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Polzeath's Magic Inspires Musical Creations
For musicians seeking inspiration, the Cornish coast, particularly around Polzeath, offers more than just breathtaking scenery; it's a muse, a collaborator, and often the catalyst for creative alchemy.
Last year, February 18th 2023 to be precise, a chance "Close Encounter" on the cliffs between myself, a Beach Artist, and Christian, a Danish rock star, sparked more than just a song.
We met for the first time in the "mizzle". That amazingly fine Cornish rain that penetrated Christian’s cool leather jacket as we looked off the cliff edge at a giant Catan board my daughter and I had drawn on the beach.
Little did we know the serendipitous meeting would set the stage for a beautiful song he’d sing to me with Marie, his musical partner, that summer on the beach as I ran a Wellness Wednesday Beach Art session.
His tuneful “The Joy of Giving” was inspired by Christian’s interactions with locals in the Polzeath Spar queue. I have a feeling that the song he gifted me is one that only I have an original recording.
Christian, it turned out, was deep into composing a groundbreaking rock musical, "Space for Love” when I met him. He and Marie had spent the winter in a borrowed house in New Polzeath close to where the likes of Mick Jagger, Busted and even Hugh Grant have been known to hide out too.
Remember the film “Music and Lyrics”? Grant plays a version of the Wham singer who just up and left for Cornwall. Both Grant and Ridgeley are sometimes seen on Polzeath beach with Andrew Ridgeley still living locally. He’s shown as a boy on the beach at the start of the 2023 Netflix documentary “Wham” and one wonders if it is there that Wham's music got some of its joy.
Anyhow, back to my Catan board with its symbol-filled hexagons in the mizzle. Christian, months later, confessed to me that what he saw then was an out-of-this-world message telling him to stay true to his artistic path amidst the danger facing all musicians in our digitally controlled age. His musical tale of extraterrestrial music saviors, made perfect sense to him in the Cornish mystique and so did my beach art "message".
"And so began a magical musical tour for the Beatles-loving Danes. My beach art found its way into Christian and Marie’s promotional videos, providing a visual alongside their music for aliens to land on.
While "Space for Love" may not have reached you or the charts yet, the journey itself resonated deeply with Polzeath locals.
Of course Polzeath's musical legacy extends far beyond this out-of-world encounter.
Just look at the "Fishermen's Friends," who revitalised sea shanties from Port Isaac. Or the legendary composer Arnold Bax, whose soul resonated with the ancient echoes of Tintagel and who, in my opinion, indirectly brought Carl Jung to Polzeath in 1923. I’ll share that story with you on a walk if you ask.
Nestled in the heart of New Polzeath, local friends "The Portraits", known for their performances at Glastonbury and Rock Oyster festivals, have been crafting music for years within an unlikely setting. Ironically, their creative home was once owned by Lady Wills, whose wealth stemmed from her family's Bristol cigarette company, now part of the Imperial Tobacco Company. A stark contrast to the clean Cornish air they now breathe into their music.
The yearly St Endellion Music Festival celebrates classical excellence and the musicians there are inevitably to be found on the beach during their free time from the festival. Even the late Richard Hickox, the acclaimed conductor, found solace in Polzeath's waves, and his sons continue that song.
You don’t have to be in Cornwall to recognise the connections and my mother once bumped into Hickox a long way from home in Sydney where he was conducting at the Opera House. He greeted her with the friendliest St Endellion “hello Philippa”… even though they hardly knew each other at all.
And so our personal Cornwall musical scores and stories connect and move us like the tide. John Betjeman's childhood memories of sea and sand in the sandwiches contain lyrics for the land around Trebetherick and move to the big surf at Polzeath where Mark Crowdy’s 24 year old film "Saving Grace" is now ready to run again as a new musical in the West End.
If you seek to better understand this Cornish magic, watch Martha Tilston's "The Tape," a crowd-funded 2021 film exploring Selkie spells. It's a beautiful reminder that true value lies not just in fame and commercial success, but in the act of creation, the joy of sharing, and the deep connection between artist and muse.
The “Joy of Giving" brought Christian and Marie to Polzeath for a music-writing retreat that was fuelled by the spirit of generosity. Be kind to yourself as you walk and wander, and let your music take flight here too.
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