Music all the way

Billy Bragg performing at WOMAD Reading in 1999
(Photo: Simon Meeds)

Your scribe wasn't present at last week's Dragon Folk Club session having been in the land of the red dragon for a few days, but it seems to have been a good one with a total of 46 songs being sung, which may be just one off the record if my memory serves!

There was a newcomer, Dominic, and a second-timer, Roger, so unsurprisingly there were quite a few songs new to the Dragon database (though not necessarily to the club), which to avoid repetition I will simply mark with an asterisk (*). These two gentlemen arrived together and Dominic accompanied some of Roger's songs on the harmonica.

There was some sort of issue with the pub's plumbing which caused a steady stream of gentlemen to make their way through the barn during the evening. Colin, anticipating an early finish thanks to this disruption and using his full MC powers, decided to start the session early, but in the end everyone was respectful and proceedings carried on to a natural finish.

Colin started things off with Batchelor's hall (roud 385). Denny followed this with Byker Hill (roud 3488) and Paul finished off the first pre-watershed round with Waking dreams (roud 22620).

When Roger and Dominic joined in their first songs respectively were: Wildwood flower (* roud 757 - Joseph Philbrick Webster, Maud Irving) and Dainty Davy (* roud 2387).

All of the songs sung during the session which don't appear in the playlist linked from "a selection" below were written by their respective singers. Paul was first in with his Close the dentist's door (Paul Welcomme), a parody of Alex Glasgow's Close the coalhouse door.

Roger was next with his own Grumpy man lament (* Roger Stanleigh).

As is traditional, I will mention all songs performed by newcomer Dominic:

• Town of Ballybay (Tommy Makem)
• Lakes of Ponchartrain (roud 1836, laws H9)
• The night visiting song (* roud 22568)
• The old woman from Wexford (roud 183, laws Q02 - Marrowbones)
• Talk to me of Mendonico (* Kate McGarrigle)
• Tramps and hawkers (roud 1874)

Colin contributed a new song to the database with Eric Bogle's Safe in the harbour.

Paul told the essentially true story of a diagnosis with his own Fathom my bowel (Paul Welcomme), a parody of course of Fathom the bowl (roud 880).

Roger added two further songs to the database: My baby left me (* Arthur Crudup) and North to Alaska (* Mike Phillips, Tillman Franks).

Colin gave us another "new" song with Billy Bragg's Between the wars (*).

It was Dominic who closed the evening, singing The Newry highwayman (* roud 490, laws L12)

Now listen to a selection of songs sung during this session.

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

Going for gold

(Photo: Simon Meeds)

I'll keep this week's report very simple. Nevertheless, I hope the playlist will make a decent listen. With many of the Dragon Folk Club stars away for the week those of us who remained set out to record a decent tally and we made it to forty songs before giving up. It's not a record by any means, that's at least forty-seven, but it is quite eclectic (there are certainly some folk songs in there if you look). If you discern any theme, sub-themes or direction I can assure you they were totally unintentional. In hindsight I can see some so I'll leave it to you to find them.

Your presence this Friday would be very welcome whether to sing, play, recite, or perform in any other way within reason as long as it's acoustic; alternatively to be our audience, join in the banter and the odd chorus. See you there.

Now listen to a selection of songs sung during this session.

(Number of people present - 1 of whom 1 performed)

A happy band

Matthew II and SS Great Britain
(Photo: Simon Meeds)

We had the best turn-out for a while at the Dragon Folk Club last week, and that included Gordon, a new face for the club, and a very welcome one who we hope to see again.

Colin, MC as usual, started off the session with Stan Rogers' The Mary Ellen Carter.

Gordon's debut song at the club was Old Zeb (Larry Kaplan). Kaplan says that the song is about Zebulon Northrup Tilton who was born in 1867, and died in 1952 at the age of eighty-five. He lived long enough to see the coasting schooner trade all but disappear. This was the first of six songs sung during the evening that were new to the Dragon database (though not necessarily new to the club) - I'll simply mark the rest with an asterisk (*).

