Here We Arrrrrrrrrr Again

Tuesday 19^th being International Talk Like a Pirate Day your Substitute Scribe was shocked to discover that his own rendition of Phil Tanner’s version of Henry Martin (Child 250) was the only piratical event of the evening. 

The session began with Colin singing Droylesden Wakes, which he entirely failed to record in the Book as Dreighlsdin Wakes, which was its original title before it was rendered into ‘more gradely English’!

A couple of unusual partnerships should perhaps be recorded in case they one day prove to have been the birth of a pair of world renowned Super Groups. Firstly John B, having arrived with not only his trusty bodhran but also an Egg Shaker which he had bought that afternoon and was anxious to try out, asked Colin to accompany him on guitar whilst he sang Australian Slim Dusty’s Pub With No Beer. Secondly Derek, when singing Jarama Valley (Alex McDade), asked Roger, who had earlier both sung and played Red River Valley, to reprise his harmonica part as an accompaniment.

Geoff recalled having recently sung a version of Polly Vaughan he had learnt from a recording of The Overlanders before they abandoned folk music to become a pop group. This time he sang another song from the same source – I Gave My Love a Cherry. Derek pointed out that this song was an American fragment of the longer ballad Riddles Wisely Expounded (Child 1), and then went on to sing Ann of the Loch Royal (Child 76) which underwent the same transformation to become the American song Who’s Going to Shoe Your Pretty Little Feet; he also, with Geoff’s permission, sang another version of Polly Vaughan, collected by Robin Morton under the name of Molly Bann Lowry from the Ulster farmer John Maguire.

Chris’s songs included Ye Banks and Braes of Bonny Doon (words by Robert Burns, tune by Jimmy Miller – NO! Not Ewan McColl!) and Shenandoah, as well as a version of Seventeen Come Sunday which Geoff identified as being exactly the same version he knows, leading to a further discussion of sources of songs and the variations created.

Amongst John B’s other songs were Hank Williams’ much covered Your Cheating Heart, which Williams claimed had been ‘inspired’ by his ex wife, and a version of Corrina Corrina which included verses from the 1920s version by Armenter Chatmon, rather than just the more usual versions by Robert Johnson and Bob Dylan.

With all due deference to Chris, Roger sang Willy Nelson’s To All the Girls I have Loved Before. He also sang a very clean version of Godfrey and Kewley’s Bless 'em All owing less to the barrack room and more to George Formby Jr., and a music-hall medley of Old Bull and Bush and Let’s All Go to the Music-hall.

Other songs featured included Cliff Richard’s Time Drags On (a song with so many writers they must have written two words each!), The Ballad of High Noon (winner of an Oscar in the year your Substitute Scribe was born) – both by Geoff – and God Speed the Plough along with a finisher of Cyril Tawney’s tribute to egg on toast Chicken on a Raft (both Colin).

IMPORTANT BIT : Last week’s charity raffle for Shelter raised £25. Thanks to all who bought tickets or brought prizes.

Finally a plug for something local, which was mentioned in the course of the evening by both John B and Roger. There is in Fishponds an organisation called The People’s University of Fishponds which runs talks, workshops and events in the Kingfisher Café, some of which are music related. For more details go to https://www.peoplesuniversityoffishponds.com/

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