St George's Day 2026

St George's, Bristol
(Photo: Simon Meeds) 

It was great to have a full complement of singers at last week's Dragon Folk Club session including second-timers Mick, and Kerstin and third-timer Ray. Apart from anything else it leads to a fantastic variety of songs, and some even took on the optional theme of St George's Day and all that is England.

Before I get down to the report, let's note that this Friday is actually 1st May, so we really should have a theme of May, which is mentioned in so many folk songs. The theme is of course as always optional, so the most important thing is that you come and join us, and sing, play or perform in whatever way you wish as long as it's acoustic, and the theme is just a nice-to-have if you can follow it for some or all or your performances. Audience members are of course also welcome as always.

 Back to last week, Colin was MC and started us off with The new St George (Richard Thompson).

Our resident Scot, Heather, followed with what she said was her only English song: John Peel (roud 1239).

Mick gave us his own musical setting of Charles Kingsley's poem Three fishers (*) - note that the linked video is Stan Rogers' setting of the same work.

Simon sang Puff and bold Saint George (#), a parody written by friend of the club, Richard Gillion.

Rob ventured into May slightly early with Hal an tow (roud 1520) and Steve, wishing to remember our recently deceased former MC Mike Starkey, sang Dido Bendigo (roud 584). Mike didn't like fox hunting, but enjoyed some of the songs on the subject, this being one he often sang.

Paul cleaved to the English theme with Fathom the bowl (roud 880) and Denny invoked the recently deceased George Papavgeris with his Friends like these.

Ray and Kerstin, singing together with Ray on ukulele, completed the first rotation with Jolene (Dolly Parton) and And I love her (* John Lennon and Paul McCartney).

There was just one song not found on YouTube and therefore not included in the playlist linked from "a selection" below. Indeed it is a song Colin has sung before and about which I still can't find any details. I assume the title is Britannia waives the rules. There are several similarly titled songs around, but I'm pretty sure I haven't found this one.

Songs and tunes not already mentioned that are new to the Dragon database are as follows:

• Mick - Hesitation blues (* roud 11765)
• Rob - Ballina whalers (* Harry Robertson)
• Ray and Kerstin - I drove all night (*  Billy Steinberg, Tom Kelly)
• Mick - Saturday night rub (* Big Bill Broonzy)
• Kerstin - Komm lieber Mai und mache (* Christian Adolph Overbeck, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
•  Heather - One day at a time (* Marijohn Wilkin, Kris Kristofferson)
• Mick - Towersey fair (* Bill Meek, John Conolly)
• Rob - Mrs Barbour's army (*  Alistair Hulett)
• Ray and Kerstin - Sailing (* Gavin Sutherland)
• Mick - St Louis blues (*  W C Handy)

Simon finished off the session with When all men sing (Keith Scowcroft, Derek Gifford). 

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

(Number of people present - 11 of whom 10 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 (#).

Ne'er cast a clout

(Photo: Simon Meeds)

We weren't too sure last week whether we would get a good session at the Dragon Folk Club with our usual MC, Colin, being away, but Simon stepped in and we had a pretty good time.

Simon started the ball rolling with The moonshine can (roud 9949). This was followed with the Swinton May song from Denny. Paul thought he might have a new song for the database with Blackbird (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) but that one was just pipped to the post by Colin a few short weeks ago. Steve first song was the Jolly waggoner (roud 1088).

My usual criteria for making special mention of songs doesn't really get me anywhere this time. All thirty six songs we sung were available on YouTube and are therefore included in the playlist linked from "a selection" below, and there was only one sing that was new to the Dragon database (though not necessarily to the club) and that was Lisbon (roud 551, laws N8) which was sung by Denny.

Although we didn't have any more new songs, we did have a few first performances by specific singers to be recorded in the database:

• Paul - The aforementioned Blackbird
• Simon - The keeper (roud 1519)
• Simon - Hotel California (Don Felder, Don Henley, Glenn Frey)
• Simon - Hal an tow (roud 1520)

In pre-database times Simon had definitely sung The keeper and Hotel California, and probably also Hal an tow.

And so we kept on with the singing and the banter until Steve closed the evening with Cyril Tawney's The ballad of Sammy's Bar.

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

(Number of people present - 4 of whom 4 performed)

May Day 2019

May Pole (Photo: klndonnelly)

Last Friday's session had the theme of May and we were just two days late for May Day itself. This week (10 May) there will be no theme but if you have any May left-overs I am sure no one will mind the scraps.

In fact last week's session was amazing or at least unexpectedly well peopled. Tom made his first appearance of the year, John and Chris O, usually only very occasional visitors, made their second within a month, and Steffan, who I've been working on, he says, for four years, finally made a welcome appearance.

Colin, MCing as usual, started off the evening not particular in the May theme but marking the occasion of Derek's team, Glamorgan beating Gloucestershire in the cricket. He did this with the first of several Kipper Family songs of the evening: The Cricket Match.

Mike wasn't feeling to well so his contribution before an early exit was just one song, but a fine May song it was, Hal An Tow (Roud 1520) which is from the Helston May Day celebrations. There will no doubt be a follow-up from Derek and from just down the road at this week's session.

New Faces for May

Photo: Nikki T

I often say how great a session was in the report and I always mean it but last week was rather special. At the beginning of the evening we assembled as seven regulars, which would have been quite respectable but then a trickle of people started to file into our room, finally making up seven members of the Island Folk Choir. We were very pleased that as well as sharing some of their group singing, several members performed solo and in small groups.

As usual, Colin was MC and he started off the evening and the theme of "May" by singing Pleasant Month Of May (Roud 153); all of Colin's songs of the evening had May connections, however tenuous.

May Day 2015

Our latest session was actually on May Day, so songs of May, summer and red flags were well in evidence. Colin was MC for the evening and asked Mike to start off, which he did with Hal An Tow (Roud 1520); a song from the Helston Flora Day tradition.

Derek continued with Giles Collins (Roud 147, Child 85 - "Giles Collins walked out on a may morning..."). In fact most singers this week managed to follow the theme to some extent.

May at last

Stan Kelly, who wrote Liverpool Lullabye

After last week's bumper gathering this week wasn't as much of a disappointment as it could have been with a good showing of regulars. Being the nearest session to 1 May, May festivals and traditions were in evidence, though, as Derek pointed out, it was surprisingly left to him to be "roving out on a May morning".

Pre-session chat was wide ranging and frank. I won't trouble you, reader with most of it; suffice to say, one strand went from liberty bodices to "going commando" in a few short steps. It was also remarked that the unwanted interloper "the fresian" hasn't made an appearance recently. Anyone who doesn't know the story please understand that I'm not talking about some unwanted folky but a pub regular who has been known to interrupt proceedings sometimes.

I woke up on a May morning...

The Bristol Shantymen
including our own Mike and occasional visitor, John

I don't think there was an official theme this week, but quite a few people had at least one offering relating to May. Mike opened the evening with Hal an Tow.

Hal-an-tow

Jolly-rum-ba-low

We were up

long before the day-o

To welcome in the summer

To welcome in the May-O

Summer is a coming in

and winter's gone away