Mind your language

The Rosetta Stone (Photo: Tony Hall)

I'm afraid last week's session was marked by a very low turn-out - only four of us to keep the tradition going. Nevertheless we got through a good selection of songs: 37 in total; nowhere near a record but pretty creditable.

Colin, the MC, started off with a song often sung by our friend Gary H: Sea Dog by Bob Zentz, from a poem by Burt Franklin Jenness. Only later did Colin tell us that his personal theme was miserable songs, a theme which Derek, by his own admission, is able to follow anytime without any particular intention and to prove it before it had even been mentioned sang The Twa Brothers (Roud 38, Child 49).

Simon marked the Last Night of the Proms with Isabel Makes Love Upon National Monuments (Jake Thackray - "On the last night of the Promenades she waved to the conductor").

The anniversary waltz

Kevin Barry

Before getting down to the report of last week's session there is an important notice, that there will be no Dragon Folk Club session on 13 October because The Bridge Inn is hosting a wake for someone from the village. There is no need though to go without music that week because there are two recommended events.

On Wednesday 11 October Simon's friend Damian Clarke is doing a gig in aid of Médecins Sans Frontières. Damian, who plays hammered dulcimer and hurdy gurdy, will be joined by George Whitfield on accordion and Kent Nielsen on ukulele. All this will be at The Star Inn, Fishponds and will kick off at 7:30pm.

The second recommended gig is friend of the Dragon Folk Club, Keith Hyett who is performing his own classical guitar compositions as part of his Memories of You tour at Mount Pleasant Community Centre, Bradford on Avon at 7:30pm on Friday 13 October. Tickets at £7.00 are available on the door or from www.ents24.com.

Gala, Bastille and Concertina

The Cotia (Nova Scotia Mine) banner
depicting Jack Elliott and Jock Purdon

Before I get down to the report for last week there are couple of important parish announcements. First, the pub is having a major event of some sort on Friday 7 August, so there will be no Dragon Folk Club session that night. The pub has however offered us the bar on Saturday 8 August if we want it. please let us know if you would be interested in attending a session at The New Inn, Westerleigh on that evening. If there are enough people we will take the pub up on its offer; if however it doesn't look worthwhile we will not.

The other parish announcement is that the session on 31 July will have a special theme, and one we have been discussing since at least April. The theme, possibly inspired by a round on Radio 4's comedy quiz programme I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue, is One Song To The Tune Of Another. So if you can sing The Lincolnshire Poacher to the tune of Auld Lang Syne, or Pack Up Your Troubles to the tune of My Daddy Wouldn't Buy Me A Bow-wow, then the thirty first is your chance to shine.

Church-going, languages and Barbara Allen

Leadbelly (right), from whose singing our
final song of this session (Take a Whiff on me) comes.
The trumpeter is Bunk Johnson

A better turn-out this week and a couple of people trying our new venue for the first time. This is good to see and I hope a lot more of our occasional visitors will make appearances in the next few weeks; maybe even becoming more regular once they see that things are better at The New Inn, Westerleigh.

With Indy howling as well as ever and Maggie at home requiring Mike's care and attention, Richard once more took up the role of MC for the evening. Derek kicked off with The Volunteer Organist (Roud 5378, William B Gray and G L Spaulding). Richard picked up the theme of going to church by performing, as a reading, The Wensleydale Lad (Roud 21176). Church bells then became a minor theme with Steve G singing Bob Dylan's Ring Them Bells and Colin Egloshayle Ringers (Roud 1163).

Miners' Gala, Bastille Day, and much more

Glamorgan: Derek's cricket team

A better turn-out this week, thanks in large part to the entourages brought by new regular, Joe and old friend, Jan. An encounter with a globe artichoke caused me to be slightly later than I like to be, but not so late as to miss Mike's opening song, Derby Ram.

Derek was the first to find a date-appropriate song, pointing out that if she were present, Pat would no doubt be the first to shout out that 12 July is the day of the Durham Miners' Gala (correctly pronounced "gay-lah"). In recognition of the date he, Derek, sang Jock Purdon's The Cotia banner.

We were pleased to see Paul and Carl for the third time in four weeks - keep it up lads. Paul entertained us with his own guitar compositions, as usual most without title, although "OFG - Old, fat and grey - self portrait" made a reappearance.

Six Nations Rugby and the discovery of penicillin

Sir Alexander Fleming

I arrived just a touch late to this week's session to find people discussing a variety of subjects, some of which were reflected in the later choice of songs. This is a great thing about the Dragon Folk Club; we certainly sing a lot of songs through the evening but we're not afraid to take some time out for some great social interaction. Subjects discussed ranged from the rugby Six Nations Championship to the discovery of penicillin by Sir Alexander Fleming.

Unusually Maggie S, who rarely sings at the club, kicked off on the former subject with a chorus of Flower of Scotland.

The Six Nations provided the inspiration for quite a few songs throughout the evening. Lesley's first contribution was Max Boyce's The Scottish trip. Simon took up the French cause with Chevaliers de la table ronde. Lesley retorted in support of her Welsh homeland with Guide me o thou great Jehovah, accompanied by husband Richard singing bass. Mike showed his contempt as usual for the Irish song Fields of Athenry by singing the parody (Fed up with) the fields of Athenry.