Banjo's first outing

HMS Cavalier which is at The Historic Dockyard Chatham
(Photo: Simon Meeds)

Last week's Dragon Folk Club saw a visit by occasional regulars Stuart and Carrie; Carrie with her latest instrument to try out on what I think may have been its maiden outing... a banjo. It joins her guitar, ukulele and harmonica.

There is nothing special to report this week, so we'll head straight into the session. Colin kicked us from from the MC's chair with Utah Phillips' All used up.

Stuart and Carrie (with banjo) together gave us two songs: I wandered by a brookside (Words: Richard Monckton Milnes, 1st Baron Hougthon; tune: Barbara Berry) and Dink's song (roud 10057).

Simon had a first go at The herring song (roud 128).

Denny sang Four strong winds (Ian Tyson) and Paul completed the first rotation with Bold General Wolfe (roud 624).

There were just three songs sung that were new to the Dragon database:

• Simon - Twenty-third flotilla song (* roud 29405)
• Stuart - September (* Allee Willis, Maurice White) a ballad-style version of the Earth, Wind & Fire hit of 1978 sung by Sinéad Harnett and used in an advert for the Renault Austral E-Tech; sorry for the advert, but I'm not sure it exists elsewhere.
•  Carrie and Stuart - She's leaving home (* Lennon-McCartney)

When Stuart and Carrie sang Handsome Molly (roud 454), I knew it was familiar (apart from from their singing) and indeed I was pleased to find a recording of the late friend of the club, Betty MacDonald, performing it.

This week Paul was asked to finish off the session which he did in appropriate style with The parting song (Dave Webber).

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

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

In the above report songs new to the Dragon database (though not always new to the club) are marked with an asterisk (*) and any songs not included in the "a selection" playlist are marked with a hash (#).