The first session of Christmas

John Conolly

This was the first of two Christmas sessions. The maybe spurious reason was that some people couldn't make 13 December and others couldn't make 20th. So, if you're reading this before 11pm on 20th there's still time to join us for some Christmas cheer (or bah humbug depending on your inclination), make it a bit earlier and you can even join in with the grub, just bring an edible contribution, please.

We would like to thank Maggie 2 (who I now know as Maggie L!) for decorating the room. I guess she probably provided some of the food as well but she had been and gone before I arrived so I don't know for sure. Thank you, Maggie L! Henceforth, if I remember, our two Maggies will be Maggie S and Maggie L.

Anyway, the session was kicked off by Mike singing the Boar's head carol. It's not often you get a whole room singing in Latin. Well, that particular bit of lightning struck twice this evening when Simon sang Gaudete (attempting to sing with his best Cambridge Latin pronunciation rather than the usual mediaeval). Tom seemed to get quite excited by the word "laetitiae" (happiness) in the latter, so after (uncharacteristically) consulting Simon's iPhone to remind himself, Derek sang Little Chance which has lots of "titty"s in it.

Pat has been unwell for some months, so we haven't seen her at the club. Usually she would sing the Cherry tree carol with some help from Derek, so on this occasion he took the whole song for himself.

Steve G wasn't the only person with only one Christmassy song; his contribution being Mike Heron's (Incredible String Band) Log cabin home in the sky.

Alan K's set of Christmas songs comprised In the bleak midwinter and a medley of Irving Berlin's White Christmas and Blue Christmas (written by Billy Hayes and Jay W Johnson and made famous by Elvis Presley). Alan followed those up with his own song, Rain on stony ground.

Kevin annoyed Mike by getting in first with The Christmas goose. "But you sang it last year" was Kevin's defence.

Colin's usual eclectic mix included the surprising Snoopy's Christmas. I have Snoopy versus the Red Baron on a 7" vinyl single but I don't think I've ever heard this one before.

Paul played some of his own compositions including one we hadn't heard before. The Hotties is inspired by a section of canal in Pontypridd which, warmed by the outflow from a steelworks became the, probably inadvisable, location where his father, uncle and aunt learnt to swim. His aunt in particular went on to be a well-known distance swimmer.

Tom sang the slightly unseasonal Autumn leaves and Peter, Paul and Mary's No other name as well as one of his own songs, We will lasso the man.

Gary finished off the session with John Conolly's I am Christmas.

Here's a selection of these songs plus some others sung during the session.