How to keep warm

(AI image from Stable Diffusion)

Last week's Dragon Folk Club session was enjoyable not least for some rarer songs being sung. Five singers met and managed not to freeze too hard by singing some songs of warmer climes and warmer times. You can hear all of those songs by following the "a selection" link below to a YouTube playlist.

Slightly bizarrely, Colin as MC started us off with The last shanty (Tom Lewis) and keeping to a maritime theme Simon, inspired by Rob's singing of The tow-rope girls on his last visit,which we remember is by Cicely Fox Smith and not by Tom Lewis at all, gave us Wave over wave (Jim Payne) to the same tune. Rob himself kept it nautical with The Greenland whale fishery (roud 347, laws K21), the first song of the evening totally new to the Dragon database.

We hadn't finished with the sea yet with Paul singing Roll Alabama Roll (roud 4710) and Denny selecting Bye-bye my Roseanna (roud 12380).

Colin's singing of The Roman gladiator (Bruce Campbell) recalled our friend Mike Starkey who we haven't seen for some time. Bruce Campbell, a Groundsman at Wethered's Brewery in Marlow, wrote the song around 1940.

Likewise, Simon's singing of Lasso the moon (Tom Mossman) reminded us of Tom of whom we receive regular reports, but who has not been able to join us for a long time. The song was written as a result of conversations between Tom and our late friend Ray Croll.

Another new song to the database was Mississippi summer (Si Kahn) sung by Rob, who also introduced another "new" song (definitely not new to the club though another entry in the database), General Taylor (roud 216).

Rob was definitely hot on finding gaps in the database because it was he who contributed I think it's going to rain today (Randy Newman). The final new song though came from Colin with Port of call (Kieran Halpin).

I'll leave you to listen to the rest of the songs from the evening. Suffice to say that the last song was The Holmfirth anthem (roud 1046) given to us by Denny.

This Friday's session (16th February) will be our Valentine's Day theme. Of course we know what St Valentine's Day means to most people, but bear in mind he patron saint of affianced couples, beekeepers, happy marriages, love, mentally ill people, plague, epilepsy, and Lesvos.

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

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

Friends and neighbours

Sam Cooke in 1963
(Photo from Billboard)

It was a theme-less evening at the Dragon Folk Club last week and we were pleased to see seven singers gather including occasional visitor Malcolm who hopped over the bridge from Wales.

It was Malcolm who started off the session with Dion DiMucci's Here in America, written following the killing of fellow singer Sam Cooke in 1964.

There are 34 songs in the YouTube playlist linked from "a selection" below. There were 35 songs sung, which included a brand new song by Paul on its debut outing. It tells of his experiences several years ago with cancer and is entitled "Fathom my bowel". I have cheated somewhat by including a recording of the source song, obviously Fathom the bowl (roud 880).

The other song missing from the playlist was sung by Colin and is Harry Brown, written by our friend Mike Starkey, together with Pete McNab and tells the story of the last days of the Bristol sand dredger of that name and its final journeys to Barry and then to Bahrain.

The final song of the evening also came from Colin and provided a good opportunity for some singing along. It was Botany Bay (roud 3267).

This Friday's session (9 February) will be theme-less again in preparation for the Valentine's Day of the following week. See you at either of those sessions or on any Friday night except when occasionally notified here.

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

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

Burns' Night 2024

The haggis season?
(Image with thanks to Paul Welcomme)

Last week's Dragon Folk Club session again saw four singers meet to make a noise. This time is was for Burns' Night, belated but only by one day. There were several performances which had in some way been touched by Rabbie, and most others had some connection with Scotland, some strong, some more tenuous.

You will find everything performed on the evening represented in the YouTube playlist linked from "a selection" below. I'll list some of the more Burnsian ones here, and sorry for any I miss:

• Denny - Ye Jacobites by name (roud V21021, Robert Burns)
• Simon - Address to a haggis (Robert Burns)
• Denny - Leezie Lindsay (roud 94, child 226, Robert Burns)
• Colin - Such a parcel of rogues in a nation (roud V31022, Robert Burns)
• Simon - Geordie (roud 90, child 209, but not Robert Burns' version)
• Colin - Afton water (roud 24637, Robert Burns)
• Denny - The collier laddie (roud 3787, collected by Robert Burns)

This Friday (2 February) is a theme-less session so anything goes as long as it's acoustic. Bring your own theme if you wish. While are of course there for your enjoyment every Friday evening, the next theme should you wish to prepare will be a slightly belated Valentine's Day on 16th February. I'll give you some food for thought on that in next week's blog report.

See you there any Friday, but remember to wrap up warm at this time of year. We are promised a snowy blast this weekend in Bristol.

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

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

Frozen? Perseverence! When all men sing (and a lady too).

(Photo: Simon Meeds)

At last week's Dragon Folk Club session we were four singers and we had a good range of songs. You can judge for yourself by listening to the playlist linked below from "a selection". The selection in fact includes all but one song that was sung. The missing one is (not a typo) And the band played 'And the band played Waltzing Matilda', written by Tony Miles and sung on this occasion by our MC, Colin.

This Friday (26 January) is our slipped by just one day Burns' Night, so while the usual "anything goes as long as it's acoustic" does apply, it's extra brownie points if it's Burns, Scottish or somehow about Scotland or the Scots.

See you there, but remember to wrap up warm.

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

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

In the salt sea

Kaskelot (Photo: Simon Meeds)

At last week's Dragon session we had a quorum of five singers. There was no theme so we enjoyed a wide variety of songs and styles including some new to the Dragon database, and I suspect at least one, maybe two, that were actually new to the club. There were notably quite a few songs somehow related to the sea, so that is the inspiration for this week's featured image.

You can hear every one of the songs we sang (some even by their Dragon singers) by following the "a selection" link below.

This Friday's session (19 January) will again have no theme, but next week's (26 January) will be our Burns' Night. I'm afraid there will be no actual haggis nor sgian dubhs, and probably no pipes, but the singing of Burns' songs, or in fact anything more or less related to Scotland and the Scots will be encouraged, though not required.

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

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

New Year 2024

Last week's Dragon session was our first of 2024 and therefore logically had a New Year, January theme, augmented by the fact it was actually held on Twelfth Night. We met as a perfectly respectable band of six singers including regular MC Colin.

I'm afraid I've run out of time to write one of my in-depth reports on the event, but you can still find most of the songs we sang in the YouTube playlist linked below.

This Friday's session (12 January) has no official theme as far as I am aware, so anything goes as long as it's acoustic.

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

(Number of people present - 6 of whom 6 performed)

Back for 2024

This is a reminder that the Dragon Folk Club is back in action tonight (5 January 2024) after a two week Christmas break. You may like to try out a theme of New Year, January and Twelfth Night. Yes, it's actually Twelfth Night, so get those decorations down and come along to the "barn" at The Bridge Inn, Shortwood, Bristol (UK), BS16 9NG. You will find us tonight and almost every Friday night from 8:15pm.

We crave your presence whether you sing, play, perform in some other way, or just join in the odd chorus - or even if you don't. Don't worry too much about the theme - when we have one it's always optional, nice to follow but no forfeits if you don't.

Most importantly you will always find FREE ENTRY, a warm welcome, excellent acoustics, and a reasonably priced bar. What more could you want on a Friday night? One warning though, at this time of year the welcome may be warm, but the room isn't always so hot - wrap up warm and we'll all huddle close together to sing and create some body heat. Let's have some fun - I don't care about those who say "this is a folk club, you're not here to have fun". Anything goes as long as it's acoustic.
See you there!