 |
| Christmas Shopping (Photo: Simon Meeds) |
Sorry for keeping it short this time, but you can still listen to most of the songs we sang and the monologues we read (let's be honest) by following the link from "a selection" below.
Have a great Christmas and see you in the New Year.
Now listen to a selection of songs sung during this session.
(Number of people present - 4 of whom 4 performed)
We are still undecided whether to have a session next week (22 December) , so if you would like to come and sing, play or otherwise perform with us (or be our audience), then please get in touch to say you are coming. Please watch this space for confirmation or cancellation.
Colin started us off, marking the fortieth anniversary of the murder of John Lennon with his song Imagine (John Lennon, Yoko Ono).
I have got carried away with other things today and I do like to get this report out on Tuesday, so I am afraid it will be very brief this week. In fact I will mention only these songs not in the YouTube playlist linked from "a selection" below.
Now listen to a selection of songs sung during this session.
(Number of people present - 4 of whom 4 performed)
Now we have one week's respite without a theme (on Friday 8th December), before our Christmas session on 15th. We will see how the wind blows before deciding whether we will meet for a final Christmas bash on 22nd, so watch this space closely.
Colin as MC started things off last Friday with Matt McGinn's The hielan' man (*), marking songs new to the Dragon database as usual with an asterisk (*).
Simon for the first time sang a song from the repertoires of our friends Derek B and Rob W: The dowie dens o'Yarrow (roud 13, child 214). And so ended the first, very short rotation of 16 and a half through the evening before the landlady gave us a not-so-subtle hint that it was time to pack up.
Colin's next song was interesting for the casual way he proclaimed that he may have written it, or maybe not. I have been unable to trace it anywhere, so let's assume he wrote The Thistle (* Colin Owen). The song told of that symbol of Scotland, comparing it with England's rose, Wales' daffodil and Ireland's shamrock. It definitely wasn't The shamrock and the thistle (Hamish Henderson, from a trad fragment heard on board an Irish ferry), which Colin has sung before.
I won't quite count Colin's Tommy Linn (roud 294) as a song new to the database since it is a version of Tam Lin, which we heard from Derek B in times past in the form of Old John Wallis. The linked video isn't Tommy Linn, but Tam Linn sung by Steeleye Span, for which Colin had been searching.
Simon had long wanted to sing The twa magicians (roud 1350, child 44), but couldn't get the tune to stick. This time he had a breakthrough, that the verses go tolerably well to the tune of Bonny ship the Diamond (roud 2172), which he also sang - the chorus being sung to approximately the correct tune.
Colin brought another new song to the party in the shape of Morris Blythman's Superintendent Barratt (*), one of several songs about the theft of the Stone of Scone (Scone pronounced "scoon" in this context of course).
Eric Bogle's Glasgow lullaby (*) gave Colin his next "new" song. Running out of songs about Scotland, Simon also drew on the songwriting of originally Scottish Eric Bogle with The band played waltzing matilda before resorting to songs of St Andrew's other patronages:
Now listen to a selection of songs sung during this session.
(Number of people present - 2 of whom 2 performed)
 |
| The flag of the historic county of Lancashire |
This Friday's session (1st December) will have an official theme, which will be St Andrew's Day. The actual event falling just one day before on 30th November. Scotland is the obvious direction to go, but bear in mind Andrew's other patronages, which include: Barbados, Georgia, Ukraine, Russia, Greece, Cyprus, Romania, and Prussia; fishermen, fishmongers, rope-makers, textile workers, singers, miners, pregnant women, butchers, farm workers, and the Russian Navy. He is also said to offer protection against sore throats, convulsions, fever, and whooping cough. That should give you plenty to go on.
As always the theme is something to aim for, but it's better to sing off-topic than not to sing at all.
Back to last week's session Colin was MC over a good crowd of nine singers and it was Simon who started things off wholly on topic with Uncle Joe's Mintballs (Mike Harding). Colin also followed the theme with Fivepenny Piece's Ee by gum (* John Meeks, Colin Radcliffe, Eddie Crotty). This latter song was the first of a whole eighteen performances of the evening not previously entered into the Dragon database - though some may have been sung at the club before. These are all marked with an asterisk (*).
Sue and Bob had both penned their own songs earlier in the day, contemplating how much they enjoyed coming to the Dragon, but how cold it could be through the winter. If you're coming to the club around this time of year do wrap up well. Sue's song from this effort was A chilly song (* Sue) which understandably clearly isn't available on YouTube.
