Trains and mines

The Trimdon Grange rescue(photo by she_who_must - Flickr)

Last week's session had no official theme but that didn't last long. As has become usual, Colin was MC and he asked Derek to start us off.

Derek alluded to 16 February 1882, the date of the Trimdon Grange colliery disaster before singing the song about it, written by Tommy Armstrong: Trimdon Grange Explosion (Roud 3189). This led us straight into a theme of mining which Mike followed with Morley Main (Keith Marsden) about the 1872 disaster there.

Colin claimed a tenuous connection with The Fireman's Growl (FW Skerrett); at least a railway fireman worked with coal. This allowed Simon to follow on with The L&N Don't Stop Here Anymore (Jean Ritchie) which deals with both railways and mines.

Valentine's Day - 2016

Newly weds take a trip on a traditional Maltese dgħajsa

Being the closest session to Valentine's Day, love and not a little lust was in the air, or at least in some of our songs. Derek introduced a second theme though of songs sung by Roy Harris, who had died the previous Tuesday. One or two seemed even to include both themes in a single song!

Colin as MC asked Derek to kick off the session. Derek said it was 40 years this year since he first met Roy Harris, and from his repertoire sang Poverty Knock (Roud 3491, probably written by Tom Daniel), accompanying himself on the bones. He apologised to Simon, who sometimes sings that song (Simon says that was unnecessary) but suggested that he might like to sing No Sir No (Roud 146), which he did when it came to his turn - thus hitting both themes.

Six Nations of song - 2016

George Kruis goes over for England's
first try against Scotland (Inpho)

Shock horror, it seems that the previous week's session wasn't the record breaker we claimed. According to Mike, the record for the number of songs sung in an evening at The Dragon Folk Club is 48, and last week we only managed 46. Oh well, we'll just have to try harder next time - where are all those single line songs that Mike and Derek seem so readily to bring out when you least expect it?

Colin, being MC, proposed a rugby theme since the following day would bring the first games of the Six Nations. This was followed by some with songs from all those nations being represented together with various song of more or less spurious connection with rugby.

So you want to be a record breaker?

A good crowd gathered last week at The New Inn including two visitors. Ros and Jan, who have obviously known Maggie S for a long time offered us their lovely singing.

Colin was MC and suggested an Australian theme since Australia Day had been just a few days before; some people managed to follow this last minute theme. When the evening was over Colin claimed that we had broken the record for the number of songs sung during a Dragon Folk Club session, so I feel duty bound to catalogue those songs as far as possible.