A bigger session

(Photo: Karl-Axel Lagerholm)

Well, last Friday was a surprise and not just because of the arrival since the week before of a pool table and it's associated accoutrements in "our" room. No, despite the absence of our regular MC, Colin, we had a surprisingly large throng, a wealth of performers, and it was mainly thanks to Rose, her decision to come from her distant home to see us, and her power to draw in the crowds. Thanks Rose! We managed to work around the elephant, or rather table, in the room and cued up an impressive array of songs.

Simon took the baton as MC for the evening and reminded us that in two weeks (now a little over one week as I write), on the 31 August, we will have our annual harvest session. Everyone is encouraged to attend, bringing if they so choose performances related more or less to the harvest, also produce from their gardens, allotments or supermarkets, and cash to spend and donate to the chosen charity, which isn't yet finalised - watch this space. It's always a fun evening and even more so if we can gather a good crowd.

Back to last week, Simon asked Terry C to start us off, which he did by singing Jim Moreland's What Happened To The Ponies.

Derek followed with Andrew Lammie (Roud 98, Child 233) after which Simon's first offering was Michelle Shocked's The Ballad Of Patch Eye And Meg. Later in the evening Derek pointed out an echo of this in the "inappropriate tattoo" of Tom's own Home Lass Home, a parody of Cicely Fox Smith's Homeward.

Kath wielded her concertina, injured on its last trip to the club and yet to be mended, to give us Salmon Tails Up The Water, written by Jamie Allen. She later returned to a tune named for and possibly by the same writer, James Allen.

Jo was unnecessarily apologetic for singing The River (Bruce Springsteen) which she considered not folky enough. Nothing is "not folky enough" for the Dragon Folk Club, as long as it's acoustic.

Steve G recalled the singing of our late friend, Alan Mitchell by performing Roger Davies' Brighouse On A Saturday Night.

Tom's first performance of the evening was his sweet version of Allan Taylor's Standing At The Door, and just to prove it you can click the link to hear him sing it (thanks to Terry H, another friend of the club).

Rose was disappointed that Colin wasn't present because her first song was one he inspired her to sing when she heard him perform it at the club. The song in question has a title that you will miss if you blink and that is If which was written by David Gates. Oops, you missed it; you'd better go back a few words!

Rose brought with her Jonjo who we worked out hadn't been to the club for two years. As is his way, he sang songs of his own composition, simple in structure but often thought provoking in lyric. On this occasion they were Coming Of Age, which celebrates his recent sixtieth birthday, He Loved Someone and Ipsum.

Mike's only song of the evening, in continuation of the previous week's mining sub-theme, was The Miner's Lifeguard (Roud 3510). Unfortunately his canine companion, Indy wasn't finding it easy to settle so he had to leave even earlier than usual.

Geoff was the last to sing in the first round with Kelly The Boy From Killane (Patrick Joseph McCall, Roud V13849).

We managed to shoe-horn in a second round before the break which included the first of Jo's two of the evening from Kate Rusby: Drowned Lovers (Roud V38186), which Derek insisted I should record as The Mother's Malison (Roud 91, Child 216) for that is also what it is. Jo's other Rusby song was The Cobbler's Daughter which I understand Kate herself translated from a French story.

Steve returned to one of his current favourite acts, The Milk Carton Kids for Laredo (Kenneth A Pattengale). If you're wondering where they get their unusual name, I would guess it's from the advertisements on milk cartons in the United States used to publicise cases of missing children.

We started after the break with Terry singing the gentle Song For Ireland (Phil Colclough, June Colclough) and with Derek's own You Can't Eat Bang, which celebrates if that's the word, an extinct hard cheese from his native Suffolk.

Rose's final song of the evening was Let It Be Me, made famous by The Everly Brothers and actually actually originating as the French song Je T'Appartiens (I belong to you) written by Gilbert Bécaud, Manny Curtis and Pierre Delanoë.

It was again Geoff who finished us off for the evening and for the third round of a nicely populous room, with The Irish Rover (Roud 4379). Who knew The Dubliners appeared on Top of the Pops albeit with The Pogues (sorry Derek)?

(Yes, I know the photo at the top isn't of a "lass" but it's the best I could find in the time available)

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

(Number of people present - 11, of whom 11 performed)