Stories and links

19th-century lithograph of William Price

It was a quieter session for the Dragon Folk Club last Friday for a number of reasons, but not least because the flow of people through our room had been alleviated by the reinstatement of the proper gents toilet. There were again only two singers and this time no extras. Fewer songs were sung (a total of just 20) because we had some good chat on a wide variety of topics, among them: old friends, post-Roman Britain, BBC's Repair Shop, and even on the subject of folk songs.

Rather than a theme or even themes emerging through the evening we tended to have pairs or small groups of songs with mutual connections, some of which I will refer to here.

Talking of themes, this Friday's session will have the theme of St George's Day. The patron saint of England has among his other patronages: agricultural workers, farmers, field workers; soldiers; archers; armourers; equestrians, cavalry, saddle makers; chivalry; peacekeeping missions; skin diseases, lepers and leprosy, syphilis; sheep, shepherds, and scouting (oh and let's not forget he's said to have slain a dragon). That should give plenty of scope for songs to sing, tunes to play and stories to tell for all those types of performance and more are welcome as long as they are acoustic. Also, don't worry if you can't stick to the theme, it's intended as a fun guideline, not as a straitjacket.

Colin as MC started things off with Doctor Price (Meic Stephens) about William Price a Welsh physician and political activist best known for his support of Welsh nationalism, Chartism and involvement with the Neo-Druidic religious movement. After cremating his dead son in 1884, Price was arrested and put on trial by those who believed cremation was illegal under English law; however, he successfully argued that there was no legislation that specifically outlawed it, which paved the way for the Cremation Act 1902. Upon his death, he was cremated in a ceremony watched by 20,000 onlookers.

Simon started something with Jez Lowe's song The Bergen because Colin replied immediately with The wrong bus from the same writer, and later with his Tether's end.

Colin said he had experienced some difficulty finding the story behind The London steamer (roud 17760). The song is about the SS London which sank on 11 January 1866 in the Bay of Biscay on its way from Gravesend, England to Melbourne, Australia. A story later highly publicised after the loss states that when the ship was en route down the Thames, a seaman seeing her pass Purfleet said: "It'll be her last voyage…she is too low down in the water, she'll never rise to a stiff sea." Indeed she was overloaded and the words were prophetic.

Colin's Jim, the carter lad (roud 1080) is a surprising new addition to the Dragon database. It must surely have been sung at the club before, but probably not recently. It was also Colin who came up with the next database addition: Canny miner lad (Ian Campbell).

Colin brought out Coaly Tyne (roud V21088) which led Simon to sing Mark Knopfler's Sailing to Philadelphia which quotes the same description of the river in its chorus.

Colin sang the only song of the evening not included in the YouTube playlist linked from "a selection" below, and that was his own song In the country. This led Simon to respond with that "country chap" Buttercup Joe (roud 1635).

The third and final addition of the night to the Dragon database was Colin's singing of the theme tune of BBC sitcom Last of the summer wine by Ronnie Hazelhurst with lyrics added by Roy Clarke (series scriptwriter), Bill Owen (the actor who played Compo), Alan Bell (series producer/director).

Simon finished off the evening with a song which, when he originally tried to learn it, confused him by its tune's similarity in part to that of Last of the summer wine. The song in question was When all men sing (Keith Scowcroft, Derek Gifford).

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

(Number of people present - 2 of whom 2 performed)

Somewhat nautical

(Photo: Simon Meeds)

We are still on low numbers but at least we now have a good idea of why our other core members are absent at the moment and hope to see them in the next few weeks. In the meantime newcomers and visitors would be very welcome to join us.

I'll keep the report short to reflect the reduced number of singers.

MC Colin started us off with That's What It's Like In The Navy written by Cyril Tawney, a songwriter he returned to later in the evening with Chicken on a Raft. Chicken on a raft is naval slang for a fried egg on toast.

Simon kept it nautical with Ian "Nobby" Dye's Welsh Back Quay as did Mike with Johnny Come Down to Hilo.

The second round started with Colin singing Coaly Tyne (Roud V21088) which prompted Simon to give us Mark Knopfler's Sailing to Philadelphia ("Far away from the coaly Tyne"). Mike followed up with When Johnny Comes Marching Home (Roud 6673), which he said has been used as a shanty.

We continued, not always in a nautical vein until the evening was rounded off by Simon singing Suzanne Vega's Tom's Diner.

The following evening Simon and Colin (dubbed "The Wreckers") joined Mike and two of his fellow Bristol Shantymen as an ad hoc chorus for an enjoyable evening of shanty singing at Tormarton.

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

(Number of people present - 3, of whom 3 performed)

Loud and proud

1961, Dancing Bonny Green Garters in Canterbury, Kent:
Woodside Morris on one of its regular Whitsun tours

After a very poor showing the previous week, last week's session was better attended though there is still plenty of room for improvement. What's more, due a very long running wake going on in our usual bar we were consigned to the main bar and it seemed sensible to most of us to sing loud and proud. The regulars didn't appear to mind and I even heard them joining in once or twice.

Colin took up the role of MC, sitting rather mister speaker-like at the pool table and taking no nonsense, though applause was permitted. Mike kicked off the evening with Sixteen Tons (Merle Travis).