A random selection - almost

Pecker Dunne

Another themeless session last week which I think remained pretty much that way, no major themes emerging through the evening. Tom was a very welcome visitor, ahead of his spotlight set at Chipping Sodbury Folk Night on 1 June.

As usual, Colin was MC, and as often happens he started off the evening, this time with George Papavgeris' As Long As Someone Sings A Song.

Derek continued his ongoing May theme well into the evening, starting with The Verdant Braes Of Skreen (Roud 419).

Geoff challenged me to find the version he sang of his first song. Derek suggested looking up Elizabeth Cronin but I'm afraid I failed, so here is Séamus Ennis' version of As I Roved Out which seems similar enough. Apparently Ennis recorded Cronin's singing, so perhaps this isn't such a surprise.

John P was playing with us when he said we might know he wouldn't sing a traditional song - he went on to sing The Earl Of Aboyne (Roud 99, Child 235).

Simon returned to last week's sub-theme of punk rock with Bob Geldof's I Don't Like Mondays. John P later followed him down that path with John Cooper Clarke's Suspended Sentence.

Tom started off his contribution with the rather unseasonal (but who cares) Autumn Leaves (Joseph Kosma, Johnny Mercer). As always it's a pleasure to be able to share videos of Tom himself playing. His second song, Lasso The Moon was written by Tom with our old friend, the late Ray Croll. Tom later mused it wasn't a good idea to write a song with him since his co-writers are mostly dead, nor to invite him as a guest to your club, many of which have closed soon afterwards (let's hope that doesn't happen to Chipping Sodbury Folk Night).

He went on to sing Echo Mocks The Corncrake (Roud 2736), which he learnt from Jim and Sylvia Barnes, then of Kentigern. Next he gave us his own song, Memory Store, and finally, unusually for Tom, unaccompanied, Pretty Little Polly Perkins Of Paddington Green (Harry Clifton, Roud 430) - no that's not Tom singing on that video.

It took Simon a few minutes to remember (with some help from his phone) that Colin's Sail Away Ladies (Roud 17635) was recorded as Don't You Rock Me Daddy-O by The Vipers Skiffle Group and Lonnie Donegan, and it is probably the latter recording which he owns.

Derek recalled his one meeting with Pecker Dunne when he heard him sing Sullivans John. Derek sings the version he heard that day but notes that it differs from recordings he has heard of Dunne, presumably including the linked one where his son sings the song, probably because, not unusually, Dunne was not entirely sober.

The evening was finished off by Simon singing Jean Ritchie's The L&N Don't Stop Here Anymore.

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

(Number of people present - 6, of whom 6 performed)