Bob sought to warm us up a bit with Fireball Mail (Fred Rose, Floyd Jenkins). Note that "Floyd Jenkins" is a pseudonym for Fred Rose.
Stan reintroduced us to Jim Reeves with Welcome to my world (* Ray Winkler, John Hathcock).
Paul returned us to Lancashire with Old Pendle (* Milton Lambert, Allen Lambert, Ted Edwards) and Denny moved us on to Blackpool with The Lion and Albert (Marriott Edgar).
Stuart and Carrie performing as a duo were asked to sing two songs so they gave us When the levee breaks (* roud 21698 - Kansas Joe McCoy, Memphis Minnie) and Rain and snow (* roud 3634).
This brought us to the end of the first rotation. I will list some of the songs that need to be mentioned, but you can listen to most of these and the rest via the YouTube playlist linked from "a selection" below.
Now listen to a selection of songs sung during this session.
(Number of people present - 9 of whom 9 performed)
 |
| The original BBC Children in Need Pudsey Bear (1985) |
Again there is no official theme this week (Friday 24th November 2023), but it has been suggested that Lancashire Day which falls on 27th might be a suitable inspiration.
Colin was MC as usual at last week's session, but the first to sing was Chris with To a wild rose (*) which is the first piece from Woodland Sketches, Op. 51 of Edward MacDowell. This was also the first song of the evening not previously in the Dragon database. As usual this doesn't necessarily mean it hasn't been sung before at the club. All such songs are marked here with an asterisk (*).
Roger followed on, with help from Chris, singing I'll see you again (* Noël Coward).
Colin was on theme with Teach your children (Graham Nash).
Sue's first of the evening, on theme at least by being in an edition of Singing Together, was Yellow bird (Michel Mauléart Monton, Oswald Durand). Bob followed up with Hawaiiian Blues (Sid Tepper, Roy C Bennett), the first of three songs of the evening from the singing of Commander Cody And His Lost Planet Airmen.
Simon finished off the first rotation with Michelle Shocked's The ballad of Patch Eye and Meg.
Other songs which must be mentioned are:
Now listen to a selection of songs sung during this session.
(Number of people present - 8 of whom 8 performed)
 |
| Thumper and Vera (Photo: Simon Meeds) |
Back to last week, we had many offerings on or close to the remembrance theme. I won't pick them out for fear of missing some or misidentifying others. You can listen to the YouTube playlist linked from "a selection" below and make up your own mind. I will however mention those, identified with an asterisk (*), which are new to the Dragon database if not necessarily to the club.
Colin was the MC as usual and started us off with Salonika (roud 10513).Roger's emotional first song, despite being by popular American singer songwriter, Don McLean, was new to most of us with the simple title of 1967 (*). Roger dedicated it to a former police colleague killed in the line of duty.
Chris gave us Pete Seeger's anti-war song, Where have all the flowers gone. It was Joe Hickerson who added to the lyrics to give it a circular theme.
Denny sang one of those old songs where the chorus is several hundred times more well known than the verses, and therefore keeps its light under a bushel until we get there, appropriately in the case of Keep the home fires burning (roud 25763 - Ivor Novello, Lena Guilbert Ford *).
Simon had come prepared with two more anniversaries which he wanted to get out of the way first. He brought the first rotation to a close with The wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald (Gordon Lightfoot), about the ship of that name which sank in Lake Superior on 10th November 1975. His second anniversary was the 80th birthday of Joni Mitchell on 7th November, which he marked by singing her 1969 song Woodstock.
The remaining songs new to the database were:
Now listen to a selection of songs sung during this session.
(Number of people present - 5 of whom 5 performed)
 |
| NOBODY LOVES ME 'Nobody loves me. I'm going into the garden to eat worms. Yesterday I ate two smooth ones and one woolly one.' |
Once again I have limited time to complete the blog report for the Dragon Folk Club last week, so pardon me if it is slightly shorter and more terse than usual. Since we are in theme season last week's was Bonfire Night including campfire songs, community songs and anything else vaguely connected. This week's session (10 November 2023) also has a theme which is Remembrance. That could be songs, tunes, poems, stories or whatever on war, anti-war, remembrance, songs used in wartime by soldiers, sailors or airmen, or to keep the spirits up of the civilians back at home. Pretty much anything goes with the usual proviso that it must be acoustic.
