Valentine's Day 2015

CWAC Valentine's Day 1944

Ignoring the fact that it was Friday 13th, we concentrated on it being the day before Valentine's Day with a theme described by Mike as "Lust and Unrequited Love". I think everyone pretty much stuck to the theme even if we strayed even further than usual from the folk tradition. Roger set out on a tour of songs from the shows, claiming he was "doing a Simon", since Simon sang Summertime a couple of weeks ago.

Colin took the mantel of MC and got Mike to kick off with Black Sloven (Last Valentine's Day), which is not about love at all but is a hunting song. Nevertheless, it somehow got us off on theme.

Colin perhaps won the prize for the strangest song of the evening with Stackridge's Amazingly Agnes, although perhaps Simon wasn't far behind, with Big Bamboo.

While Mike had his back turned, Derek swiftly took the opportunity to sing the San Larner's version of The Bold Princess Royal (Roud 528).

Mike declared that the Green Cockade (Roud 191) was collected in Devon by Sabine Baring-Gould. Yes I know that the recording in White Cockade but I couldn't find a green one. Maggie seemed to be disappointed that Mike didn't give everyone a chance to sing the chorus, at which Mike pointed out that Baring-Gould didn't collect the joining-in bit.

Later arrivals were Gary and Terry, who didn't seem to realise that there was a theme, although Gary's Brighouse on a Saturday Night (Roger Davies) might be said to be a love song to that town in Yorkshire.

Phil kept asking Colin whether we were still on theme. "It's all evening" came the reply, and he kept coming up with appropriate, if not always conventional, songs of love and relationships, such as Philadelphia Lawyer (Woody Guthrie).

The evening was rounded off by Gary singing Goodbye to the Sea (Dave Boulton and Jeff Parton).

A bit of advance notice. While the Dragon Folk Club generally meets every Friday, there will be no session on Friday 27 February. Everything will be back to normal on 6 March. As for next week, 20 February, bring your song and tunes, and chiefly, yourselves.

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

(Number of people present - 11, of which 10 performed)