Sad news and happier

Geoff Gammon
(Photo: Simon Meeds)

It was an excellent turn-out at the Dragon Folk Club last week. That's not to say we wouldn't welcome more, but it was a refreshing change to have so many people to bounce ideas and songs off.

Before we get to the report proper I have two important pieces of news.

We have heard this week of the recent death of our friend Geoff Gammon who made his first appearance at the club on 9th September 2016 and quickly became a regular. While doctors had managed to keep his long-term illness at bay for several years it had recently caught up with him and he had become only an occasional visitor to The Bridge. Our thoughts are with his daughter Sara and all his family.

A happier, piece of news is that we are entering the autumn/ winter theme season for the club. While we will continue to meet every Friday with the possible exception of one or two around Christmas and New Year (watch this space for news on that) there are some particular dates for your diary. These themes are entirely voluntary. If you can find a few songs to fit then that's great, if not then turn up anyway and do whatever you fancy.

• 20th October - Harvest (gathering, plenty, agriculture, countryside)
• 27th October - Halloween (All Saints, spooky, horror, etc.)
• 3rd November - Guy Fawkes / Bonfire Night (including campfire songs)
• 10th November - Remembrance (war, anti-war, etc.)
• 1st December - St Andrew (Scotland, etc.)
• 15th December - Christmas (including bah humbug)

(Songs new to the Dragon database, though not necessarily always new to the club are marked with an asterisk "*")

As usual Colin was MC and started the session, this time singing Games people play (* Joe South).

John was next up with Bob Dylan's Blind Willie McTell about the Piedmont blues and ragtime singer and guitarist of that name and the prejudice experienced by African Americans such as him in the first half of the 20th century.

Stan introduced us to Marty Robbins' Man walks among us (*).

Simon sang Leon Rosselson's song of the diggers, The world turned upside down.

Rob often takes traditional ballads and writes an alternative version of the story or one which explains missing links in the original. His riff on Long Lankin (roud 6, child 93) is Lord Weary and the mason. The linked video is entitled "Lord Murray and the mason" because a friend of Rob's persuaded him that might be less confusing, but Rob later reverted to the original title and lyric.

Chris sang the first traditional song of the evening with The three ravens (roud 5, child 26).

Roger briefly sang what I believe was an extract from Paddy McGinty's goat. It's worth noting that this song, while seeming to be Irish, was in fact written by two English music hall composers, Bert Lee and RP Weston, for an American vaudeville act performing in the UK, The Two Bobs.

Denny offered up Pretty Saro (roud 417) followed by Paul bringing the first rotation to an end with Waking dreams (roud 22620).

Colin recalled our late friend Phil by singing from his repertoire Plastic Jesus (Ed Rush, George Cromarty).

Chris sang David of the white rock (*), the English version of Dafydd y Garreg Wen with tune by Welsh harpist David Owen and (Welsh) words by John Caeiriog Hughes.

Roger followed this, referring to the jazz funerals of New Orleans and singing When the saints go marching in (* roud 13983).

Colin gave us Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger's Nova Scotian mining disaster song The ballad of Springhill (*).

Chris added to her tally with The spinning wheel (* roud 17647 - John Francis Waller).

Colin sang the only song of the evening not in the YouTube playlist linked below as "a selection", and that was Graeme Miles' The Whitby girl's lament.

Stan reminded us of Elvis by singing The wonder of you (* Baker Knight), first recorded by Ray Peterson.

Rob has recently spread his net beyond his usual ballads and shanties to include some Americana, which he demonstrated to us with Poor Wayfaring stranger (* roud 3339). And finally, it also fell to Rob to finish the evening which he did with Nassau Bound (roud 15634), the original version of the well known Sloop John B from the singing of Tom Lewis.

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

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

The pub with no beer

IMPORTANT NOTE: We are hoping there will be a Dragon Folk Club session this Friday (15th September 2023), but we're not certain at the moment. This isn't because of the current situation with the pub (see below - which should have improved by Friday), but because some of our key members may not be available due to family matters. I will post an update here later in the week, so keep watching, and mark us in your diary anyway in expectation that all will be well.

Last week at The Bridge was interesting... hmmm. True, there was only one singer present, and true he did sing sixteen songs - you'll have to trust him on that. But stranger, there were no bar staff and no beer. Wait, that's not quite as bad as it sounds. Apparently The Bridge's faithful regular drinker, Allie, turned up and found nothing happening. She asked what it was about and was told there were no staff, so she volunteered to work behind the bar, and a pretty good job she did of it - friendly and warm as always, and seemed to know what she was doing. According to Allie the beer had not been ordered, so not only was there no Doom Bar (shock, horror), but no other beer on tap nor even in bottles and cans. However there were several ciders, which did the job for one lonely singer, even if the effect was a slightly burpy (TMI?) rendition of some songs - maybe best that there was no one to hear.

Simon started, continued and finished the session, so I won't bother to add too much detail to this report, but in the process he sang loudly in case someone passing the door on their way into the gents heard and felt moved to wander in (they didn't), and he sang some songs rarely sung by him, and some rarely in the club. There was only one song new to the Dragon database which I have marked below with an asterisk (*), and even that was certainly not new to the club, just not previously electronically recorded.

Here is the complete list.

• Margarita (Harvey Andrews)
• Small High Window (Mike Harding)
• City of New Orleans (Steve Goodman)
• Bully in the Alley (roud 8287)
• The World Turned Upside Down (Leon Rosselson)
• Portobello Road (Cat Stevens/Yusuf, Kim Fowley)
• Cousin Jack (Steve Knightley)
• The Boxer * (Paul Simon)
• And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda (Eric Bogle)
• The Gambler (Don Schlitz)
• The January Man (Dave Goulder)
• Martin Said to his Man (roud 473)
• The Mighty Quinn (Bob Dylan)
• Summertime (DuBose Heyward, George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin)
• The Tailor's Breeches (roud 1610)
• This Land is Your Land (roud 16378, Woody Guthrie)

I think that a pretty eclectic one-man performance. It's just a pity there was no one to hear it.

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

(Number of people present - 1 of whom 1 performed)

Amphibian from the start

Frog in a lavoir (Photo: Simon Meeds)

A really short report this week because I'm going out to enjoy myself this evening! However you can still listen to versions of most of the songs we sung at last week's session via the "selection" link at the bottom of the page.

First of all I need to let you know that this week's session on Friday 29 March has a theme and it has been extended (blame me) to "April Fools, Mothering Sunday and Lady Day". Make of that what you will. Traditionally we have interpreted April fools as nonsense, good and bad luck but it's up to you to apply your own interpretation.