Steady as she goes

Newport Transporter Bridge
(Photo: Simon Meeds)

Last week's Dragon Folk Club session can be described as solid. After a slightly slow start due to traffic issues we had a good evening of song, still managing a creditable 34 performances. It was notable for adding only one song (or rather different version of an existing song) to the database, but we still heard some that hadn't been sung at the club for quite a while and in some cases by different singers.

Colin, in the MC's chair, started us off with Roger Watson's The pick and the maltshovel. I pointed out that I knew Roger a little in the 1980s and that we are Facebook friends. Roger gave up performing for a long time due to ill health, but has recently been persuaded to pick up the melodeon again, which is great news. Colin expressed doubt as to the precise words of the last verse of the song, so I promised to link an early recording of Roger singing the song, and here it is.

Simon's first song of the evening was Mike Harding's Jimmy Spoons.

Denny gave us Percy French's Mountains of Mourne and Paul sang Jonathan Kelly's Ballad of the cursed Anna.

While researching this report I found that Nelson's death (roud 18837), sung by Paul, had been significantly rewritten by Richard Grainger and set to a tune of his composition.

The one new song, or rather new version, of the evening - and new to the Dragon database, definitely not new to the club - was Denny's singing of Good ale (roud 203).

Colin perhaps came up with two surprises  during the evening. The first was Wimoweh or The lion sleeps tonight. Did you know that the original song, before Alan Lomax, Pete Seeger and others had their way, was Mbube (meaning "lion" in Zulu), written and originally performed by Solomon Linda.

Colin's second surprise was delivered in the form of My last cigarette: surprising both for having been written by Sydney Carter and for having been performed by Sheila Hancock.

Denny sang Teeside bridges (Erik Gooding) which I am mentioning for two reason. The first is that the linked recording features Richard Grainger, already mentioned above in relation to Nelson's death, and the second is that it indirectly inspired this week's featured image. One of the bridges referred to in the song is the Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge which "shuttles back and forth a hundred times a day." I didn't have a photograph of it to hand, but you will find here the similar Newport Transporter Bridge.

Simon finished off the evening with Graham Moore's rousing Tom Paine's Bones.

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

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

Strange times

Coventry Cathedral's Chapel of Christ in Gethsemane seen through
a crown of thorns made from iron (Photo:Simon Meeds)

There will be no Dragon Folk Club Session this Friday or until further notice because of government advice relating to the CORVID-19 pandemic. We will use all the usual channels to keep people informed when we reopen.

Last Friday's session involved just the core members and there was no theme. Colin kicked things off with Steve Knightley's Galway Farmer, partly because it was the last day of Cheltenham Festival and partly because Mike likes it.

Simon had been carrying Harry Robertson's Wee Dark Engine Room (the words that is, not the room nor the stove) around with him since St David's day since "whales", "coal" and "gold" all provided very tenuous links. He didn't sing it then, so he brought it out now.

Geoff's first song of the evening was the The Lakes Of Ponchartrain (Roud 1836, Laws H9) and Mike gave us Keith Marsden's Bring Us A Barrel.

Derek said he had looked down the listings of Radio 4's Sunday programmes and noted that the theme of the Sunday Worship programme was "The Woman at the Well of Living Water", which he interpreted as "The widow at the well". He hoped therefore to find something of interest, maybe a performance by a traditional singer? He was disappointed to find that the hymns would be "I heard the voice of Jesus say" and "Tell out my soul". He made up for this omission by singing The Well Below The Valley (Roud 2553, Child 21).

Colin pointed out that it was the sixteenth anniversary of the death of Sydney Carter, and therefore sang three songs written by him: My Last Cigarette, Crow On The Cradle, and The Ballad Of George Fox.

Geoff added some brightness to proceedings with UK one hit wonder, Jerry Keller's Here Comes Summer.

Derek was meanwhile going for a body count. He claimed a million from a song which seems to be related to the Whiffenpoof Song and Kipling's Gentlemen Rankers, but is neither of those - similar in some ways to though Gunboat Sailors which is also derived from them.

Anyway, back on the body count, his research suggested adding about 300,000 from The Bonny Bunch Of Roses (Roud 664, Laws J5).

Mike also claimed a large body count, though at the time of singing he wasn't aware of the game, from The Battle Of Sowerby Bridge. He claimed indeed that it was the anniversary of the battle but the song claims it was on the 44th March! The historical event however seems to have occurred on 4th January 1644.

Simon's poor effort added only two bodies (not really a laughing matter) with Bob Geldof's I Don't Like Mondays. Recently retired teacher, Derek pointed out that this song didn't resonate with him in quite the way it had done when it was sung previously.

Mike continued to unwrap the body bags with his own song, Away To The Western Front. He claimed all the deaths at the front in the First World War. It was then suggested that he might add all those who died subsequently in the Spanish Flu pandemic, started as it was among the soldiers - and incidentally had nothing to do with Spain or the Spanish.

Geoff's voice took us for a tour of his boots, much to Mike's delight since his voice is always happiest in the depths, singing Wandr'in' Star (Alan J Lerner, Frederick Loewe). Finally, it was Mike who finished the evening off with Roll Alabama Roll (Roud 4710).

Keep safe in these strange times. Look after yourself and keep singing, even if it's only to yourself.

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

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

Maggie's retirement bash

Maggie S

Maggie S arrived to last week's session, mince pies in hand, almost convinced that it was our Christmas session but in fact it was a party to honour her contributions to the club over the last 30 or so years that she has been first its treasurer and then the overall organiser. A very good crowd turned out to mark the occasion. In practice Colin took over a few weeks ago but there's no problem with an excuse for a party.

With so many friends old and new appearing throughout the first half it seemed we'd never start on a second round, so rather than miss anyone out, I will try to list all of the songs sung on this occasion - though I will struggle with a couple of them.

Simon had arrived indecently early to help with the set-up, not that there was much to do, so Colin asked him to start off proceedings.