Bucca uses the text from ’John Marrack’, an original poem by Kate Nye

Young John Marrack, stenor by trade Throws a crust for the Bucca, his life from his mo’sel paid. Tewl, gleb, bros, own, Poll pick swings, boryers grone And the big wheel turns (around).

NOTES: Marrack is a typical Cornish surname. Stenor (stener) is Cornish for Tin Miner. Mo’sel - a word used by miners meaning ‘lunch’. They often left part of their food behind in the mine for the Bucca (The Knockers - mine spirits). The food was an offering or payment, hoping that in return the Bucca would then warn them of impending cave-ins or danger by knocking.

The following are Cornish words: Tewl - dark. [tɛʊl]. Speakers of RLC (Revived Late Cornish) and Tudor Cornish sometimes change <ew> to <ow> in stressed polysyllables, reflecting a difference in pronunciation. Gleb - wet Bros - (possibly brôz) very hot/blazing Own - fear Poll Picks and Boryers (drills) were typical tools used in the mines. The big wheel refers to the wheels housed in the typical structures found at the head of mine shafts used in winching out the ore or pumping out the water from the shafts.

PERFORMANCE NOTES: This piece was written specifically for the 15-Minutes-of-Fame Series. Bucca is a dramatic piece, briefly describing life underground for one Cornish tin miner. Jenny Greene is encouraged to treat this as a piece of miniature ’music theatre’ - the soloist taking the role of ’storyteller’. The piano represents the Bucca (the Knockers), the turning mining wheel and the dark tunnels dripping with water. Where indicated, the body of the piano should be ’knocked’ by the pianist.