How much?

Last week's session saw just four of us meet at The Bridge, but we sang until we were told that the pub was closing for the evening which isn't bad. Closing time was only a few minutes earlier than usual, so it wasn't a particularly short session.

MC Colin started us off with Bryn Phillips' Silver and gold.

Mike, in part taking inspiration from his whippet / greyhound cross Indy, sang only dog-related for this session:

• Doctor Mack (roud 1861)
• Boston harbour (roud 613)
• The hounds are out (roud 24901)
• Dead dog cider (Trevor Crozier)
• Last Valentine's day (roud 6475)

The session was rounded off by Geoff singing Love is pleasing (roud 1049).

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

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

Boxing Day 2019

Charlie Kimber beside William Kimber’s grave
(Photo: Trevor Coppock, 1994)

Oh dear, to say we were thin on the ground last week for our "Boxing Day" session is a bit of an understatement. Nevertheless the three of us soldiered on at least for a slightly shorter time than usual. This Friday's theme will predictably be New Year. I am sure there will be some wassailing if Mike hasn't already worn all the songs out, and perhaps we will find some other appropriate festivals or anniversaries. If you can add something to the mix, we need you, and if you would just like to come and see what we do, you are very welcome too.

Simon took on the role of MC last week and raised the curtain with John Conolly's Punch And Judy Man. Equally off-topic but inspired by the photograph on last week's blog report, which he apparently didn't find cute, Derek sang The Silkie Of Sule Skerrie (Roud 197, Child 113). Mike was already into the New Year with The Begging Wassail (Roud 209).

Derek was the only one of us with properly themed songs for Boxing Day (actually Mike sang one the previous week), when lads in Ireland, the Isle of Man, Wales and other places around Europe would hunt down a wren and as far as I can tell, parade it around the town while begging for money. Derek's wren songs were Hunt The Wren (Roud 236), The Boys Of Barr Na Sráide (Sigerson Clifford) and The Wren Boys Song (Roud 19109), which was the the final song of the evening.

Hunting for pet hates

Headstone of John Peel in the churchyard of
St Kentigern's Church,
Caldbeck, Wigton, Cumbria, UK
(Photo: Mark W Barker)

Last week's session had no official theme. Fewer songs were sung than usual as for a change, and quite unplanned, the whole of the second half was given over to chat, mainly about driving tests and riding motorbikes. Normal service will no doubt be restored this week.

Nevertheless, a good range of material was aired in the first half. Colin was MC and started us off with Gentlemen Of High Renown (Roud 190), singing the Copper Family's words to Martin Carthy's tune. Mike's attempt at following the hunting theme had to be delayed when he initially forgot the tune to The Hounds Are Out (Roud 24901).

While Mike was struggling, Derek offered to help, suggesting at one stage that he might be thinking of John Peel. Mike told us how his class at school had to sing that song and while he was in the choir others were not so proficient and the awful sound they made put him off singing for ten years until he joined a rock and roll band. Derek therefore dug deep to give us a rendition of The Old John Peel, just to annoy Mike. Derek carried on the theme with The Horn Of The Hunter (Roud 1859, Jackson Gillbanks) from the singing of Fred Jordan but he was foiled because it turned out that Mike likes that song.