Last of 2017

Eurasian Wren with hatchlings

Last week's session on 22 December turned out to be the last of the year. Those present decided to allow the club to have a week off this Friday and return on 5 January 2018 to start the year.

Unfortunately we closed the year with a disappointing turn-out of three. We might have left without singing a song since four is usually considered a quorum except that Colin was expecting a newcomer to turn up but that didn't happen.

So, we carried on regardless and sang a total of twelve songs each! Derek, who had been absent for the previous week's Christmas theme, brought forward some songs on that theme and some for Boxing Day (the hunting of the wren). Cleverly he eked these out by singing one, The Cherry Tree Carol (Roud 453, Child 54) in two parts on different rounds, and splitting two songs which he usually sings together: The Wren (Roud 19109) and The Boys Of Barr Na Sráide (Sigerson Clifford).

Important notice - no session on 29 December 2017

There will no Dragon Folk Club session on Friday 29 December. We will be back on 5 January at The Bridge The Bridge Inn, Shortwood, Bristol BS16 9NG from 8:15 pm. Be thereto join us in welcoming 2018.

Christmas 2017

The Nativity, from a 14th-century Missal

Thank you to everyone who turned up last Friday and made our Christmas session a great success. The numbers at the bottom of this article speak for themselves. With festive preparations and professional panics weighing heavy I can only skim the surface of the festivities. Not only did we have lots of fun singing songs of yule and not-so-yule but we enjoyed a well-deserved half time buffet, with thanks to all those present for their edible donations.

Geoff gets the award for man of the match, bringing half his family with him; I hope they enjoyed themselves and may even grace us with their presence in the future, and perhaps even sing us a song or tell us a story. My ringing, and emailing and texting brought forth fruit in the presence of Chris, Roger and Phil, Tom, Steve G and Keith G (no relation as far as I know). We were also joined for the second time by visitors to the area from Yorkshire, Malcolm and his lady, whose name I'm afraid I didn't catch. We couldn't have asked for much better.

Memories of John

John Lennon at the Montreal bed-in, 1969

I'm afraid this won't be a very full report of last Friday's Dragon Folk Club session. I have an excuse, which is that I have been without internet access at home for part of this week. However I must take this opportunity to say that this week's session, on Friday 15 December will be our Christmas Party. Everyone is welcome as always to drop in and sing, play tunes, tell stories or just to listen. What sets this event apart is that the performances may optionally be Christmas themed and there will be a finger buffet. We will all be contributing a few nibbles, so it would be great if you could bring a small edible contribution as well but chiefly bring yourselves and as many friends and relations as you can muster.

Back to last week and Colin as MC called upon himself to sing the first song, which was The Arethusa (Roud 12675).

St Andrew's Day 2017

Point of Sleat, Isle of Skye, Scotland
(Photo: Simon Meeds)

Last Friday's session saw a satisfactory number of seven bums on seats for a St Andrew's Day theme. I had pointed out in publicity that St Andrew is patron saint of many places and things other than Scotland, including singers, but it was barely needed since I think there were only two songs clearly unrelated to Scotland, one very deliberately and the other was written by someone with what appears to be a Scottish name.

Colin was the MC and he called on Steve C to start us off; Steve sang Jock Stewart (Roud 975).