Back to last week, I won't single out which songs were or were not on theme. I'll leave that to you to decide. That may be easier if you watch and listen to the videos in the YouTube playlist linked from "a selection" at the end of the report.
Colin was MC, but he deferred to Neil for the first song which turned out to be Galway shawl (roud 2737) after which it was back to Colin for Oh, how the money rolls in (* roud 10143). The latter was the first song of the evening which was new to the Dragon database. Subsequent such songs are marked with an asterisk (*). They may or may not be new to the club, but most songs sung here since August 2018 are in there - the club has been going since 1969.
Next was Denny with Land of the silver birch (* roud 4550), which is new to the database but definitely not to the club. Paul continued with Here we sit like birds in the wilderness (* roud 19557) - more of that later.
Simon subtly joined the theme with John Denver's Rocky mountain high.
From Bob we got See see rider (* Ma Rainey, Lena Arant) and from Sue Riders in the sky (Stan Jones).
After a light aberration of ordering Rob actually sang between Bob and Sue, but we can bring our record of the first rotation to an end with his own song, Magic on the wind, which in his own words "is distantly related to child 39", which is Tam Lin.
I'll continue with a list of the remaining songs new to the Dragon database:
Now listen to a selection of songs sung during this session.
(Number of people present - 8 of whom 8 performed)
 |
| Stanton Drew stone circle and church (Photo: Simon Meeds) |
Back to last week, there were seven singers, which isn't too shabby. A good variety of songs were sung including plenty on theme or close to it. I won't attempt to comment on who hit the theme and who didn't because in some cases it would be debatable anyway. In any case I'm short of time so it's a brief report this week and I suggest you give the playlist linked below from "a selection" a listen and see for yourself what we did.
A brief run-down of the first rotation gives us:
Now listen to a selection of songs sung during this session.
(Number of people present - 7 of whom 7 performed)
 |
| (Photo: Simon Meeds) |
We welcomed occasional visitors Carrie and Stuart as well as a good complement of eight of our regulars.
This week's session will once again have a theme. This time it is Halloween.
Colin was MC, but it was Carrie and Stuart who stared off the evening with Come all you fair and tender ladies (* roud 451). I'll mark songs new to the Dragon database with an asterisk (*) and songs on the theme with an at sign (@).
Carrie and Stuart being a duo were, as usual, required to contribute two songs per rotation and their second was Yellow (* Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman, Will Champion).
Colin was first on theme with All of a row (@ roud 1474). Sue hit the target with Fields of gold (@ Sting).
Bob, self-declaring as "miserable as usual", gave us Livin' with the blues (Brownie McGhee).
Paul referred us to the upcoming 218th anniversary of Admiral Lord Nelson's demise by singing The death of Nelson (roud 18837).
We'll give Denny credit for her Good English ale (@ roud 1512) on the basis it mentions various types of produce.
Chris gave us a very sweetly sung rendition of The Eriskay love lilt and Roger seemed to be Doin' what comes natur'lly (* Irving Berlin).
Simon returned to the theme, taking a leaf out of our friend Mike's songbook with John Barleycorn (roud 164) to the tune Wir pflügen (We plough the fields and scatter).
And so the first marathon rotation came to an end.
I will list the further songs which hit the theme (sorry for any I miss) together with a few others which didn't:
Now listen to a selection of songs sung during this session.
(Number of people present - 10 of whom 10 performed)
 |
| Geoff Gammon (Photo: Simon Meeds) |
Remember that this week's session on Friday 20th October 2023 has the optional theme of Harvest. So if you have any songs of farming, the countryside, plenty, even about fishing, now is the time to bring them out. All following of the theme, however tenuous, will be considered, and if you can't follow the theme then come along and sing, play or otherwise perform anyway.
As usual, I've tried to mention songs new to the Dragon database (*), though not necessarily to the club as well as those songs from Geoff's repertoire (@). So in order to avoid repetition, those are the symbols I will use to indicate them.
With Colin as MC we set off with the first song coming from Chris: She's like the swallow (roud 2306).
Roger sang Ramona (* roud 25739 - L Wolfe Gilbert, Mabel Wayne) in the style of the Bristol accent (complete with the Bristol "L").
John's first song was Lou Reed's Oh! Sweet nuthin'.Colin, unwittingly, was the first to contribute to the selection of songs from Geoff's repertoire with Being a pirate (@ Don Freed).
Denny sang The bunch of thyme (roud 3) and Paul followed with Love farewell (roud 1301).
