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).

Mike got us all singing along to Let The Bulgine Run (Roud 810), though Maggie S commented that he sang it more slowly than usual. That's not a comment you would lay on Richard though when he sings Cam Ye O'er Frae France.

Lesley, as she has done before, linked two songs about cobblers: The Cobbler's Daughter (Kate Rusby) and A Kiss In The Morning Early.

There being two of them, Tony and Hillary were "required" to sing or play two things on each rotation of the room. Each time Tony gave us a concertina tune accompanied by Hillary on autoharp and Hillary gave us a song, accompanied by herself and Tony. On the first round Tony's tune was Meillionen (which is Welsh for "clover flowers" - before moving to South Gloucestershire Tony and Hillary had lived in Wales for a long time, where they participated in Welsh dancing) and Hillary's first song was The White Rose Of Athens (Manos Hadjidakis).

I always make a point of trying to mention all songs sung by newcomers, so here goes. Tony's other tunes were Tŷ Coch Caerdydd (Red House of Cardiff) and Abaty Llanthony (Llanthony Abbey). Hillary's songs were Dark Island (Iain MacLaughlan, David Silver), and "ערב של שושנים" (Erev shel shoshanim - Hebrew for "Evening Of Roses"). This last one was following a minor theme of foreign language songs which allegedly (according to Colin) started with Richard's performance of Stanley Accrington's cod Saxon poem, The Battle Of Maldon, 991 AD .

Whatever the cause, Colin sung a Norwegian song (in English), The May-Pole. This in turn led Derek to sing a song in the Norn language whose title seemed uncertain but whose gist was "The West wind is blowing". Mike offered Essequibo River whose refrain appears to be in an uncertain language, possibly a Caribbean creole. All we know for sure is that Maggie S doesn't particularly like the song.

After this string of foreign(-ish) songs, Richard naturally headed for his adopted Welsh with Llef (Griffith H Jones) - in case you're wondering, it's pronounced as something like "ghlave" and is the name of the tune rather than of the song.

Unfortunately around the break we started to become much depleted. First Tony and Hillary had to leave to relieve the baby sitter, then Mike and Maggie S took canine folky, Indy off to his bed, and finally Richard and Lesley took Maggie L together with her canine friend, Gertie and Freddie home. That left three die-hards: Colin, Derek and Simon to finish up early again. Colin sang the final song which was The May Day Carol (Roud 305). And so ends May.

Do come along this Friday for the start of flaming June which may or may not be "bustin' out all over". There's no set theme but I'm sure something will present itself during the course of the evening.

Here's a selection of songs sung during this session.

(Number of people present - 10, of whom 8 performed)