A friendly session

(Photo: Vaibhav Sharan)

Last Friday's Dragon Folk Club session saw four singers meet in our usual venue at The Bridge Inn. Colin being MC and having been the first to arrive started things off with a song which we agreed was a suitable starter or finisher: George Papavgeris' Friends like these.

Rob sang us his own Minstrel of the sea about a musician of his acquaintance. He told us that he has not yet made a video of it, so I won't waste time looking.

Simon's first was Dougie MacLean's Caledonia. Colin later sang another of Dougie's songs: Ready for the storm.

Geoff completed the first circuit of the room with his first performance of Ewan MacColl's Morrissey and the Russian sailor.

Geoff sang the last song of the evening, a version of Seven drunken nights. Sorry for the abbreviated report again. Normal service may be resumed next week.

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

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

Easter 2022

Last Friday's session had an optional Easter theme. My time for writing this report is very restricted so I won't be mentioning the theme much if at all because there's something more important to cover. We had our first, long anticipated, visit from Rob. Tradition has it that I should mention all of the songs a newcomer sang and so I will do.

First though I should mention that this Friday's (22 April 2022) optional theme is St George.

Colin kicked off the session with Sydney Carter's Lord of the dance.

Rob's songs were as follows:

• Welcome joyful spring (Sharron Kraus)
• Brough Hill fair (words: Dorothy Una Radcliffe; music: Brian Bedford)
• Thaney (Karine Polwart)
• Come down Jehovah (Chris Wood)
• Hand me down my walking cane (roud 11733)
• Sailing homeward (Rob Winder)
• I'll tell me ma (roud 2649)

It's always great to be able to find videos by the very people who sang at our session and a couple of those linked above are indeed of Rob singing.

It fell to Geoff to finish us off with Seven drunken nights (roud 114; child 274). He usually sings only five verses to spare our blushes, but he had found an alternative sixth which he dared to sing.

We hope to see Rob many more times in the future. Why not follow his example and join us one Friday at The Bridge Inn, Shortwood, Bristol (UK), BS16 9NG? The welcome is warm, entry is free, the acoustics are great and there's a well-priced bar just a few steps away.

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

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

Land and sea

Ravenscar from Boggle Hole (Photo: Simon Meeds)

With Geoff back from his chess-related activities and occasional visitor, Richard on board we had a perfectly adequate showing for last Friday's session. It was the last session for a while without a theme. We start this Friday (25 October) with Halloween, so ghosts and magic and things that go bump in the night are all fair game together with more traditional religious themes from All Saints.

Back to last week, MC Colin started us off with Dominic Behan's The Sea Around Us. This inspired Derek to sing a song which included the line "the land between England and Ireland, it's covered in water you know", although unfortunately I wasn't able to trace it. (See The Yorkshire Irishman for an update)

Amphibian from the start

Frog in a lavoir (Photo: Simon Meeds)

A really short report this week because I'm going out to enjoy myself this evening! However you can still listen to versions of most of the songs we sung at last week's session via the "selection" link at the bottom of the page.

First of all I need to let you know that this week's session on Friday 29 March has a theme and it has been extended (blame me) to "April Fools, Mothering Sunday and Lady Day". Make of that what you will. Traditionally we have interpreted April fools as nonsense, good and bad luck but it's up to you to apply your own interpretation.