Saint George's Day 2024

Saint George slaying the dragon
(AI image by Stable Diffusion)

Last week's Dragon Folk Club session had Saint George's Day as its theme. Unfortunately we were still in the midst of a period of absence of some of our stalwarts and so just two singers met to celebrate England's patron saint.

Colin took the obvious, but more challenging approach of singing songs of Saint George, England and dragons. Some were funny, some were irreverent, but all were definitely on topic.

Meanwhile Simon took a broader approach, singing songs on those topics, but also incorporating some of Saint George's other patronages, including soldiers, shepherds, scouting, syphilis and skin diseases (all the "s"s in fact!).

Colin as MC started us off with John Kirkpatrick's Saint George. You may note that the linked recording isn't of John Kirkpatrick, but of Waterson:Carthy. The reason is simple: Colin, mostly like Waterson:Carthy, sang the version of the song from Kirkpatrick's Going Spare album, but all YouTube recordings I've found of him singing his own song it is the later version from his Make No Bones album.

Simon followed with Fathom the bowl (roud 880).

There were a four songs from the evening which don't appear in the YouTube playlist linked from "a selection" below. First came Raise the white dragon of England written by our friend Gary Hopwood and sung by Colin. This is a campaign song for recognition that George was not the original patron Saint of England and that according to Gary the honour goes to Edmund the Martyr. Edmund's cult flourished during the Early and High Middle Ages, and he and Edward the Confessor were regarded as the patron saints of medieval England until they were replaced by Saint George in the 15th century.

The next unrecorded song to be sung was brought to us by Simon from the pen of our friend Richard Gillion, the song being Puff and bold Saint George which has the dragon being a local chap who ends up in the service of the council.

Colin sang a Kipper Family treatment of the theme, The old Saint George (Chris Sugden), and the final un-tubed song was The perils of a carnivorous diet from Colin's own pen.

Simon finished off the evening with Rout of the blues (roud 21098).

This Friday's session will have no theme, so as usual that means any type of performance is just fine as long as it's acoustic.

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

(Number of people present - 2 of whom 2 performed)

The Dog Watch (without the dog)

Photo: Simon Meeds

Last Friday we were reduced to just three singers. Mike made an early appearance but was on his way home rather than intending to stay. In the absence of Colin, Simon took over as MC.

The main purpose of Mike's brief visit was to ask that we publicise his now confirmed shanty performance evening from 7pm on 25 September at the Major's Retreat, Tormarton (GL9 1HZ). The Bristol Shantymen were asked to perform but only Mike will be available. He is therefore looking for a crowd of willing chorus singers on the assumption that the pub regulars won't join in without prompting.

When we were finally (barely) quorate, Simon kicked off the singing with Rout of the Blues (Roud 21098).

Derek gave us McCafferty (Roud 1148) which originated as a street-ballad about Patrick McCaffrey, executed in 1862 for the killing of two of his officers. Prompted by Geoff, Derek told how a rumour had arisen among gypsies that singing this song or the more recently Kevin Barry (Roud 3014) could be considered a treasonable offence, leading to imprisonment or even death. He assumes that it was indeed a rumour and had no base in fact.

Geoff's first song, commemorating the recent death of Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts, was You Better Move On (Arthur Alexander) which was the band's fourth single release (January 1964).

Given the small number present, Derek had suggested at the start that we limit ourselves to three songs each. When Geoff entered the room he came with the message that we were required to finish by 10:30pm. In the end Derek and Simon decided that we would go on until Geoff had finished his drink. That lasted through 16 songs and until about 10pm with Derek finishing off the evening by singing Pump Away (Roud 10338).

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

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

Waterloo Sunset

It was good to see Richard who hasn't been to the club for some time, no doubt looking after Lesley, who has been recovering from injury. Our beloved leader, Maggie, also made an appearance. More surprisingly, at least to Mike, Gary and Helen were both there without a medical excuse, or as he put it, Helen was there "voluntarily" - something which is definitely to be encouraged.

Colin was MC and he asked Derek to start us off.

Derek sang this gloriously geographically inaccurate version of Higher Germany (Roud 904) rather than the more usual version.

Battle of Waterloo by William Sadler

Remembering Ray... and other stories

When I arrived at The New Inn last Friday I saw a large table of people being served with food where we usually have our session. I thought for a moment we had been let down again as at our previous venue. I headed back to the car, then I realised there were familiar cars in the car park. Should I put my guitar in the car and go to investigate, or should I just go and investigate anyway? I went to investigate, guitar case in hand. Sure enough, I found a group of our regulars in the other bar with drinks. No one immediately explained, so I just got myself a pint and took a seat.

Mike's songs

"Gresford mining disaster:
rescue team leaving the air lock"

Mike and Maggie weren't around for this session so Richard was in charge. Mike had embraced the inevitable last week by announcing the theme as "Songs that Mike sings". Most of us were able to rise to the challenge.

There were two and a half occasional visitors present.

Mervyn occasionally joins us when he's passing through on his trips between the South West and Berkshire. Understandably, he didn't attempt to match the theme, singing Rainbow connection "from the singing of Kermit the Frog". It was indeed an original song for The Muppet Movie, written by Paul Williams and Kenneth Ascher. He went on to sing John Conolly's Punch and Judy man and Dolly Grey "collected" from the Black and White Minstrels. He also recalled an evening at another club themed as "One song to the tune of another"; as on that evening, Mervyn sang Paul Simon's Kathy's Song to the tune of The Silkie.

The other one and a half occasional visitors were Steve and Jane. We haven't seen Steve for a while, but Jane's presence is a rare treat with her well-told stories. In particular she said she is starting to tell stories from her own experience, and in that vein she recounted an incident shortly after the end of the Second World War, when a German POW turned around the expectations of the people present by performing a valiant feat.