Pre-Christmas lull and important news

Sheila Stewart

Before I get down to telling you what happened at this week's session there is very important news about next week's. Next Friday, 19 December, will be the club's Christmas party. As usual that means you may decide to bring contributions to a Christmas buffet as well as bringing your Christmas songs and tunes. However you need to be aware that the venue isn't The Bridge but is rather The New Inn at Westerleigh. This isn't yet an announcement of a permanent change to our venue but keep watching this blog for news. In the meantime please tell everyone you know in the folk world that our 19 December Christmas Party will be at this different venue.

With the parish announcement out of the way we can get straight into the session report, as Derek got straight into the session the way he meant to go on.

Derek informed us of the death on Tuesday 9 December of Sheila Stewart and indicated that he would be singing her songs all evening, asserting that she was the finest female folk singer of the last 25 years. His first of her songs was Andrew Lammie (Child 233).

Derek went on to sing four more songs from Sheila Stewart's repertoire: Bogie's bonnie belle (Roud 2155), Caroline of Edinburgh town (Laws P27), Huntingtower, and The nobleman's wedding (Roud 567, Laws P31). When it came to Derek's final song of the evening, he was asked for something uplifting. Since he wasn't aware of any comedy songs sung by Sheila Stewart he sang Gin I were where the Gadie runs which he had heard her say was "in the family", though he wan't quite sure which member of her family sang it.

Mike took the opportunity of Maggie's absence, unfortunately due to illness, to sing a song she doesn't like. No, it wasn't Summertime or O Danny Boy, but Essiquibo River and it gave everyone a chance to exercise their lungs, which is generally a good thing. Colin took the lead from that song to sing another with a fairly indecipherable chorus in Iko Iko, which is a song from New Orleans about two competing tribes at Mardi Gras.

Roger gave a nod to a theme from November of campfire songs by singing that Scout favourite You'll never get to heaven, combined in a medley with Cosher Bailey's engine (about Crawshay Bailey). Phil presented Roger with a train whistle (the sound-alike type not a real one) and proceeded appropriately to sing Waiting for a train (Jimmie Rodgers).

Chris ran out of songs and voice before the end of the evening but had already managed to offer a number of fine songs including Lass with the delicate air, written by Michael Arne which was first performed in 1762 (not by Chris, of course).

Colin as stand-in MC asked Simon to finish off the session, which he did with When all men sing (Keith Scowcroft and Derek Gifford), commenting that he believed he had first heard the song sung by Len Berry, who died on Christmas Day 2011. There was therefore a link to Len's widow, Barbara, who died this week.

I hope you will be able to join us next week for our Christmas party, and please remember to pass the word that it will not be at our usual venue.

Here's a selection of these and other songs sung during the session.

(Number of people present - 7, of which 7 performed)