Helston Flora Day

Helston Town Band is extremely proud of its association with Helston Flora Day, when our 'quaint old Cornish town' throngs with thousands of people. Flora Day is usually held on 8th May unless this falls on a Sunday or Monday.

Brighouse and Rastrick Band recorded its own version of 'The Floral Dance' in 1977. But it is only Helston Town Band who can claim ownership of the authentic Flora Dance. Passed down through the generations of Helston bandsmen and women, no written music exists. The Flora Dance is sacred to Helston Town Band and has never been written on manuscript to ensure it remains only within the band.

The Helston Flora Dance CD-Single, recorded by Helston Town Band in 2006, is available to order online - click here to order

On Flora Day, there are four dances throughout the day led by the band:

1. Early morning dance (7am): ladies in summer dresses, men in grey flannels and white shirts
2. Children's dance (9.50am): Helston school children all dressed in white
3. Midday dance: ladies in full-length dresses, men in morning suits and tails
4. Evening dance (5pm): dress as the early morning dance

The first and last dances are led by Helston Senior Band, who are joined by the Junior Band, Beginners Band and invited guest players for the remaining dances. In total, senior band members cover an incredible 16 miles - playing the Flora Dance nearly 1000 times!

A few legends exist surrounding the origin of Flora Day, but the most famous relates to St Michael's victory over the Devil who reputedly tore the lid off Hell (i.e. Hell's Stone), as depicted on the Helston Town Band emblem.

To view photos of past Flora Days, visit our online gallery .

To see how the band prepared for Flora Day 2009, including an informal account of the big day, visit our lighthearted Flora Day Diary.