Old, new, borrowed and blue

Denny wearing Bonnet and Shawl?
(Photo: Simon Meeds)

Last week's Dragon Folk Club session saw a very rare appearance from Alison: non-singing but nevertheless welcome. There was no theme and an eclectic bunch of songs was sung.

There will be no official theme again this week, but as usual feel free to bring your own or we can allow something to develop through the evening.

The reason for Alison's presence was Simon's birthday, and the session was started and finished with Happy birthday to you. Of course, this song is problematic for the scribe, because it is probably included in roud 36104, which appears to be a bucket for unloved songs, and it is controversially attributed to Patty and Mildred J. Hill who wrote Good Morning to All.

The session proper started with Colin singing Ben Backstay (roud 21256).

Deny's first song of the evening was Graeme Miles' Drift from the land (*) and Paul's was Generations of change (Matt Armour).

On the face of it Stan gave us a new song: AP Carter's I never will marry (*), but according to the Roud Folk Song Index it is a version of the oft-sung Forsaken mermaid (roud 466, laws K17). I assume there was an interim American version since Carter is well-known for having taken traditional songs and, under instruction from his publishers, making very minor changes before claiming copyright.

Simon completed the first rotation with Jez Lowe's The Bergen.

Colin had us singing along to Sail away ladies (roud 17635). I didn't take enough notes to be sure, but I think it was the Uncle Dave Macon version rather than the hit version from The Vipers Skiffle Group and Lonnie Donegan among others, Don`t You Rock Me Daddy-O (Bill Varley, Wally Whyton). I believe Colin has sung both in the past and I was singing too hard to take note of which it was.

Stan introduced us to another "new" song in Earth Angel (* Curtis Williams, Jesse Belvin, Gaynel Hodge), from the singing of The Penguins. I knew I recognised the song. It could well be because I used to be, and still am to some extent, a fan of 50s and early 60s music, but could it also be because it was used in Back to the Future - here.

Stan was full of new songs for the database, giving us My buddy (* Walter Donaldson, Gus Kahn), first recorded in 1922 by Henry Burr and later by Mario Lanza among many others, and then Eileen (Sylvia Fine, Max Liebman). Fine, who was Danny Kaye's wife, is credited with the lyrics. It has been collected in Ireland and England and is listed as roud 23884, but it seems it may have been original to Fine since the collection dates all post-date Bing Crosby's recording of 1950.

Simon finished off the evening in traditional Dragon club style with When all men sing (Keith Scowcroft, Derek Gifford), that is before the aforementioned post cantatum reprise of Happy birthday to you.

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

(Number of people present - 6 of whom 5 performed)

In the above report songs new to the Dragon database (though no always new to the club) are marked with an asterisk (*).

Stories and links

19th-century lithograph of William Price

It was a quieter session for the Dragon Folk Club last Friday for a number of reasons, but not least because the flow of people through our room had been alleviated by the reinstatement of the proper gents toilet. There were again only two singers and this time no extras. Fewer songs were sung (a total of just 20) because we had some good chat on a wide variety of topics, among them: old friends, post-Roman Britain, BBC's Repair Shop, and even on the subject of folk songs.

Rather than a theme or even themes emerging through the evening we tended to have pairs or small groups of songs with mutual connections, some of which I will refer to here.

Talking of themes, this Friday's session will have the theme of St George's Day. The patron saint of England has among his other patronages: agricultural workers, farmers, field workers; soldiers; archers; armourers; equestrians, cavalry, saddle makers; chivalry; peacekeeping missions; skin diseases, lepers and leprosy, syphilis; sheep, shepherds, and scouting (oh and let's not forget he's said to have slain a dragon). That should give plenty of scope for songs to sing, tunes to play and stories to tell for all those types of performance and more are welcome as long as they are acoustic. Also, don't worry if you can't stick to the theme, it's intended as a fun guideline, not as a straitjacket.

