St George's Day 2023

Now that's what I'm talking about! Last week's Dragon Folk Club session really was a triumph. There were twelve people present, ten of whom performed including four newcomers to the club (plus the two audience members were also newcomers). We can only hope that they will all return soon and that even more of you will join them. Everyone seemed to enjoy the evening and there was quite an eclectic mix of music and song.

The optional theme for the evening was St George's Day - we were just two days early to be celebrating it.

I assume that Paul and Denny arrived first since it was Paul who Colin asked to sing first. He stared a trend by singing Hard times of old England (roud 1206). This led later to two parodies of the same song. Paul himself sang Les Barker's Hard cheese of old England and Colin sang Grumpy old men of old England (John Conolly, Bill Meek).

Second to sing was Denny with Rolling home (to dear old England) (roud 4766). She was followed by MC Colin singing The new St George (Richard Thompson).

Malcolm was next. He sang his own song, The wild rose (Malcolm Perrett) thinking it had no connection with St George, but he was assured that St George is the patron saint of soldiers.

Bill sang in public for the first time in about thirty years. He only gave us one song, but it was a fine rendition of The water is wide (roud 87).

Rob and Sian, being a duo, were required to sing two songs in each round and the first time they gave us I am going to the west (Connie Dover) and Jordan am a hard road to travel (roud 12153).

Simon's oblique reference to St George involved a metaphorical dragon in The Lambton worm (roud 2337).

Bob gave us New train (John Prine) and Sue followed that with Jeff Lynne's Hold on tight. And so the first, rather satisfying, tour of the room was complete.

The rest of this report, as is customary, is a list of the remaining songs sung by our newcomers, Malcolm, Sian and Rob:

• Malcolm - It's a difficult question (Malcolm Perrett)
• Rob and Sian - Billy Gray (Norman Blake)
• Rob and Sian - I don't want to get married (collected from the Poplin Family of Sumter, South Carolina)
• Malcolm - Here in America (song for Sam Cooke) - (Dion DiMucci)
• Rob and Sian - Hard times come again no more (roud 2659 - Stephen Foster)
• Rob and Sian - Hush (The Manx lullaby - Arrane Ny Niee)
• Malcolm - Poles apart (Malcolm Perrett)
• Rob and Sian - Columbus stockade blues (roud 4546)
• Rob and Sian - Loch Lomond (roud 9598)

And so it fell to Paul to finish proceedings with When all men sing (Keith Scowcroft, Derek Gifford).

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

(Number of people present - 12 of whom 10 performed)

Avoidance behaviour - fine

The Anchor Inn, home of The Middle Bar Singers
at Sidmouth Folk Festival (Photo: Barry W*******)

Don't forget our St Andrew's Day session this Friday - OK, more St Andrew's eve but you get the idea, Scottish songs and tunes are the main dish with possible sides of his other patronages.

Back now to last weeks theme-free session, Colin started it off with Wally Whyton's Leave Them A Flower.

We proceeded through Derek's Locke Hospital (Roud 2, Laws Q26), and Mike's Rolling Home (Roud 4766) with no discernible theme apart from Derek declaring the efforts he was making to save his Scottish ballads for St Andrew.

That's not to say we didn't have links, both intentional and unintentional of course. Simon's singing of Down Our Street including its suggestion that in desperate times "tom cat tastes like air" inspired Derek to give us Silver Threads Among The Butter, which Martin Carthy took as the first verse of his song Girls: "When the dog died we had sausages, When the cat died, catnip tea".

May it be Whitsun

Whitsun dove (Photo: Cornelia Kopp - Alice Popkorn)

Thanks to those who attended last week's session. This week will again have no set theme though you are welcome to come along with your own ideas for a theme and people may even join you in it. We're particularly keen for you to give us a try this week because we will be at least one regular down on the full compliment.

Last Friday Colin was MC and started us off with a mini theme of May given that it was our last session of the month. His first was The Bold Fisherman (Roud 291, Laws O24) and he followed that with The Spotted Cow (Roud 956).

Geoff's first song of the evening was The Humour Is On Me Now (Roud 29549) and in doing so, it seems, he latched on to Colin's May theme.

Ouch!

The Lambton Worm

The main story at this week's session was the death this week of our good friend, banjo player and singer, Betty. Her funeral will be on 28 October 2014 at 12 noon at Westerleigh Crematorium.

Another important announcement was that two recent sessions: Harvest and the celebration of the life of Pat Hyett had between them raised £110 for St Peter's Hospice. Thanks go to everyone who attended those sessions and contributed to that fine total.

We were pleased to see a large number of visitors, some of whom have been recently, some new faces, and one long absent friend of Maggie's who has promised to come again.

Is this the folk club?

Cyril Poacher

Talk at the beginning of the evening included a number of subjects. Maggie had received a letter from BUST thanking her for the club's recent donation, the raffle money from her birthday party. The donation was of £35.00 which seems worthwhile and will go a small way to the charity's "shopping list".

In another topic we made it absolutely clear that non-performers as well as performers are welcome to the club's sessions. The atmosphere at the club can be quite jokey, and everyone needs a fairly thick skin but no one should feel unwelcome, even if they are on the receiving end of some mild digs. Don't worry, newbies, we are usually very gentle with newcomers.

Finally, there was mention of Richard and Lesley's recent trip to Paris. Apparently it was very enjoyable, and it prompted some of the songs sung during the evening.

To join my voice with yours and sing a song with all our might

Harry Bridges

We were a little thin on the ground this week but keen enough that when Mike suggested calling it a day at half time, it was decided to carry on. As the song, Friends like these, by George Papavgeris, sung by Robin, says "I've been waiting since last [Friday] just to be with you tonight, just to join my voice with yours and sing a song with all our might".

I didn't discern any themes, intended or otherwise this week and there were no visitors to mention, so I'll just list at random a few of the songs that were sung - maybe some of the less well known (at least to me) ones.