Children in need 2023

The original BBC Children in Need
Pudsey Bear (1985)

Last week's Dragon Folk Club session didn't have an official theme, but I had suggested in the previous week's report that people might like to take some inspiration from the BBC Children in Need appeal which would hit its climax on that day. There was some ambivalence in the room about the appeal itself, but no problem for most people of considering childhood an influence for the session.

Again there is no official theme this week (Friday 24th November 2023), but it has been suggested that Lancashire Day which falls on 27th might be a suitable inspiration.

Colin was MC as usual at last week's session, but the first to sing was Chris with To a wild rose (*) which is the first piece from Woodland Sketches, Op. 51 of Edward MacDowell. This was also the first song of the evening not previously in the Dragon database. As usual this doesn't necessarily mean it hasn't been sung before at the club. All such songs are marked here with an asterisk (*).

Roger followed on, with help from Chris, singing I'll see you again (* Noël Coward).

Colin was on theme with Teach your children (Graham Nash).

Sue's first of the evening, on theme at least by being in an edition of Singing Together, was Yellow bird (Michel Mauléart Monton, Oswald Durand). Bob followed up with Hawaiiian Blues (Sid Tepper, Roy C Bennett), the first of three songs of the evening from the singing of Commander Cody And His Lost Planet Airmen.

Simon finished off the first rotation with Michelle Shocked's The ballad of Patch Eye and Meg.

Other songs which must be mentioned are:

• Denny - I wan'na be like you (the monkey song) - (* Robert and Richard Sherman)
• Roger - My dearest dear (* Ivor Novello, Christopher Hassall)
• Sue and Bob - Rose Garden (* Joe South)
• Sue and Bob - Teddy Bear (* Kal Mann, Bernie Lowe)

Paul sang his own Close the dentist's door, based on Alex Glasgow's Close the coalhouse door lad.

• Denny - White horses (* Michael Carr, Ben Nisbet)

Chris recited Pam Ayres' poem Like you would (*), which unfortunately doesn't feature in the YouTube playlist linked from "a selection" below.

• Bob - Orange Blossom Special (* Ervin T Rouse)
• Denny - As tears go by (* Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Andrew Loog Oldham)
• Colin - The jeely piece song (* Adam McNaughtan)
• Bob - Back to Tennessee (* Billy Ray Cyrus, Tamara Dunn, Matthew Wilder)
• Denny - How much is that doggie in the window (* Bob Merrill)
• Denny - Teddy bears' picnic (* John Walter Bratton, Jimmy Kennedy)

The evening was drawn to a close with Simon singing Flanders and Swann's The hippopotamus song.

I make that a total of 45 performances during the evening (44 songs and a poem), which must be close to the Dragon Folk Club record - I have a feeling the record is 47, but I may be wrong.

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

(Number of people present - 8 of whom 8 performed)

Cowboys and war

"The Cow Boy", taken near Sturgis,
Dakota Territory (now South Dakota)

This Friday (18th March 2022) we will have a theme for our session closest to St Patrick's Day, so any songs from Ireland, of Ireland, about Ireland, or about any of the other patronages of Patrick, will be very welcome. Failing that, remember our themes are always optional. Also bear in mind that there will be no session on the following Friday (25th March 2022), so don't go to The Bridge Inn, Shortwood that evening expecting folk in the pool room, but do go if you would like a drink. There may even be other types of music in the bar. but I haven't got the pub calendar to hand.

We were back down to three singers for last Friday's session, but it was worthwhile nevertheless. There was maybe less "folk music of these islands" in evidence than usual, but variety is no bad thing and anything goes at the Dragon.

Colin, in his usual post as MC, started off with Graham Nash's Teach your children. Simon followed with Graham Moore's Tom Paine's Bones.

One of the mainstays of Geoff's repertoire consists of Irish songs, so when he heard about the following week's theme, he needed to be careful about what he sang. He therefore focused mainly on another of his genres: cowboy songs, and particularly on this occasion the songs of Marty Robbins, from whose pen he sang: El Paso, Five brothers and Big Iron.

Not to be outdone, Simon went a little bit country with The Gambler (Don Schlitz) and The son of Hickory Holler's tramp (Dallas Frazier).

The link between cowboys and war might be found in children's games, but the reason for war and anti-war songs is obvious today with conflict going on in Ukraine, and so it was that we had songs of this genre.

Colin sang PF Sloan's Eve of destruction and Lenny Galant's Maria Diaz - Garth Hewitt's I didn't speak up could also fit here. Simon came in with Mike Harding's Jimmy Spoons and Eric Bogle's The band played Waltzing Matilda. Geoff contributed Buffy Sainte-Marie's Universal Soldier.

It was Geoff who closed the evening on a lighter note with Bird Dog (Boudleaux Bryant).

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

(Number of people present - 3 of whom 3 performed)