St David's Day 2019

Last week's session was on St David's Day so that was our theme. Unfortunately we were still at rock bottom for attendance. We manage to have good sessions but it would be a lot more pleasure if you were with us to add your contributions and to enjoy the banter.

Colin ably MCed as usual and introduced the theme with Welsh History 101 by Heather Rose Jones.

Derek's first contribution may seem a little negative about those from across the Wye but in fact he has plenty of historical justification for singing Taffy Was A Welshman (Roud 19237) because the first verse appeared in something like its current form in Nancy Cock's Pretty Song Book, printed in London in about 1780.

Simon took us back to the pop charts of 1979 with Day Trip To Bangor, written by Debbie Cook and a hit for Fiddler's Dram. There was a bit of scandal around the song when it was released because rumour had it that the trip had been to Rhyl but that Bangor scanned better. However I have read that Debbie always intended it to be Bangor, and also answered rumours that it may be about Bangor in Northern Ireland by saying that at the time she was unaware of any Bangor other than the one in Wales.

Colin had intended to sing Land Of My Fathers in Welsh (Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau) but he settled for English except for the final verse. The Welsh words were written by Evan James and the tune composed by his son, James James, both residents of Pontypridd, Glamorgan, in January 1856. Derek also combined English and Welsh in Lord Randall (Roud 10, Child 12) though not exactly as in the recording I found.

Simon gave us two poems by adopted Welshman, Les Barker (note that St David is also patron saint of poets). The second of these was I Can't Find My Camouflage Net but the first was actually on the Welsh theme, being The Ice Cream Bells Of Porthcawl. In this one Derek helped out by filling in the name "Llanfair­pwllgwyngyll­gogery­chwyrn­drobwll­llan­tysilio­gogo­goch" which inspired him to tell a joke about that village in North Wales (rather better told than in the linked video).

Mike claims not to have many Welsh songs and started off with his very short Land Of My Fathers parody, Whales, Whales, Bloody Great Fish Are Whales (sorry about the poor video recording I found). However he went on to sing Duw It's Hard (Max Boyce) and Hob Y Deri Dando (Cardiff version) including a verse and several choruses in Welsh.

Colin picked up on a couple of links, giving us Max Boyce's The Outside Half Factory and The Bells of Rhymney, of which Simon's Ice Cream Bells Of Porthcawl was a parody. This second song is actually an excerpt from the poem Gwalia Deserta by Idris Davies set to music by Pete Seeger.

Closing the evening fell to Simon, who employed a song with no more Welsh connection than a mining theme, it being 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 - 4, of whom 4 performed)