Current Events

The Music of Poldark
With Mike O’Connor and Barbara Griggs

I’d pluck a fair rose for my love
I’d pluck a red rose blowin’….

Each season at Mr Rook’s we like to include one show that crosses over into other genres, mixing spoken word with other art forms. So to complement our Celtic-themed Spring Season we have asked back Mr Rook’s favourites Mike O’Connor and Barbara Griggs. They will be exploring the traditional music used in the television series Poldark, which seemed appropriate to us given they film a few of the scenes in our very own Gentle Street.

Mike O’Connor is the leading researcher of music in Cornwall and Barbara Griggs is a respected early music specialist. Together they perform a unique repertoire, the product of unprecedented scholarship that has led to the discovery of many early manuscripts and previously unconsidered sources in Cornwall. Mike is also well-known as a storyteller with a deep knowledge of Cornish legends and folk tales.

Mike has been an adviser on Mammoth Screens revival of the Poldark series from the first series, contributing dances, tunes, folksongs and instruments. He is also credited with songs such as ‘I’d Pluck a Fair Rose’ memorably sung by Eleanor Tomlinson as Demelza and quoted above. The lyrics were written by Winston Graham to sound like a folk song with Mike adding the music.

Along with stories and anecdotes from Cornwall, Mike and Barbara will share with us music from the series and traditional Cornish music on violin, accordion and harp