rock and extract minerals, especially Grass Valley’s gold.
Work underground left these miners with calloused hands and rough fingers. Miners didn’t play stringed instruments, but they could press the keys of brass ones and march should-to-shoulder in bands. In the mining era, Grass Valley’s band performed across the state and won awards in San Francisco.
Men’s choirs expressed in singing the camaraderie the men established while working in dangerous conditions underground.
The Grass Valley Male Voice, directed by George Husaruk, will lead the singing of the anthems at St. Piran’s Day and later perform at a midday concert. (See accompanying article.)
The historic Chan family, representing generations of Grass Valley merchants and medical professionals, will gather to take an oath and become naturalized Cousin Jacks and Jennies, the nickname given to Cornish folk who came to mine the American West. Anyone with a generous heart who loves pasties is eligible to join them.
St. Piran is to Cornwall what St. Patrick is to Ireland. In history, he brought Christianity to the Celtic land in the 5th century. In legend, he outwitted menacing giants and taught the Cornish to refine tin. The Cornish flag, a white cross on a back field, is called “St. Piran’s flag.”
Join the fun by coming down to Mill Street, where you may give a dog a thrill, make a child’s day and have a story afterwards to put a smile on anyone’s face.
St. Piran’s Day sponsors include the Greater Grass Valley Chamber of Commerce, GV Downtown Association, GV Male Voice Choir, GV-Bodmin Sister Cities, California Cornish Cousins; Gold Country Celtic Society and City of Grass Valley.
Luncheon honoring Eleanor Kenitzer
Singer Rita Hosking and the Grass Valley Male Voice Choir will headline a luncheon concert in honor of Eleanor Kentizer’s retirement as director of the Grass Valley Cornish Carol Choir on St. Piran’s Day, Saturday, March 7, noon, at the United Methodist Church.
Adding her voice to the celebration will be singer-songwriter Anna Anise, who flies in from Cornwall especially for the concert.
Eleanor revived the Christmas choir in 1990 after it had gone quiet in the 1970s and ‘80s. She directed the choir for 36 years and conducted its definitive recordings.
For 150 years the carol choir, once comprised entirely of miners and their sons, has been the voice of Grass Valley. In the mid-20th century the choir performed across the region and even across the world on NBC, CBS, BBC and Armed Forces radio networks.
The Cornish Carol Choir performs every season and especially at downtown Grass Valley’s Cornish Christmas celebrations. The GV Male Voice Choir, founded by Eleanor in 1997, performs throughout the year and now under the direction of George Husaruk.
Eleanor brought the carol choir and Grass Valley to prominence when she led the carols on Huell Howser’s “California’s Gold” television show and on tours to Cornwall, England. Eleanor’s work has prompted a revival of Cornish carols in other communities where the Cornish settled as far away as Australia and even in Cornwall itself.
The luncheon will add to Grass Valley’s St. Piran’s Day festivities which begin earlier in the morning.
Mayor Hilary Hodge will recognize Eleanor on behalf of the city, pastys will be served and then the concert will begin. At the end, all past and present members of the Cornish Carol Choir will be invited to join in singing “Diadem” a last time under Eleanor’s direction.
Tickets are $15 for lunch and the concert and are available from the Greater Grass Valley Chamber of Commerce at 530-273-4667. Order tickets in advance to assure a seat.
Know & go
WHAT: St. Piran’s Day celebration and pasty toss
WHEN: Saturday, March 7 at beginning at 9:15 a.m.
WHERE: Downtown Grass Valley at Mill and Bank streets
COST: Free
Know & go
WHAT: St. Piran’s Day pasty luncheon and concert
WHEN: Saturday, March 7 at noon
WHERE: United Methodist Church, 256 South Church Street, Grass Valley
COST: $15
TICKETS: Available from Greater Grass Valley Chamber of Commerce. Please call 530-273-4667 for more information.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.theunion.com ’
