Easter 2026

Calvaire à la Sainte-Baume
(Photo: Simon Meeds)

The Dragon Folk Club Easter session last week (on Good Friday) was egg-cellent, not only because we had a decent turn-out of nine people, eight of whom performed, but also because three of those people were first timers at the Dragon.

Lee and Kris, members of the band Reivers' Gallows,  had intended to visit us before, but at that time their chosen campsite was waterlogged, so it was not until now that they made it. Sam, the other newcomer, was on his travels by train and decided to drop in. The problem was that Facebook had sent him to the Bristol city-centre pub of the same name, so on finding us he was a little later than planned (no issue), and had to leave early to get back into town and catch his onward connection. Let's hope all three of them find their way back to our little club again. They all seem to have enjoyed it and we regulars definitely enjoyed their contributions.

The lesson is, to check that you have the right address for us. The most common issue is that Facebook insists on providing an inaccurate map (not exactly Sam's problem), so make sure you find us on Google maps or some other system, not using Facebook's mapping.

This Friday's session is very tentatively themed "Numbers" since it falls on the hundredth day of the year. We are likely to be low on the number of regulars, so your presence as well as your singing, playing, storytelling or anything else will be most welcome this week whether or not you wish to follow the proposed theme. As always, anything goes as long as it's acoustic.

Although Lee and Kris had arrived first it seemed a little unfair to ask them to open, so stand-in MC, Simon, started off in the Easter theme with The pace-egging song (roud 614). The theme was only lightly followed during the evening, but that's perfectly fine; our themes are always optional.

Next came Lee (guitar and vocals) and Kris (violin). Lee warned us that though most of his songs may seem familiar, they are usually somehow modified. I have taken a slightly inconsistent approach in this report to their songs, but where possible I have linked videos of Lee singing so you can get some idea of what was happening.

As usual for a duo we asked them to sing two songs. First they gave us Back Home in Derry (Bobby Sands, Lee). Sam asked whether the song was written before or after Gordon Lightfoot's Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Lee agreed with Simon that the simple answer was "after", but said that his Irish father remembered singing something very similar before, so it was most likely adapted from a traditional song. Their second song was Matty Groves (* roud 52, child 81).

Paul's first song of the evening was Seven virgins (roud 127) and Denny added The good old way (roud 23864).

Sam's first song was Barbara Allen (roud 54, child 84). He said he'd added a refrain which is fair enough, but digging through the Dragon database I found Lucy Stewart's version, which seems fairly close to Sam's version and repeats the last line of each verse.

While this was strictly the end of the first rotation, it was at this point that Bob and Sue appeared. It seemed unfair to put them straight in the limelight, so they joined in early in the second rotation, Sue with The whistling gypsy (roud 1, child 200) and Bob with So much trouble (Brownie McGhee).

As is customary, I will mention all of the further songs from the newcomers. Kris's violin lost its tune due to the cool of the evening, so their last came from Lee performing alone with a little support from the chorus.

• Lee and Kris - The Handsome cabin boy (roud 239, laws N13)
• Lee and Kris - Roll the old chariot (roud 3632)
• Sam - Cells (* Rudyard Kipling, Peter Bellamy)
• Lee and Kris - Ye Jacobites by name (roud V31021 - Robert Burns)
• Lee and Kris - Blackleg miners (roud 3139)
• Lee - Crooked Jack (*  roud 41020 - Dominic Behan)

Apart from those mentioned already there was just one song added to the Dragon database, which was Sue's I will survive (* Freddie Perren, Dino Fekaris).

Simon brought the evening to a close, complete with a mention of Easter and with much support from the chorus, singing When all men sing (Keith Scowcroft, Derek Gifford).

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

(Number of people present - 9 of whom 8 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 (#).

Putting the clocks forward

St Mary Redcliffe church, Bristol
(Photo: Simon Meeds)

At the Dragon Folk Club last week the clocks changing to British Summer Time was a slim excuse for a Spring into Summer theme, but that was what was set. Our themes are of course always optional and no one is humiliated or gets a forfeit for not following them.

It was great to see and hear Dragon first-timer Mick and the return of Terry H after an absence of  what appears to be six years. Many of us see Terry elsewhere, but it was great to get him back on our home patch.

