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)

One song to the tune of another

The cast of Radio 4's I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue in 2010

First an important parish announcement: there will be no Dragon Folk Club Session this week (7 August 2015). The next session will be on Friday 14 August. There is nothing sinister behind this. The New Inn where we meet has a "big do" on 7th. They offered us space on Saturday evening but after some consideration we decided just to have a week off. Sorry if you are visiting Bristol this week and were hoping to come along. If you are resident in the area or staying a few nights you may like to consider going along to the Chipping Sodbury Folk Night on Thursday 6 at the Beaufort Hunt, Chipping Sodbury. CSFN meets on the first Thursday of every month and kicks off at 8pm. It is usually quite popular so an early arrival is advised in order to be sure of a seat.

Now for the report on last week's session. Quite frequently we have a themed night but apart from ad hoc themes that emerge informally, the only official themes we have are usually calendar based (Christmas, Burns' Night, St George, Andrew, David or Patrick, and so on). Last week's session however was an exception, being "One Song To The Tune Of Another". It's an idea borrowed from Radio 4's programme, I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue. Understandably, not everyone present was able to follow the theme but nevertheless it was pretty successful.