Tonight, is the fifth and final night of Cornish Christmas in Grass valley so you will have one more opportunity to hear a piece of Grass Valley history going all the way back to the 1870’s. The Grass Valley Cornish Carol Choir will be performing at 6:00 and at 7:00 on the steps of The Union Building as they have done for over a hundred years. Choir Director, and Cornish Bard, Eleanor Kenitzer says music is one of the cultural assets the Cornish brought to Grass Valley when they came to work the hard rock gold mines.

And the Cornish carols are a big piece of the puzzle. The carols, by definition, are songs about the birth of Christ so there are no modern elements such as flying reindeer included. And they were written by people with little musical training but a passion for telling the story. The carols sung at churches, pubs, and other gathering places each with a slight variation depending on who was singing. The carols were sung as connection to community. They continued even when interest waned after the mines closed

Kenitzer says the dozen or so Cornish Carols are sung in the same order each performance as they have been for hundreds of years. She says there are several carols that make her feel as if the members of all the choirs past are singing with them on the steps.

The Grass Valley Cornish Carol Choir performs at 6:00Pm and again at 7:00pm on the steps of the Union Building. Each set is just under a half hour long.