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)