Thanks to everyone who joined in the singing, playing and chat. There will be a session this Friday (3rd April) despite it being Good Friday - we have confirmed with the pub that we can have use of "the barn" function room as usual. Let's make the optional theme Easter, whether that's death, resurrection, eggs, rabbits, Eostre or anything else more or less related to the season. Optional as the theme always is, anything goes as long as it's acoustic. See you there.

In the absence of our usual MC last week, Simon took the reins, inviting Stuart and Carrie to sing first. They gave us Ride on (Jimmy McCarthy). As is usual for a duo, they were asked to sing again immediately and they obliged with Crazy man Michael (Richard Thompson, Dave Swarbrick).

Next up was newcomer Mick. He says he has had a break from playing and is very nervous, trying to play out as much as possible to overcome the nerves, but it barely showed with his excellent guitar playing and characterful voice, singing The banks of green willow (* roud 172, child 24).

Rob sang the first of two songs not to be found on YouTube and therefore not included in the playlist linked below. It was his own The kestrel (*# Rob Winder), apparently about a girlfriend from long ago.

Simon's first of the evening, making mention of Spring, was Memories of East Texas (Michelle Shocked). 

Denny was next, contributing When yellow's on the broom (Adam McNaughton), and Paul sang Seven virgins (roud 127).

Terry H brought the first rotation to a close with his own song, Matron (*# Terry Helyar) - the second and last song of the evening not included in the linked playlist. You can listen to all of the other songs (though not by our singers) by clicking on "a selection" at the end of this report.

As is traditional, I will mention all remaining performances from our first-time dragon, Mick:

• The scarecrow (* Lal Waterson, Mike Waterson)
•  Blind Blake's rag (* Ralph McTell)

The only song from the evening neither already mentioned nor previously in the Dragon database came from Stuart and Carrie; it was Watch me (* Labi Siffre).

The bar closed a little early so we also came to a close after only three rotations, and with a relatively small total of 24 songs and tunes having been sung and played, but the evening was very enjoyable thanks to a great group of singers and some pleasant chat between the songs. It fell to Terry H to complete the evening by singing Sally Wheatley (Joe Wilson).

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

(Number of people present - 8 of whom 8 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 (#).

Easter 2025

Sanctuaire de la Sainte-Baume
(Photo: Simon Meeds)

We had a great Easter session at the Dragon Folk Club. We loved welcoming first time visitors John and Howard who call themselves Old Friends, and now they are our friends too.

This Friday the optional theme will be St George's Day (just three days early). Don't worry if you can't follow the theme, but there's plenty of scope to follow it. St George, dragons and England are the obvious ones, but look also to his other patronages which include: agricultural workers, farmers, field workers, soldiers, archers, armourers, equestrians, cavalry, saddle makers, chivalry, peacekeeping missions, skin diseases, lepers and leprosy, syphilis, sheep, shepherds, scouting, Albania, Bulgaria, England, Ethiopia, Greece, Georgia, Portugal, Romania, Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, Castile and León, Catalonia, Alcoi, Aragon, Genoa, and Rio de Janeiro.

Back to last week, according to blog tradition I will mention all of the songs sung by newcomers John and Howard (Old Friends). Songs which are new to the Dragon database, although they may have been sung at the club before, are marked with an asterisk (*) and songs not in the YouTube playlist liked from "a selection" below are marked with a hash (#).

Colin started off with a proper Easter song: The pace-egging song (roud 614). Simon followed on with just a mention of Easter in The moonshine can (roud 9949).

Old Friends specialise in Simon & Garfunkel songs and as a duo were asked to sing two each round. They opened their account with Leaves that are green (* Paul Simon) and the eponymous Old friends (* Paul Simon).

Paul's first of the evening was the Easter-appropriate Seven virgins (roud 127) and Denny evoked Easter chicks with The chickens in the garden (roud 2552 - James Alan Bland). And so the first rotation was complete.

Colin once again brought us a seasonal offering with Dave Goulder's The Easter Tree.

John and Howard sang Scarborough Fair (roud 12, child 2) and Summertime (DuBose Heyward, George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin).

Apart from our visitors, Colin was the only one to add entries to the Dragon database during the session. He first did this with Johnny Cash's Redemption (*), and later with Eggs and bacon (*# roud 377 - collected from Stan Steggles). I didn't find a recording of Eggs and bacon, but I did find the closely related Eggs in her basket (roud 377).

