A Grand Conversation in Shortwood

(Photo: Simon Meeds)

In 1904 Ralph Vaughan Williams met an ancient bellringer in Sussex, by the name of Henry Burstow, and collected from him A Grand Conversation On Napoleon (Roud 1189) a song so long, tedious and verbose that even your Substitute Scribe has never contemplated singing it. 

And so it was that (in spite of my appeals last week for more bodies) our total turnout of √9 abandoned hope of a singaround and instead set out on a Grand Conversation, occasionally supplemented with short illustrative musical  interventions, which I hereby list.

I am, in the words of J. Eric Bartholemew, giving you all the right information, but not necessarily in the right order. Musical pieces are given in italic.

Fly fishing on the Devil’s Coast

Daddy Wouldn’t Buy Me a Bow-wow  J. Tabrar

Making a TV from old medical technology

With My Dog and Gun Roud 2124

Changes in Japanese rugby since Max Boyce wrote the song Asso Asso Yogoshi

Don’t Dilly Dally   Leigh/Collins

The futility of life in general and 100 Ball Cricket in particular

Little Boxes Made for Cricketers   Fred Wedlock

Coming home drunk on Saturdays and Sundays

Our Gudeman Child 274  Roud 114

Setting off fire alarms

How Much is the Doggy in the Window  Bob Merrill – First song with a question mark in the title to reach number 1 in the UK chart

Necrosis of the toes

And finally a Guest appearance from Indy the Amazing Non-Talking Dog

And so may I invite every one of you who wants to learn, or spread your own knowledge, to make for The  Bridge next week over that wild beaten track  though the wind it blow a hurricane, and the lightning fierce around do dart and when at peace  your limbs do rest the grand conversation on Napoleon, and just about anything else, can begin again. And we can again have lots of singing as well!

Here's a selection of songs not really sung during this session.

(Number of people present - 3, of whom none performed)