A right good do

Photo by Tim Green

A good turn out last week with returns for John and Geoff and an appearance from Steve G after his visit to Burleigh Horse Trials.

Colin was MC and Derek started off the session. Given that this week will be the Harvest session, both Derek and Mike were using up a few songs a week early relating to other timely events. Derek's first contribution was The Gresford Disaster (Roud 3089) which took place on 22 September 1934.

Mike added The Heights of Alma to mark the Battle of Alma (20 September 1854). Derek's next was Kevin Barry, marking 20 September 1920 when the titular Irish republican was involved in an ambush by IRA volunteers on a British army truck, an action which led to his execution in November that year.

Geoff was also in Irish republican mood with Foggy Dew (Canon Charles O’Neill, Roud 558, Laws O3). John on the other hand moved us over the pond to sing Johnny Cash's Folsom Prison Blues. Phil kept us over there with The Cannonball.

Returning to Ireland, Chris sang Molly Malone (Roud 16932) before Roger's more off-the-wall contribution of The Sexual Life Of A Camel.

Mike suggested that only in Yorkshire could anyone have a battle on 44th March - The Battle Of Sowerby Bridge. He also took exception to Geoff's song, Master McGrath (James Custer), saying that the Irish won all the dog races because they introduced the Italian breed of greyhound to the British Isles.

We were puzzled when Roger sang Happy Birthday to Phil; it wasn't even his birthday. He later explained that he sang it, not because of his well developed sense of the absurd, but in order to ensure he had enough breath to sing Woad (William Hope-Jones).

Richard amused us with the tale of Amos and Martha that is The Yorkshire Couple (Jim Mackie). Steve G reminded me of my old friend from Reading, Donovan fan Mick Hilton, by singing Josie.

Derek gave me a challenge which I have yet to achieve. It has been said that singing Kevin Barry, which he sang earlier can lead to being hanged, and the same goes for McCaffery but having sung both he seems to be surviving pretty well. He only knows of one song which seems to have some evidence of causing such a death - but which is it? The threat is that if I don't find it within two weeks, he will sing it, and he hinted that this would probably not be a good experience.

Having amused us with the works of Les Barker and The Kipper Family through the evening, Lesley returned to a Barker poem for her last, with Voicemail. Finally, the evening was finished off by Derek with Tipping It Up To Nancy (Roud 183, Laws Q2).

Please remember that this Friday's session is our Harvest festival, so songs should be harvest related, even if only tenuously and produce should be brought as extra raffle prizes. You may also need pocketfuls of change of which we can relieve you. This year's good cause will be Bristol Drugs Project. It would be great to make this one of the biggest sessions of the year, so whether you haven't visited us for a while, or are a Dragon virgin, please make an effort to come and support us this week; you may even enjoy it!

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

(Number of people present - 12, of whom 12 performed)