Linguistic acrobatics

Photo by Vigneshkumar Chinnachamy

A better turn-out this week, at least at the beginning of the evening with Richard and Lesley returning from their travels and a big welcome to first-timers, Tony and Hillary, who moved in fairly nearby a few months ago. I hope they enjoyed the evening and decide to make it a regular occurrence.

Colin was MC and Derek, keeping to his May theme of the last few weeks, started off the session with Johnny O'Breadislee (Roud 69, Child 114).

When might March follow May?

It was a small throng that met up last week at The New Inn but we are grateful to everyone who made it, especially to Roger, who was unusually Chris-less since she had been singing her heart out the night before and presumably needed to give her voice a rest.

Our numbers were reduced even further at the break and as we started going round in ever decreasing circles we put the night out of its misery slightly earlier than usual but a good variety of songs were nevertheless sung.

Derek started us off in a very seasonal way with Whitsun Dance (Austin John Marshall). Quite a number of May songs were still coming out of the woodwork, starting with Mike's singing of Claudy Banks (Roud 266, Laws N40).

More May

Bonny Black Hare by eugenslavik

At last week's Dragon Folk Club session there were actually nine people and three dogs but I have counted two other people who stood at the bar for a few songs and didn't heckle, which is a bonus, thus bringing the human total to eleven, which isn't a bad showing.

Colin arrived slightly late to take up his role of MC, and it transpired he had forgotten his notes, so he was flying unaided for the evening. He asked Mike to start off and when Mike complained that he hadn't been first to arrive, Colin put him in his place... he's learning this MCing lark, at least giving back to Mike some of what he had received in previous years.

May Songs 2016

Photo by Eric Adamshick

Slightly thinner on the ground last week but a fun evening nonetheless. There was no official theme but I had hinted at May being an appropriate path to tread, and some of us trod it more or less closely.

Colin was MC and Derek kicked us off with Constantine a song from the Cornish village of that name which has a similar May tradition to its more famous neighbour, Helston. It is marked with a different version of Roud 1520 and the celebration is held one week later (this is a recording of the Helston version).

Mike was thinking of singing his Bristol version of Outward and Homeward but couldn't get it to start, so he made do with Wild Mountain Thyme (Roud 541), returning Homeward on our next rotation. Maybe it was this that suggested to Derek Sprig of Thyme (Roud 3) for a later turn or maybe just because it was appropriate to May.

Cry 'God for Harry, England, and Saint George!'

I was a good turnout with fourteen people and three dogs at last week's session. We had two Maggies for the first time in a while, and Paul was joined by former colleague, Jan and her husband. Canine presence was provided by regular Indy with Gertie and Freddie.

The official theme was St George (dragons, England, etc.) and that was complemented by William Shakespeare (400th death anniversary) and Derek even picked up on my suggestion of "disturbing songs", from a theme brought up by the BBC.