Denny kept to the watery theme with Row on (roud 2084 - Tune: Tim Laycock). Also keeping to that theme was Paul with Wee pot stove (Harry Robertson), although taking after Nic Jones, Paul sang "Little pot stove".

With the 80th anniversary of the landings just past, Simon found another theme of his own, singing D-Day dodgers (roud 10499 - Lance-Sergeant Harry Pynn).

Rob sang a song sometimes sung by Steve: Just as the tide was flowing (roud 1105), followed swiftly by Steve singing a song sometimes sung by Rob: Rio Grande (roud 317). We're not territorial here when it comes to songs.

Bob gave us Blues stay away from me (Alton Delmore, Henry B Glover, Rabon Delmore, Wayne Raney), followed by Sue finishing the first rotation with Soon may the wellerman come, which contrary to popular belief is not a shanty (a working song), but a forebitter (a ballad sung by seamen while off duty). Nevertheless, Nathan Evans' recording of the song published on social media during the pandemic triggered a revival in shanty signing, which can't be a bad thing.

There were two songs sung during the evening which are not available on YouTube as far as I can tell, and therefore not in the playlist linked from "a selection" below. The first was Colin's singing of Chris Sugden's The Pharmacist (*), a parody of Farmer's boy (roud 408, laws Q30), sung by Sugden and Dick Nudds as The Kipper Family. The second song not on the playlist was sung by Rob, and written by his late friend Pete MacGregor: Modern banker (*).

As is customary, I will mention all of the songs sung by newcomer Gordon. His second song was Singing in the May (Mike O'Connor *) - a little late, but we will forgive him. Next he put on his one-man-band contraption (yes, really) and sang Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster's Me an Bobby McGee.

Unstrapped, Gordon gave us Joe Hill (Alfred Hayes, Earl Robinson), one of the songs in a set he is developing about rights that have been gained and could easily be lost.

The songs not so far mentioned which are new to the Dragon database were:

• Rob - Waiting for a train (Rob Winder *), not to be confused with the song of the same title which is roud 699, laws H2 and was written by Jimmie Rodgers
• Denny - Shift and spin (Ewan McVicar *)

It fell to Sue to close the evening with Love of the common people (John Hurley, Ronnie Wilkins).

Now listen to a selection of songs sung during this session.

(Number of people present - 9 of whom 9 performed)

We're here to please

Dido Bendigo (Photo: Simon Meeds)

Last week's Dragon Folk Club session was probably most notable for a rare visit by our Hampshire-based storyteller, Jane. She was supposed to be at a storytelling camp, but various situations colluded to keep her away so feeling disappointed and perhaps a little low, she came to see us with her friend Steve. Jane said our singing and the fact that we appreciate her stories lifted her spirits. Perhaps we can do the same for you? Jane was still hopeful of making it her camp, albeit a little later than planned.

Since Sue had been the first arrival of the evening, she kicked off the singing with Don't fence me in (Robert Fletcher, Cole Porter).

Colin challenged me with the first and only song of the evening not found on YouTube and therefore not in the playlist linked from "a selection" below. The song in question was Alan Foster's It's not easy, a parody of Eric Bogle's Now I'm easy.

Simon's first effort was Sugar in the hold below to with Stuart replied with another American tune: White Oak Mountain (roud 3608).

While it wasn't a new song to the club, Stuart's rendition of Golden brown (Hugh Cornwell, Jean-Jacques Burnel, Dave Greenfield, Jet Black) accompanying himself on ukulele banjo was unusual enough to be worth a mention.

When Steve and Jane joined us Steve was about to head to the bar for their drinks when Colin called him to sing. Dutifully he took up the challenge with Dido Bendigo (roud 584).

Jane's stories and poems are understandably not usually covered by the Dragon database, so I will list them:

• St Michael's Mount (a self-penned poem)
• Truth and story (story)
• Old Nick's cow's café (story)
• The fairy (story)

At the end of the evening Jane was asked to send us to bed which she did with a rather troubling story: Consequences, before lightening the mood with a slightly risqué joke.

Now listen to a selection of songs sung during this session.

(Number of people present - 6 of whom 6 performed)