Colin as MC started things off with Doctor Price (Meic Stephens) about William Price a Welsh physician and political activist best known for his support of Welsh nationalism, Chartism and involvement with the Neo-Druidic religious movement. After cremating his dead son in 1884, Price was arrested and put on trial by those who believed cremation was illegal under English law; however, he successfully argued that there was no legislation that specifically outlawed it, which paved the way for the Cremation Act 1902. Upon his death, he was cremated in a ceremony watched by 20,000 onlookers.

Simon started something with Jez Lowe's song The Bergen because Colin replied immediately with The wrong bus from the same writer, and later with his Tether's end.

Colin said he had experienced some difficulty finding the story behind The London steamer (roud 17760). The song is about the SS London which sank on 11 January 1866 in the Bay of Biscay on its way from Gravesend, England to Melbourne, Australia. A story later highly publicised after the loss states that when the ship was en route down the Thames, a seaman seeing her pass Purfleet said: "It'll be her last voyage…she is too low down in the water, she'll never rise to a stiff sea." Indeed she was overloaded and the words were prophetic.

Colin's Jim, the carter lad (roud 1080) is a surprising new addition to the Dragon database. It must surely have been sung at the club before, but probably not recently. It was also Colin who came up with the next database addition: Canny miner lad (Ian Campbell).

Colin brought out Coaly Tyne (roud V21088) which led Simon to sing Mark Knopfler's Sailing to Philadelphia which quotes the same description of the river in its chorus.

Colin sang the only song of the evening not included in the YouTube playlist linked from "a selection" below, and that was his own song In the country. This led Simon to respond with that "country chap" Buttercup Joe (roud 1635).

The third and final addition of the night to the Dragon database was Colin's singing of the theme tune of BBC sitcom Last of the summer wine by Ronnie Hazelhurst with lyrics added by Roy Clarke (series scriptwriter), Bill Owen (the actor who played Compo), Alan Bell (series producer/director).

Simon finished off the evening with a song which, when he originally tried to learn it, confused him by its tune's similarity in part to that of Last of the summer wine. The song in question was 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)

Hoppin' around

Former ICI prill tower at Avonmouth,
since demolished (Photo: Simon Meeds)

We were slightly down on numbers at last week's Dragon Folk Club session, but not that long ago five would have been a achievement so there are no complaints. We do however convey our hopes for a speedy recovery to Sue. Due to her illness Bob joined us on his own.

Colin, as MC, started proceedings with Jez Lowe's Bother at the Hoppins about a Europe's largest funfair that takes place in Newcastle. This was the first of three of Jez's songs of the evening. The second was Simon's first contribution: The Bergen about a shipwreck off Seaton Carew, County Durham. The final Jez Lowe song came from Colin and was The wrong bus with a First World War theme.

Back to the first rotation, Bob gave us Livin' with the blues, written by Brownie McGhee.

Denny took us to The Mountains Of Mourne (Percy French) and Paul introduced us to The Rose of Allandale (roud 1218 -words Charles Jefferys, music Sidney Nelson).

Simon finished off the first rotation with the aforementioned song The Bergen.

Bob's next song, Blackland farmer, was (like Livin' with the blues before it) a new one for the Dragon database though not necessarily to the club. The song was written by Frankie Miller amd was a US country hit for him in both 1959 and 1961.

Bob also added to the database with Hank Williams' I'm so lonesome I could cry.

Colin was concerned that he might be accused of cultural appropriation singing Dip and fall back. Simon reassured him by climbing in the same barrel with Big bamboo.

Denny added a new one to the database with Mike Jones' Along the Rossendale. And so did Colin with David Gates' The guitar man.

Simon sang Ron Angel's The chemical worker's song, which is based on Angel's experiences of working for ICI, presumably at Billingham, County Durham where he was born. The song considers the long-term effects of working in the chemical factory. Conversation related the ICI factory at Billingham to the one which used to be in Avonmouth, not too far from where the Dragon Folk Club meets. Simon referred to the prill tower which used to be there and to the similarity of the prill manufacturing process to that of making lead shot, a process developed by William Watts in the nearby Redcliffe area of Bristol. By chance I came across this video which tells some of Watts' story and that of his shot tower.

