Tiny fish in a small pond

MV Rt. Hon. Paul J. Martin passing through Lock 7
of the Welland Canal between Lakes Ontario and Erie
(Photo: Simon Meeds)

The numbers at the end of this report are a bit misleading. On the one hand there were two singers who met for the Dragon Folk Club session last week. On the other, due to the gents toilets being out of action, there was a constant stream of people passing through. Most, but not all, were respectful. Some were complimentary. One performed. A drunken Irishman (apparently) was effusive in his praise. We were even joined briefly by our friend Allie who was very appreciative and gave a few brief snippets from her folk repertoire.

Things started off early as John, having visited the facilities borrowed Simon's guitar and played a few riffs including Wonderwall (Noel Gallagher) for which his unnamed friend joined in with vocals.

Once we got underway properly, Simon, the stand-in MC, started things off with Windmills (Alan Bell).

Remarkably, the two singers, that is disregarding John, who appeared again later with some more riffs, and Allie with her brief medley of songs, sang a total of 39 during the evening. It was almost 11pm by the time it all finished, but the main reason for stopping at 39 was that Steve said he'd run out of songs, and almost out of voice.

You can follow the link from "a selection" below to a playlist of all the songs we sang except one. That one came from Steve and was When Adam was first created (roud 728).

No new songs were added to the Dragon database this week, although it was the first recorded singing of Steve's version of roud 369, laws L5, that being Sam Hall rather than Jack Hall which was already there.

Steve sang a couple of other songs which hadn't previously been recorded in the database for him: Adieu sweet lovely Nancy (roud 165) and The leaving of Liverpool (roud 9435).

Of course we had a few Stan Rogers songs from Steve: White squall, Tiny fish for Japan, and The field behind the plow. I also see that Rogers recorded Cyril Tawney's Sammy's bar.

The evening was completed by Simon singing Jackson C Frank's Blues run the game.

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

(Number of people present - 4 of whom 3 performed)

Tales of the sea and the iron road among others

Edward Harrigan in "Old Lavender"

Last week's Dragon Folk Club session had no theme, so the selection of songs was quite eclectic. Some minor, ad hoc themes emerged as often happens. Most notably though it was pleasing to see us back to decent numbers. Initially five arrived, though Paul apparently had a doctor's note excusing him from singing. Then Simon arrived to make six. We also had a couple of welcome, extended visits by a member of the bar staff who I believe may have been off duty.

Colin, as MC, started off the evening with Get up Jack, John sit down (roud 2807 - Edward Harrigan, David Braham) which came from a play called "Old Lavender". The play premiered on 3rd September 1877 though the songs came in a later version which was first performed on 1st September 1885. Braham was Harrigan's father-in-law. I could go on, but if you want lots more detail you can find it on Mudcat.

This not surprisingkly started off a maritime mini-theme, immediately followed by Steve C with Haul away Joe (roud 809).

Denny took us inland with Dalesman's litany (poem by Frederic William Moorman, music by Dave Keddie).

Bob was still getting his guitar and other gear together, so he passed, opting to sing two songs on the next rotation. This meant that Simon, who had just arrived, was put on the spot and so sang his party piece, King of Rome (Dave Sudbury).

Colin's second song Captain Kidd (roud 1900, laws K35) took us back seaward. Steve's lake song is excused for being effectively about an inland, freshwater sea, being Stan Rogers' song White squall, about sudden localised storms which have often taken casualties on the Great Lakes.

Denny's Three score and ten (roud 16873 - William Delf) certainly saw us back off-shore with a notorious storm off the East coast of England on 9th February 1889 involving the loss of at least eight vessels including two from Hull.

As promised, Bob's first contribution comprised two songs: Back to Tennessee (George Frayne, Billy C Farlow) from Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen, and Blood red river (roud 15807).

It was Bob who later started a mini theme of railways with Golden rocket (Hank Snow). Simon followed on with City of New Orleans (Steve Goodman). Bob retaliated with I'm moving on (Hank Snow) to which Simon came back with Drill ye tarriers drill (roud 4401 - words by Thomas Casey [1888] with later music by Charles Connolly).

And so it went on. You can hear all 36 songs which were sung (but mostly not by the actual singers) by following the link to the YouTube playlist from "a selection" below.

Our friendly bar lady came in for a second time towards the end of the evening and said that her Irish mother had encouraged her to request The Fields of Athenry (Pete St John) and Simon was able to oblige. That just left it to Colin to close the evening with Waltzing's for dreamers (Richard Thompson).

This Friday's session will once again have no theme, so please come along and sing, play or perform in any way you prefer as long as it's acoustic. Failing that we would love to see you as our audience, to join in the banter, and maybe to sing along with a chorus or three.

You will find us from 8:15pm this and almost any Friday in the "barn" at The Bridge Inn, Shortwood, Bristol (UK), BS16 9NG. You will also find free entry, a warm welcome, excellent acoustics and a reasonably priced bar. Some of the regulars will be missing this week, so we need newcomers and irregulars - you will all be very welcome.

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

(Number of people present - 7 of whom 5 performed)

Halloween 2017

Gustave Doré, Depiction of Satan,
a central figure in John Milton's Paradise Lost
c. 1866

Last week's Halloween themed session brought out only four singers. Let's ee if we can make this week's Bonfire themed evening more populous.

Colin was MC and he started us off on-topic with Fish, Tin And Copper, a song which has Old Nick visiting Cornwall and being frightened away by a pasty.

Steve C made his first appearance at the Dragon Folk Club for a while and was understandably the only one not prepared with songs in theme. His songs for the evening were The Jeannie C (Stan Rogers), Lunenburg Skies (Terry Young), The Blarney Roses (Roud 6329), White Squall (Stan Rogers), The Rare Ould Times (Pete St John), Ranter's Wharf (John Conolly, Bill Meek), Candles (Jon Heslop), Guard Your Man Weel (Johnny Handle) and Mantle Of Green (Roud 714, Laws N38).

Manchester or Essex?

Manchester Town Hall

We've been doing really well for visitors recently and last week wasn't an exception being joined by Linda and Dave, who live in Essex but are originally from Manchester and these two locations were taken by some people as a theme for the evening. They visit the area quite frequently so we hope to see them again. Dave, who sings in a barbershop choir as well as at folk clubs, sang us some songs. Linda on the other hand saved herself for a return visit, choosing instead to just weigh us up on this occasion - I don't blame her.

Colin, back from his recent trip, was MC and Derek started off the session with Jamie Douglas (Roud 87, Child 204). He almost gave up singing this song, realising it isn't too long since we had it from him but when Chris said how much she liked it he relented and carried on.

4th July - Independence Day

We've made it to the 100th post on the Dragon Folk Club blog. Granted not all of the posts are session reports but the vast majority are. The session this week took on a largely sateside theme, it being 4th July, American Independence Day.

Opening discussions were wide ranging and not a little seedy. Derek was interested to hear the progress of the Glamorgan versus Somerset cricket match, which was abandoned without a ball being bowled - at least it didn't make Derek quite as depressed as a defeat for Glamorgan but he said his team needed a win, so it wasn't all good news either. It seemed that most other discussions led to 69 and we nearly found out too much information about someone's daughter! I asked Colin what was the obscure song he sang last week about the Potteries. He answered that it was The jolly machine but Kevin misheard and thought he was talking about a contraceptive dispenser.