Christmas and more

Christmas shopping (photo: Simon Meeds)

Our last session of 2021 was a great success, not least due to a transatlantic visitor, but more of that later. Christmas songs were in evidence of course as this was 17 December.

Colin was MC and started the evening off with Mary's Boy Child (Jester Hairston), which he was preparing for his church. The tempo he chose was somewhere between Harry Belafonte and Boney M in order to make it easier for the choir to sing.

Simon went straight for the Latin, singing Gaudete with his usual classical, rather than the authentic medieval pronunciation. It was published in Piae Cantiones, a collection of Finnish/Swedish sacred songs published in 1582. No music is given for the verses, but the standard tune comes from older liturgical books.

Mike's first contribution was lighter with The Christmas Goose (roud 3204).

Colin offered another carol with Twelve Days of Christmas (roud 68), whereas Simon went for a Marriott Edgar monologue, Sam Small's Christmas Pudding. It was during Mike's singing of The Gloucestershire Wassail (roud 209) that we were joined by Gabe. There were jokes about the arrival of Gabriel before Christmas - I'm sure he's never heard those before!

Gabe sportingly agreed to hit the ground running and continued the wassail theme with The Wassail Song (Here we come a-wassailing). He explained that this is one of the most commonly sung wassails in his native USA. Note that Roud categorises all wassails under his number 209.

This started a mini-theme with two further wassails being sung. The Gower Wassail was sung by Gabe. This Gower Wassail was collected from Phil Tanner in 1947 (see the linked recording). Mike tells us that it is the one traditionally sung there after New Year. The final wassail of the evening was Apple Tree Wassail sung by Mike.

Traditionally I mention in the report every song contributed by a newcomer to the club. Since Gabe was skilfully able to follow even the most obscure, non-folky contributions, this also requires me to mention those songs to which he linked. Here goes.

Somewhat stand-alone was Gabe's Longfellow's Christmas Bells. I may be wrong, but I think the tune in the link is the one he sang. If that is so then the tune was "Waltham" to which it was set by the English organist, John Baptiste Calkin. The song tells of the narrator hearing Christmas bells during the American Civil War, but despairing that "hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth, good will to men". After much anguish and despondency the carol concludes with the bells ringing out with resolution that "God is not dead, nor doth He sleep" and that there will ultimately be "...peace on earth, good will to men".

Colin gave us the sequel to Snoopy vs the Red Baron, also recorded by The Royal Guardsmen and entitled Snoopy's Christmas (George David Weiss, Hugo & Luigi). This led Gabe to sing The Biplane Evermore, originally recorded by its writer, Marty Cooper, but later covered by The Royal Guardsmen.

Simon sang Mon Beau Sapin (Laurent Delcasso), a French version of the German carol O Tannenbaum (Ernst Anschütz), written in 1824 and based on a 16th-century Silesian folk song by Melchior Franck. Gabe followed with Sing We Noel, a translation of a 15th century French carol.

Gabe went out on his own with Pete Seeger's Snow, Snow.

Simon's rendition of Elizabeth Padgett's Plover Catcher inspired Gabe to follow the ornithological theme with The Mallard (roud 1517).

Colin harked back to Simon's Gaudete with The Kipper Family's nonsense pseudo-Latin Awayday. Gabe found Don McLean's equally nonsense On the Amazon.

Maybe it was the Latin slant that took Gabe to In Dulci Jubilo with it's mix of German and Latin.

Colin, who had earlier sung The Restroom Door Said Gentlemen by Bob Rivers, returned to that writer with Chipmunks Roasting on an Open Fire. Gabe followed with The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late) written by Ross Bagdasarian under the pseudonym David Seville.

Gabe's penultimate contribution was from the North East of England, Robin Spraggon's Auld Grey Mare (roud 3063). He was called upon once more to finish the evening which he did with the Christmassy Silver Bells (Jay Livingston, Ray Evans).

We must thank Gabe for helping us to make it a great evening. He brought some excellent singing, even managing to get us to up our game with harmonies. He showed a varied repertoire, sportingly following us down many musical backwaters. We hope to see him again soon since we understand he is staying in the area for a while and he fitted right in with us.

Do as Gabe did; come and join us any Friday night at The Bridge Inn. We certainly don't expect everyone to be as versatile as Gabe, but everyone has something to contribute, whether it's a song, a story, or just some chat.

Now listen to a selection of songs sung during this session.

(Number of people present - 4 of whom 4 performed)

...two men, one man and his dog

Mitchell performing in concert at
the Universal Amphitheatre in August 1974

Sorry there's no proper report of last Friday's session, but I haven't got access to my usual resources. There were three of us present, plus Indy the dog and a good evening was had by all.

Mike started singing Christmas songs with a more random selection coming from Colin and Simon. Some mini themes emerged as we went on, including Simon following Colin singing and Alan Bell song with another (accidentally) and later again following Colin's Joni Mitchell song with another (intentionally).

This Friday (17 December) will be our last session of 2021, so I would encourage you to join us: no entry fee, anything goes as long as it's acoustic, and there's well-priced beer and cider available at the bar.

(Number of people present - 3 of whom 3 performed)

Tea for two

Fisher lasses, Pittenweem, Scotland

Last Friday's session saw Colin and Simon have a good chat before alternating songs. There must have been something wrong with the evening because not only were we down to a pair but there was hardly anyone in the rest of the pub and it closed early at 10pm because we were the only customers left. In fact I believe there were only four others at 9pm. So whatever was the mystery problem we will forgive you for not being there as long as you turn up this week from 8:15pm on Friday.

The parish notices were that we will have two weeks break over Christmas since Fridays fall on significant dates this year. We will not be meeting on 24 December nor on 31 December, so 17 December will be our last session of 2021 and 7 January will be the first of 2022.

While Colin was MC he ceded his customary opening spot to Simon who sang Tracy Chapman's Behind the wall. Maybe it has some relevance to the Arthur Labinjo-Hughes case, though perhaps Suzanne Vega's Luka would have been more appropriate.

Colin said he would continue his partial Scottish theme of the week before, taking as his first song Come by the hills (W Gordon Smith).

I won't go through all of the songs we sang; you can hear them all in one form or another at the "a selection" link below, but maybe I will mention one or two.

Colin challenged me to find a recording of The Pittenweem fisher-wives song (roud 13136). Well, it took a bit of digging and I won't claim 100% success. California State University, Fresno gives us some hints, including that it is related to We'll Go To Sea No More [no not Go to sea no more (roud 644, laws D7)], but a song which appeared in a book The odd volume (page 267), by the Misses Corbett. Mudcat Café tells us that Grace Corbett (c. 1765-1843), when eleven years old, composed the melody to a new version of "The Siller Crown" and along with her sister produced several works of fiction, tales, legends, etc.

The Corbett song has very similar verses to Colin's, but a different chorus. Anyway, this is the only version of We'll go to sea no more that I can find on YouTube - not very traditional I'm afraid. If you want to track down a version of the Pittenweem fisher-wives song, then you probably need to track down a copy of the album The Sailor's Day by Mainbrace (Minstrel Records - JD-217).

Colin closed the evening with Dougie McLean's Caledonia.

Now listen to a selection of songs sung during this session.

(Number of people present - 2 of whom 2 performed)