WHEN MINERS SANG--THE GRASS VALLEY CAROL CHOIR
By Gage McKinney
McKinney has given this famous choir a closer look as an example of Cornish-American culture. In speaking of the choir he wrote, "People believe the carol tradition is old in Grass Valley, but few realize it's as old as the city itself. Many people think of the Cornish carols as ancient, when in fact they are not...people think of it as an ethnic choir, though in a strict sense it probably never was and certainly isn't today."
Gage points out that Women stepped forward more than once to keep the male voice choirs alive. Music has always been an important part of the Cornish personality both in Cornwall and America. This book is the first to shed light on this subject in much detail.
Soft cover, 6x9, 304 pages, black and white photos, $18.
