Certainly eclectic

John Twigg

This week's session came with the realisation that wine and beer have gone up 10p. Far less than at some pubs, I was assured by Maggie. Maggie had arranged for a get well card to be sent from the club to Pat who has been in hospital but is now back at home and is understood to be recovering from her operation.

Mike kicked off the session with Firing the Mauritania.

Tom sang Paul Simon's American Tune despite obviously not being his greatest fan - it was sung at Ray's request. Colin took us to the antipodes with Davy Lowston. Gary then moved us to Spain, singing Silenci in Catalan (I think it might have been this, based on a few half-heard words, but my apologies to Gary if I'm wrong). Simon returned us to America with Mark Knopfler's Sailing to Philadelphia.

Martin was this week's visitor, coming from Sheffield and in the area for just a couple of nights. He took us to his home town with Glossop Road.

Martin's second song was Bold Princess Royal. The song tells how the ship in the title was chased by a pirate ship and made an honourable retreat. This caused some discussion with Mike, who cannot understand the song - Princess Royal was a naval ship, with a compliment of canon, and moreover was the fastest ship in the fleet - why would it retreat from a pirate ship? To drive home the point, Mike sang a song (whose title I did not catch) describing the Princess Royal's successes.

During the interval, Simon declared that, despite hailing from Lincolnshire, he does not particularly like The Lincolnshire Poacher. Derek took this as a challenge and came back singing The Button Push Machine, based on that very song. Simon had also stated that the only Lincolnshire song he sings was written by someone from Yorkshire. Realising that not to be the case, he came back with his own The Story of John Twigg, recalling various practical jokes played by a character from Alford. To add to the links this provided, the song is sung to the tune Villikins and His Dinah. Derek claims that any folk song can be sung to either this tune or to Blow the Man Down.

Visitor Martin's other two songs were Needle Cases and I Wish There Were No Prisons.

Some other examples of the eclectic range of songs on offer are: Richard with Emerson, Lake and Palmer's version of Mussorgsky's The Sage from Pictures at an Exhibition; Ray singing his sweet version of Benny Hill's Broken Hearted Lovers' Stew; Colin with parodies: Allergic to the New Mown Hay (Ramble in the New Mown Hay) and Cat's in the Kettle (Cat's in the Cradle); and from the ridiculous to the sublime with Terry singing John of Dreams.