Singing Together

BBC Singing Together

In the unlikely event that the Substitute Scribe has any readers from among the Younger Generation he apologises to them for the obscurity of this week's title. Singing Together was an educational programme back in the days when the only multimedia presentations for school students were delivered by moving a 'portable' (i.e. capable of being lifted by two people) Bakelite radio from room to room.

For many of us, it was our first introduction to folk music, and it was remembered this week when Colin sang Grey Hawk (Roud 293), a song Derek recalled voting for (the only one in his class who did) at the end of term Eurovision Song Contest type vote for best song. John P then recalled from the same source, and sang, Lincolnshire Poacher (Roud 299).

What shall we do with a drunken folk club?

Sperm Whale

A slight increase in numbers over last week was united in creating a better evening by the silence from last week's rogue speaker. In fact the only unexpected accompaniment was occasioned by Ray's phone, and since Gary was forced to admit that its warble tone was in the right key, this did not constitute a serious problem.

Those non-attenders who had their windows open and heard peals of laughter from the area of Shortwood may like to know the story of its origin. After a mention of whores, Colin was asked to raise the tone, and seemed genuinely convinced that he was about to do so. Hint to readers – when attempting tone-raising, try to avoid a song like New Zealand Whales / Coast of Peru which opens with the words “Come all of you whalermen who are cruising for sperm” (let alone the mention of se[a]men in the next line). In the absence of any other theme for the evening Robin proceeded to give us Dave Oakley's Clonakilty Whaling Song, in which they 'prefer minke to sperm', and Derek could not resist Cruising Round Yarmouth.