EF-in saints and sinners

Glendalough (Photo: Allan Henderson)

This week's report is going to be slightly shorter than usual but you will find that a remarkable count of 34 of the 35 songs we sang have been found on YouTube, so there's plenty to listen to behind the link at the bottom of this report.

Colin was MC as usual and started off the evening with John Dory (Roud 249, Child 284).

Geoff went to the song catalogue of the Eagles for Jack Tempchin's Peaceful Easy Feeling.

Derek headed to the antipodes with Jim Jones At Botany Bay (Roud 5478) while Simon took us to Newfoundland for Lukey's Boat (Roud 1828).

Mike continued the tour of his 1988 songbook on the E and F leg of the journey, stopping off with the Enniskellen Dragoons (Tommy Makem, after Roud 2185), Farmer's Boy (Roud 408, Laws Q30), The Smuggler's Song (words by Rudyard Kipling, tune from the singing of  Peter Bellamy and often attributed to him but possibly by Christopher Le Fleming: "Five and twenty ponies") and the Farewell Shanty.

Geoff gave us a second song from the pen of Tommy Makem in the Town Of Ballybay.

Colin's rendition, possibly the first ever at the Dragon Folk Club, of Tom Bowling (Roud 1984) caused some discussion. Mike initially described it as Victorian, but it was soon found to have been written by Charles Dibdin, who died in 1814, twenty three years before Victoria came to the throne.

Geoff was surprised to hear that the name of The Glendalough Saint was Kevin but Derek and Simon confirmed it, Simon having visited the remains of his cathedral in County Wicklow not once but twice.

Colin sang two songs from the repertoire of our good friend Gary, first it was Gary's own Elsie, and later Brighouse On A Saturday Night (Roger Davies).

It was interesting to find in my research for the blog that Geoff's song, Joseph McHugh (Dermot Kelly) is about a real pub in Liscannor, County Clare.

It fell to Derek to send us off at the end of the evening singing loudly to Salonika (Roud 10513).

Here's a selection of songs sung during this session.

(Number of people present - 5, of whom 5 performed)