Completing the collection of songs from John and Howard (Old Friends) we have:

• Vincent (Don McLean)
• April come she will (* Paul Simon)
• All I have to do is dream (* Boudleaux Bryant)
• Don't let the old man in (* Toby Keith)
• Detectorists (* Johnny Flynn)
• Man of the world (* Peter Green)

Paul gave us one song that didn't make its way to the playlist: Tracks in the snow (# Steve Thomason).

Denny closed 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 - 6 of whom 6 performed)

Blood and Roses

(Photo: webentwicklerin)

Last week's Dragon Folk Club session continued the trend of eclectic songs and of meeting new and old friends. Notably, we saw the return to the club of old friend Roger who came with occasional visitor John. Roger said he would try to persuade his wife Chris along next time; it would be excellent to see and hear Chris again. We also had an unexpected and welcome visitor, but more of her later.

Your scribe wasn't around at the very beginning of the session, so please forgive any slight inaccuracies. Denny started things off with Young Banker (roud 3321), which Paul followed with the Ballad of Cursed Anna (Jonathan Kelly).

Sue gave us (Haywire Mac) Harry McClintock's Big Rock Candy Mountain (roud 6969) and Bob sang Sweet Little Liza (Dick van Altena). The latter was the first new song of the evening for the Dragon database. As usual this doesn't mean it definitely hasn't been sung at the club before, but that it probably hasn't been recorded in this blog.

Colin's first of the evening was The Greenside Wakes Song (roud 4585). Not only is is new to the database, but nowhere to be found on YouTube (at least not as a song), and therefore it is not in the "a selection" playlist linked below. The only song of the evening which is missing.

John B fittingly gave us Sloop John B (roud 15634) with accompaniment from Roger and singing from all assembled. Meanwhile, Roger's turn brought Ralph McTell's Streets of London.

Simon completed the first round with Roger Whittaker's geographically inaccurate Durham Town. A boy sitting by the river in Durham would be by the River Wear and not the Tyne. How should South African Roger know?

Denny quickly picked up on that and made a pairing with The Water of Tyne (roud 1364), the third song new to the database that evening.

Paul also brought a new song to the party with Seven Virgins (roud 127), from the singing of Norma Waterson.

The new songs for the database were coming thick and fast when Bob sang The Last Ride, written by Robert Halcomb and Ted Daffan, and made famous by Hank Snow.

John had found a new song from Glacia Robinson in the form of Survivor.

Paul got us all singing along to Blood Red Roses (roud 931) which AL Lloyd suggested might be from the early 19th century, but the chorus at least of which Bert himself seems to have brought in possibly with some standard shanty verses.

Bob shook us all up with I knew the bride when she used to rock'n'roll (Nick Lowe) - another new song to the database.

Paul revisited his rendition of Alex Glasgow's Close the Coalhouse Door from the previous week for Bob's benefit since he had been absent.

John was Knockin' on Heaven's Door, but not with the straight Bob Dylan version, rather with words by Ted Christopher relating to the 1996 Dunblane Massacre where in an incident unusual in the UK 16 pupils and one teacher were killed and 15 were injured at a primary school. The man with the gun also shot himself dead. It remains the deadliest mass shooting in British history. It resulted in the private ownership of most handguns within Great Britain being made illegal with few exceptions.

It was Denny who introduced us to A Mon Like Thee which was written by Edmund Hill from St Helens in Merseyside, formerly Lancashire.

It was around about this time that the door opened and there stood Allie, a pub regular who some of us have come to know in passing and have regularly encouraged to join us for the singing. She declared that she had been standing outside the door for some time and was enjoying the music. We tried again to encourage her to enter and while she did not, she stood on the threshold and sang a creditable performance of Here Come the Navvies, written by Ian Campbell. I hope we see and hear more of Allie in the future. She was about to head into singing the Lincolnshire Poacher (roud 299, laws L14), but in the end disappeared off down the corridor.

The last "new" song of the evening was John's singing of Farewell Angelina (Bob Dylan) before Simon brought the session to a close with When All Men Sing (Keith Scowcroft, Derek Gifford).

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

(Number of people present - 9 of whom 9 performed)