What happens when...?

Caversham Charity Folk Festival 2004
(Photo: Simon Meeds)

It had to happen sooner or later: a perfect storm of several of our Dragon Folk Club regulars being unavailable and there being no visitors, so two singers held the fort all evening. A good time was had and maybe the mix of songs was slightly more eclectic than is usual even for us!

Colin had raided the depths of his song drawer, and Simon, challenged by his wife, sought out mostly songs suitable for a hot day and warm evening - our stone barn venue may be a tad chilly in the winter, but it's certainly a refuge at the height of summer.

Colin as MC started off with Jordan is a hard road to travel (roud 12153) and Simon quickly completed the first rotation with Summertime (DuBose Heyward, George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin).

Colin had a monopoly this time on songs not in the Dragon Database, and there were a good number of them, all now duly added:

• Earthcare (*# Selly Oak Methodist Church Green Team)
• Colours (* Donovan Leitch)
• The Broomsquire's birdsong (*)
• Eight days a week (* Lennon-McCartney)
• The beggar (* roud 1537 - Tune: Bob Johnson)
• The man who couldn't sing [Caedmon's song] (* Keith Gregson)
• The original folk song (*#) - Derek Brinkley wrote on mudcat.org "Someone (I think it was Malcolm McDonald) wrote a song consisting almost entirely of floating lyrics. It went somewhat after this fashion" Derek didn't give it a name, but this is the one Colin has recorded.
•  (Is this the way to) Amarillo (* Neil Sedaka, Howard Greenfield)
•  Bantam cock (* Jake Thackray)
•  Geordie lost his penker (* roud 8244) - I won't apologise for linking this surprising version sung by Brian Johnson of AC/DC accompanied by Billy Mitchell of Lindisfarne even though Brian calls the marble a "liggie" rather than a "penker"
• Serafina (*) 
• Hells Angel (* parody of Wild Rover - roud 1173)

After all that Simon 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 - 2 of whom 2 performed)

In the above report songs new to the Dragon database (though not 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)

Mothering Sunday 2025

(Photo: Simon Meeds)

At last week's Dragon Folk Club session we took up my suggestion of a Mothering Sunday theme with Simon and Colin following it all the way through, and both Bob and Sue making valiant attempts given that they arrived with no prior warning of it. I'm not aware of a theme for this Friday (4th April) unless you want to go for Fools and Nonsense - optional as always.

Unusually last week there were no new songs for the Dragon database, and while there was one that Colin sung not to be found on YouTube, Simon has since filled the gap, so every song we sang can be listened to by following the "a selection" link below to the customary YouTube playlist.

Colin started off with that previously missing song, The Mother Country, believed to have been written by Benjamin Franklin and sung to the tune of Greensleeves (roud V19581). It is a common myth that Greensleeves was written by King Henry VIII. However, Henry did not write Greensleeves as the piece is based on an Italian style of composition that did not reach England until after his death.

Bob asked that Blues stay away from me - a song written by Alton Delmore, Henry B Glover, Rabon Delmore, Wayne Raney. Sue sang Steve Goodman's City of New Orleans.

Simon finished the first rotation with Geordie (roud 90, child 209).

I'll pick up on some mini themes that emerged during the evening and ignore the order which the songs were sung.

Bob followed Sue's first song into a mini railway theme with Orange blossom special (Ervin T Rouse).

Colin sang two Beatles' songs: Lady Madonna (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) and Mother nature's son (John Lennon, Paul McCartney).

Sue sang Gatherin' rhubarb (Keith Hopwood, Phil Bush), a song from the TV mini-series Soul Music based on the Terry Pratchett novel of the same name. Bob followed up with Rhubarb Pie (John Fogerty). I suspect the fit isn't quite as close as it at first appears. Much like a lot of old blues songs, this newer song may be referring to something stronger: in this case a strain of cannabis. Apparently it is a hybrid strain with a sweet, dessert-like flavour much like its namesake dessert, blending together fresh sweet fruits, spicy cherries and red berries.

