Saint George's Day 2022

Last week's session was for Saint George's Day just one day early. We gathered and sang songs variously about St George, dragons, England, England beating others, the English, King George and other things some of which may or may not have been tenuously connected to the theme.

It's with regret that I have once again run out of time to write a full report of proceedings but if you follow the link below you will be able to hear all but a couple of the songs which we sang (and one monologue).

This Friday's session (29/04/2022) will be without an official theme, so anything goes as long as it's acoustic.

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

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

Easter 2022

Last Friday's session had an optional Easter theme. My time for writing this report is very restricted so I won't be mentioning the theme much if at all because there's something more important to cover. We had our first, long anticipated, visit from Rob. Tradition has it that I should mention all of the songs a newcomer sang and so I will do.

First though I should mention that this Friday's (22 April 2022) optional theme is St George.

Colin kicked off the session with Sydney Carter's Lord of the dance.

Rob's songs were as follows:

• Welcome joyful spring (Sharron Kraus)
• Brough Hill fair (words: Dorothy Una Radcliffe; music: Brian Bedford)
• Thaney (Karine Polwart)
• Come down Jehovah (Chris Wood)
• Hand me down my walking cane (roud 11733)
• Sailing homeward (Rob Winder)
• I'll tell me ma (roud 2649)

It's always great to be able to find videos by the very people who sang at our session and a couple of those linked above are indeed of Rob singing.

It fell to Geoff to finish us off with Seven drunken nights (roud 114; child 274). He usually sings only five verses to spare our blushes, but he had found an alternative sixth which he dared to sing.

We hope to see Rob many more times in the future. Why not follow his example and join us one Friday at The Bridge Inn, Shortwood, Bristol (UK), BS16 9NG? The welcome is warm, entry is free, the acoustics are great and there's a well-priced bar just a few steps away.

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

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

Pot luck

Fred Wedlock

Another very brief, even briefer report this week because of other commitments. The three of us had an excellently eclectic theme-less session, reflected in the playlist linked below.

The only song I didn't manage to find on YouTube was Fred Wedlock's Just Kidding which he appears to have co-written with Miles Wooton.

Remember the next two Friday sessions at the Dragon Folk Club have optional themes:

• 15th April - Easter
• 22nd April - St George

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

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

All Fools Day 2022

Album cover of Save the last gherkin for me
by Mike Absalom

Like the previous one, this will be a very brief report. We were very thin on the ground last Friday but in honour of All Fools Day we had a good amount of jollity and mirth.

The first two songs are not available on YouTube, but most of the rest are and can be found on the "a selection" link below. Colin kicked us off with our friend Richard Gillion's song Superstition's Game and was followed by Simon with Richard Stilgoe's The Transplant Squad.

The first song I managed to find on YouTube was The Leprechaun. The strange thing about this is Roud seems to list it as both 5264 and 5274 - both with the same first line "In a shady nook one moonlit night", so I can't differentiate between them. One of the collected instances of roud 5274 records a writer - PW Joyce.

I promised Colin I would find out a little more about his song Laura the Leg. While I didn't find a recording, it was written and recorded by Mike Absalom, and featured on his 1969 album Save the last gherkin for me (this recording from John Peel's extensive record collection is missing the last two tracks, one of which is sadly Laura the Leg). I didn't exactly find the lyrics, but if you're quick you may find an obscured copy here.

Simon closed the evening with Bare Necessities (Terry Gilkyson).

Upcoming optional themes will be:

• 15th April 2022 - Easter
• 22nd April 2022 - St George

All other Friday sessions will be unthemed until further notice.

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

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