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| (Photo: Elke Wetzig) |
Colin kicked off the session with the appropriately Caledonian St Andrew's Day - A Toast by Jean Blewett. Although herself born in Ontario, Blewett's parents were Scottish. Colin performed her poem as a song.
Tom declared that his first Scottish song would also be his last, being The Echo Mocks The Corncrake (Roud 2736), which he acquired from Jim and Sylvia Barnes. It's always nice to be able to link here to a video of the person singing who we heard on the night, and so it is here with Tom. Simon went on to sing two songs which he acquired from the Barnes family, via the album Scotch Measure from their band of the same name. These songs were The Twa Magicians (Roud 1350, Child 44) and The Handweaver And The Factory Maid (Roud 17771).
Derek promised a challenge for Colin writing the official record (I have the advantage of time to do research in writing this report) singing in Scots Gaelic Beinn A'Cheathaich, literally The Misty Mountain but identified with the song Kishmul's Galley sung in English. Simon later returned to another waulking song in Gaelic with Mile Marbhaisg Air A Ghaol.
Mike recalled learning The Mingulay Boat Song (Sir Hugh S Roberton) from Robbie who used to attend the club. He thought that Robbie may have written the first verse as he sings it.
Having heard Tom sing The Boys Of Kilkenny (Roud 1451), Derek pondered the line "Kilkenny’s a fine town, it shines where it stands", commenting that there was a similar line in a song someone else in the club sings. He eventually realised that it was he himself who sings it but then had to work backwards to reconstruct the song which he has not sung for a long time: Glenlogie (Roud 101, Child 238). It does indeed include the line "Oh, Bethalnie, oh, Bethalnie, it shines where it stands", not in the linked version but in that sung by John Strachan to Alan Lomax and Hamish Henderson on 16 July, 1951.
Speaking of Hamish Henderson, Derek went on to sing his Freedom Come All-Ye, which he assured Colin, after his earlier Scots Gaelic, was in Lallans, which would contain at least some words of standard English.
Mike's last song before making his customary early departure was what he styled the unofficial anthem of Scotland: Flower Of Scotland (Roy Williamson).
Having much earlier declared that he could find no more songs to fit the theme of St Andrew, Tom suggested that his next song, Duncan (Paul Simon), at least had a Scottish-sounding title. I prepared my response for when he finished singing, that the song in fact hit the theme twice in the space of one line since St Andrew, among many other things, is both patron saint of fishermen and of protection against sore throats. If you can't work that one out, the featured image on this report may help. If you give up then click the image to see the answer.
Derek's final song which came soon after Tom's Duncan had me stumped for a while then eventually the penny dropped. He sang a version of Erin Go Bragh to the tune of Blow The Man Down. The version he sang is called Duncan Campbell (Roud 1627, Laws Q20) except that he did not sing the first verse which mentions Campbell by name. Was that an intentional subtle link perhaps even intended to fool me?
Colin closed the session with The Gulls Of Invergordon (Ian Campbell).
Now listen to a selection of songs sung during this session.
(Number of people present - 5, of whom 5 performed)
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