Burns' Night 2026

Last week's Dragon Folk Club session was our annual Burns' Night theme, just two days before the actual event. There was a surprisingly large number of genuine Burns songs, not least thanks to the presence of Heather, our very own Scot who arrived with her non-singing friend Hazel.

This Friday (30 Jan) there will be no theme, so anything goes whether that's a song, tune, story, poem, joke, monologue or whatever other type of performance you can muster. If you don't think you are ready to perform then don't worry, come along to listen and join in the banter. Everyone is welcome.

Back to Burns, Colin started us off with Tramps and hawkers (roud 1874).

Heather was the first to sing a Burns song with A red, red rose (* roud 12946 - Robert Burns) and Simon followed with another: Ye Jacobites by name (roud 31021 - Robert Burns).

Denny kept the ball in the air with The collier laddie (roud 3787 - Robert Burns) and Paul didn't let it drop with a creditable rendition of Address to a haggis (Robert Burns). And so ended the first rotation.

I'll do my best to list the remainder of the Burns songs and poems performed though please forgive me if I miss any:

• Heather - Comin' thro' the rye (* roud 13589 - Robert Burns). I couldn't resist also linking this.
• Simon - The whistle (* Robert Burns) - sung, to "prove" a rule, to the tune of Villikins and his Dinah.
• Heather - Scots wha hae (* roud 27546 - Robert Burns)
• Simon - The deil's awa' wi' th' exciseman (* roud 16787 - Robert Burns)
• Heather - Ca' the yowes to the knowes (* roud 857 - Robert Burns)
• Colin - Afton water (roud 24637 - Robert Burns)
• Simon - John Barleycorn (* roud 164 - Robert Burns). While we have often had versions of John Barleycorn, I am not sure we have previously had Burns' version although it has been mentioned. My latest information is that the oldest versions are Scottish and include the Scots poem Quhy Sowld Nocht Allane Honorit Be. In 1782 Burns published his own version of the song, which influenced subsequent versions.
• Denny - Leezie Lindsay (roud 94, child 226 - Robert Burns)
• Heather - Auld lang syne (roud 13892 - Robert Burns)
• Colin - Such a parcel of rogues in a nation (roud 31022 - Robert Burns)
• Heather - To a Mouse, on Turning Her Up in Her Nest With the Plough, November, 1785 (* Robert Burns)

There were two others new to the Dragon database and both were performed by Heather:

• Highland fairy lullaby (*) - A traditional gaelic children's song.
• Wee Willie Winkie (* roud 13711 - William Miller) - Scots poet William Miller (1810-1872), appears to have popularised a pre-existing nursery rhyme, adding additional verses to make up a five stanza poem.

Thw two songs not found on YouTube and therefore not included in this week's playlist both came from Colin:

• The Loch Ness monster (Iain C MacKintosh, Hamish Imlach)
• The broo road (link to a recording) - Composed during the depression in Dundee, and was included by John A Brune in his collection "The Roving Songster".

The evening was closed by Colin singing Dougie McLean's Ready for the storm.

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

(Number of people present - 6 of whom 5 performed)

In the above report songs new to the Dragon database (though no 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 (#).

Burns' Night 2019

Broadside ballad entitled
'A Huy and Cry After Sir John Barlycorn'
by Alexander Pennecuik, 1725

Last week's Burns' Night session led to the singing of many Scottish or Scottish-related songs, and some Burns could even, however debatably, hang his name on. This Friday there doesn't seem to be an official theme though the start of the rugby internationals may give inspiration to some.

Also last week, we enjoyed the company of first time visitors Stuart and Pete, regulars I believe at FAF (Folk Around Fishponds) who mostly performed together, some well-knows songs, and some self-penned.

Colin, our regular MC, started the evening off with Captain Beaky's take on Scottish Tradition, The Haggis Season (Jeremy Lloyd, Jim Parker).

Stuart and Pete were reasonably unprepared for our theme and started off their contribution with the surprisingly old The Cat Came Back written by Harry S Miller, which was published in 1893. Colin persuaded them, as is the tradition with duos, to sing two songs per round, at least in the first part of the evening. Their second was Ukelele Man, telling, in the form of Jerry Reed's Guitar Man, of Pete's challenge of finding places to play his instrument.

Burns Night 2018

Robert Burns

Yes, last Friday was our annual Burns Night session. Almost all of the songs sung had a Scottish connection. I won't nit pick over the ones which were tenuous because they were few.

Some even had a Robert Burns connection though Mike informed us that opinion is turning to the position he has long believed, that Burns was more of a collector and editor than a songwriter. Therefore I will not note here the Burns connections of any particular songs, and I'll leave it to the reader to work out which were by him, which were rewritten or augmented by him, and which were simply collected.

First the usual announcement. There was discussion about a theme for this Friday's session. Colin suggested the rugby, and Geoff said he would be marking the anniversary of the death of Buddy Holly. That gave Simon some ideas which he didn't share. So as usual, take these suggestions if you like or come and share something totally different with us. And if you don't wish to perform, it's fine to be an audience too.