Simon's second song of the evening was one which our former organiser, Maggie Starkey (who was not present) does not like: Summertime (DuBose Heyward, George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin). When he was asked to sing the closing song of the evening Simon thought he would make it up to Maggie (in her absence) by singing one she does like: Speedy Gonzales (Buddy Kaye, Ethel Lee, David Hess / Dante).

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

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

Crowd Dispersal

Last week's session was again well attended with a welcome return for Rose, who also brought along a newcomer to the club, Jonjo.

Colin was MC and Derek started the evening off with Red Roses For Me (Sean O'Casey). Mike followed this with Wave Over Wave (Jim Payne, Janis Spence).

Tony brought us one of his Welsh tunes which this time was Tafarn Y Wheatsheaf (The Wheatsheaf Pub) and Hilary followed that with Try To Remember (Tom Jones, Harvey Schmidt).

Loud and proud

1961, Dancing Bonny Green Garters in Canterbury, Kent:
Woodside Morris on one of its regular Whitsun tours

After a very poor showing the previous week, last week's session was better attended though there is still plenty of room for improvement. What's more, due a very long running wake going on in our usual bar we were consigned to the main bar and it seemed sensible to most of us to sing loud and proud. The regulars didn't appear to mind and I even heard them joining in once or twice.

Colin took up the role of MC, sitting rather mister speaker-like at the pool table and taking no nonsense, though applause was permitted. Mike kicked off the evening with Sixteen Tons (Merle Travis).

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.

Miners' Gala, Bastille Day, and much more

Glamorgan: Derek's cricket team

A better turn-out this week, thanks in large part to the entourages brought by new regular, Joe and old friend, Jan. An encounter with a globe artichoke caused me to be slightly later than I like to be, but not so late as to miss Mike's opening song, Derby Ram.

Derek was the first to find a date-appropriate song, pointing out that if she were present, Pat would no doubt be the first to shout out that 12 July is the day of the Durham Miners' Gala (correctly pronounced "gay-lah"). In recognition of the date he, Derek, sang Jock Purdon's The Cotia banner.

We were pleased to see Paul and Carl for the third time in four weeks - keep it up lads. Paul entertained us with his own guitar compositions, as usual most without title, although "OFG - Old, fat and grey - self portrait" made a reappearance.

How did they get away with Summertime?

On a warm summer's evening when the survivors of the Sun Ra Arkestra were performing at Glastonbury, Drogheda United playing Sligo Rovers in the All Ireland Premiership, and Radio 3 doing a live broadcast of Jongen's Harp Concerto, it is scarce wonder that so many Dragon regulars were missing this week. This included your regular Scribe; so again you are subject to the musings of the Substitute Scrivener.

Fortunately our numbers were swollen by a couple of brand new visitors, and a couple of slightly used ones – Roger and Carl who both made appearances last week. And as usual when the singing is Brevis, the craic was distinctly Longa – beginning with a long discussion led by Carl (Grandfather for the first time 3 days ago) and Mike (about to become a first-time Great Grandfather) on the cost of servicing other people's babies.

Valentine's Day - no massacre

The date was 14 February, Valentine's Day, so it seemed obvious that we should sing love songs, and so we did but at the Dragon Folk Club things are never quite that simple. Mike started off by announcing that the theme would be anti-love songs, something even he didn't stick to, but we did have some lust among the romance.

As last week, maybe it's becoming a (good) habit, Maggie S started us off with a poem by "Rick from Portishead" called A Valentine. Mike followed that up with Come write me down (The wedding song) (Roud 281).

Richard in charge

John Jacob Niles

Mike and Maggie were absent from this week's session as planned, so Richard was in charge. Officially there was no theme but "A song what (sic) Mike sings" seemed like a good idea, and about half of us took part.

Richard kicked off with The Holmfirth Anthem. Derek and Simon both followed on with more songs from Mike's repertoire.