While Colin's singing of The galaxy song (Eric Idle, John Du Prez) created another new entry in the Dragon database, I know for a fact that Colin has sung that here before. Colin also made the last new entry of the evening into the database with Jez Lowe's aforementioned song, The wrong bus.

It fell to Paul this week to close the session which he did with Leave her Johnny (roud 354).

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

(Number of people present - 6 of whom 5 performed)

Harvest 2022

(Photo: Simon Meeds)

Last week's Dragon Folk Club session had our annual Harvest theme. The theme is no longer compulsory as it once was and wasn't this year accompanied by a feast and a vegetable auction, but harvest and autumn songs were in evidence from at least two of our singers.

Colin, MC as usual, started us off with All of a row (roud 1474). Geoff declared himself off-topic and sang Keith's hit song, 98.6 (George Fischoff, Tony Powers). Simon followed that with Alan Bell's Windmills.

We had at least three songs from the singing of The Yetties: Colin sang Dorset is Beautiful (Bob Gale) and All the good things (Bonny Sartin), and Simon sang Buttercup Joe (roud 1635).

Simon pointed out that the closest Geoff came to a harvest song may have been Golden Brown (Hugh Cornwell, Jean-Jacques Burnel, Dave Greenfield, Jet Black), which is about heroin (not cocaine as suggested on the night).

By that time Simon himself had moved temporarily into the "harvest of the sea" with The Candlelight fisherman (roud 1852) and The Bergen (Jez Lowe).

Colin sang two versions of John Barleycorn: Steeleye Span's version of (roud 164) and later roud 2141.

It seemed that Simon had peaked too early, singing his usual finishing-off song When all men sing (Keith Scowcroft, Derek Gifford), but he kept one in the bag for the end of the evening: Wild mountain thyme (Francis McPeake - roud 541).

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

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

North East and North West

F. Parker Glass Plate
King George V Bridge, Newcastle-on-Tyne

Last week's session had no theme but as often some emerged as the evening went on. In fact at the beginning we thought we weren't going to be quorate and were resigned to singing a couple of songs each and calling it a night when who should turn up but Mike and his canine companion and occasional singer (OK, howler and winer) Indy.

Colin kicked off the evening with I Wish They'd Do It Now (Roud 1401). Derek picked up on the first line of the song, "I was born of Geordie parents" and decided to make Geordies his chosen theme, for a while at least. He warmed up with Jowl Jowl And Listen (Roud 3191).

Simon wasn't yet ready to join in that theme, so he gave us Sally Gardens (Roud V28639) which as has been noted here before, WB Yeats wrote based on half-remembered snatches of The Rambling Boys Of Pleasure (Roud 386).

Striding through May

St Constantine's Church, Constantine, Cornwall
(Photo: Vernon White)

While we didn't quite hit the heady heights of the previous week's attendance, eight didn't seem too bad last week. There was no official theme though some people were carrying through the May theme from previous weeks.

Colin was MC and generously put himself on first. He broke the ice with Steve Knightley's Man In Green to mark the previous weekend's Jack in the Green procession in Bristol.

Derek fulfilled the promise I made in the previous blog report, that he would sing a version of the song Hal an Tow (Roud 1520), used on Helston, Cornwall's May Flora Day, but this time the one used in neighbouring Constantine (sorry I couldn't find a recording of Constantine).

Rambling Syd Rumpo rises again

Cyril Tawney

Mike kicked off the session this week with the Heights of Alma about the Battle of Alma which took place, reasonably topically, on 20 September 1854 and is usually considered to be the first battle of the Crimean War.

Last week Mervyn remembered a folk session with the theme "one song sung to the tune of another", and sang his version of Kathy's Song to the tune of The Silkie. He also related that Kitty Vernon had sung Wild rover to the tune of Away in a manger. This week we heard that Derek went home that night singing just that combination in the car. He said it went quite well, but he couldn't possibly repeat something that had been done before. Derek therefore charmed us with Hell's angel (the parody of Wild rover) to the tune of Lord of all hopefulness, which is in turn based on Banks of the Bann. When Paul showed an interest in knowing the difference between these two tunes, Derek dredged his memory and sang, from beyond his already huge repertoire, Banks of the Bann.