How much?

Last week's session saw just four of us meet at The Bridge, but we sang until we were told that the pub was closing for the evening which isn't bad. Closing time was only a few minutes earlier than usual, so it wasn't a particularly short session.

MC Colin started us off with Bryn Phillips' Silver and gold.

Mike, in part taking inspiration from his whippet / greyhound cross Indy, sang only dog-related for this session:

• Doctor Mack (roud 1861)
• Boston harbour (roud 613)
• The hounds are out (roud 24901)
• Dead dog cider (Trevor Crozier)
• Last Valentine's day (roud 6475)

The session was rounded off by Geoff singing Love is pleasing (roud 1049).

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

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

Midsummer session

Cornish Hilltop bonfire on Midsummer's eve 2009
(Photo: Talskiddy)

It was great to welcome Rob back to last week's Dragon Folk Club session. It was unfortunate we could only muster three more singers, but we had a pretty good time of it.

Colin was back as MC and he started proceedings with Steve Knightley's Cousin Jack.

Through the evening Rob gave us a variety of songs including one he wrote himself. I think I'll list the ones where I found Rob's own videos because I always like to show you the actual singer performing where possible:

• Magic on the wind (Rob Winder)
• Rio Grande (roud 317)
• Crawdad song (roud 4853)
• Old Jack Jones (Adey Shaw)

The only song of the evening you won't find in the playlist linked below is Simon's own song The story of John Twigg about an eccentric character from Alford, Lincolnshire.

It was Simon who finished the evening with When all men sing (Keith Scowcroft, Derek Gifford).

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

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

Little links

Part of Welsh Back Quay
(photo: Simon Meeds)

It was certainly a skeleton staff at the Dragon Folk Club last Friday, but we got through 25 songs which isn't a bad effort. With a bit of luck we will be at least two up this week, so why not surprise me and come along yourself to make it even more. The more the merrier, the louder, the more satisfying.

In Colin's absence Simon was MC, but having arrived moments earlier Geoff was the first to sing with Tom Paxton's The last thing on my mind.

There were no major themes that emerged but links can sometimes be found.

Simon sang Ian "Nobby" Dye's Welsh Back Quay and Mike followed it with Paris here I come, which he learnt from Nobby. The latter is a translation of the French song En passant par Paris.

The only song we had which doesn't find it's way into the YouTube playlist linked below is Mary McCloud's parody House of the rising damp.

Geoff's singing of the Ballad of the Alamo (Dimitri Tiomkin, Paul Francis Webster) prompted Mike to bring out Santianna (roud 207). The Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna's forces killed 189 Texan insurgents on 6 March 1836 at the Battle of the Alamo and executed more than 342 Texan prisoners at the Goliad Massacre on 27 March 1836.

When Simon sang Suzanne Vega's Tom's Diner and Geoff gave us Paul Simon's Slip-slidin' away, they were of course both using the works of people who grew up in New York. Tenuous link? I'll get my coat.

Simon closed the evening with Stan Rogers' Northwest passage.

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

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

The prodigal sons

Sailing ships at Boston Dock,
Boston, Lincolnshire

Last week's Dragon Folk Club session saw the return of two singers who we haven't seen for a long time: John B and Roger who added a bit of welcome variety to proceedings. It was also pleasing to note that while he hasn't been to one of our sessions for a long time, John B obviously reads these reports. I don't think any themes emerged and I'm afraid this report is going to be brief, but as usual you can find most (in fact all but one) of the songs we sang via the "a selection" link below.

Colin was MC as usual and started us off with Jez Lowe's Morpeth Olympics.

Both Roger and John B sang their turns through the evening, but on one of Roger's turns they joined forces with Roger on harmonica and John B on drum and vocals to appropriately sing Sloop John B (roud 15634 - otherwise called H'ist up the John B's sails or The John B sails).

The only song from the evening which doesn't feature in the "a selection" link is John Sykes' The Lincolnshire Song, sung by Simon. It's not that the song doesn't appear on YouTube, but that it is just part of a longer video of John's daughter Miranda Sykes singing and YouTube doesn't allow clips to be included in playlists.

Geoff gave us a poem, which turned out to be a version of Les Barker's Disaster at sea as modified by Fred Wedlock to locate it at Portishead.

Simon finished off the evening with When all men sing (Keith Scowcroft, Derek Gifford).

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

(Number of people present - 5 of whom 5 performed)