Simon sang only songs from Geoff's repertoire throughout the evening, starting with All around my hat (@ roud 22518).
Starting the second rotation, Chris gave us The banks o' Doon (roud 13889 - Robert Burns).
Former guardsman Roger took out his harmonica and spelt out his day with Reveille (*) and Sunset (*).
Colin referred to Geoff's performances of Pat Cooksey's The sick note by giving us Stanley Accrington's Sicknote: the reply (*). Sorry, there's no recording of it either here or in the playlist linked from "a selection" below.
Denny didn't claim that Geoff had sung Fiddlers' Green (John Conolly) and I can't find any record that he had, but she said it reminded her of him somehow. Paul however sang Lament for the fishing (@), written by former Dragon Derek Brinkley, which Geoff certainly sang. Sorry this is another with out a recording, and indeed one without a definite agreed tune (see Derek's 'Young Buchan' comments at the linked Mudcat thread).
Simon's next song was Battle of New Orleans (@ roud 17913 - Jimmy Driftwood).
Roger acknowledged that he risked a forfeit for singing Wild Rover (@ roud 1173). Don't worry, we don't do forfeits here.
Simon sang Robert Coltart's jingle for his confectionery business, Coulter's candy (@ roud 19019).
Chris surprised and amazed us all by reciting Lewis Carroll's Jabberwocky (*). It seemed Roger was following in a similar line of thought with an excerpt from John Donne's Meditation XVII (*), but he followed that short piece with Ralph McTell's Streets of London (@).
Colin sang Peter Sarstedt's Where do you go to my lovely (@) and Simon gave us Bob Dylan's Blowin' in the wind (@).
Colin's next song, new to the Dragon database, was Soon may the Wellerman come (*). This song from New Zealand was popularised in 2021 when Scottish postman, Nathan Evans, published a video of him singing it on TikTok. The video went viral, and despite the song not being a shanty, a new wave of popularity for shanties was born. The Wellerman of the song is an employee of the Weller brothers, Englishmen of Sydney, Australia, and Otago, New Zealand, who were the founders of a whaling station on Otago Harbour and were New Zealand's most substantial merchant traders in the 1830s. New Zealand–based music teacher and folk music compiler Neil Colquhoun claimed to have collected the song around 1966 from one F. R. Woods. Woods, who was in his 80s at the time, had allegedly heard the song, as well as the song John Smith A.B., from his uncle.
Simon's last contribution of the evening was Black velvet band (@ roud 2146).
Colin finished off the evening with Stan Rogers' Mary Ellen Carter.
Now listen to a selection of songs sung during this session.
(Number of people present - 7 of whom 7 performed)
 |
| Geoff Gammon (Photo: Simon Meeds) |
Before we get to the report proper I have two important pieces of news.
We have heard this week of the recent death of our friend Geoff Gammon who made his first appearance at the club on 9th September 2016 and quickly became a regular. While doctors had managed to keep his long-term illness at bay for several years it had recently caught up with him and he had become only an occasional visitor to The Bridge. Our thoughts are with his daughter Sara and all his family.
A happier, piece of news is that we are entering the autumn/ winter theme season for the club. While we will continue to meet every Friday with the possible exception of one or two around Christmas and New Year (watch this space for news on that) there are some particular dates for your diary. These themes are entirely voluntary. If you can find a few songs to fit then that's great, if not then turn up anyway and do whatever you fancy.
(Songs new to the Dragon database, though not necessarily always new to the club are marked with an asterisk "*")
As usual Colin was MC and started the session, this time singing Games people play (* Joe South).
John was next up with Bob Dylan's Blind Willie McTell about the Piedmont blues and ragtime singer and guitarist of that name and the prejudice experienced by African Americans such as him in the first half of the 20th century.
Stan introduced us to Marty Robbins' Man walks among us (*).
Simon sang Leon Rosselson's song of the diggers, The world turned upside down.
Rob often takes traditional ballads and writes an alternative version of the story or one which explains missing links in the original. His riff on Long Lankin (roud 6, child 93) is Lord Weary and the mason. The linked video is entitled "Lord Murray and the mason" because a friend of Rob's persuaded him that might be less confusing, but Rob later reverted to the original title and lyric.
Chris sang the first traditional song of the evening with The three ravens (roud 5, child 26).
Roger briefly sang what I believe was an extract from Paddy McGinty's goat. It's worth noting that this song, while seeming to be Irish, was in fact written by two English music hall composers, Bert Lee and RP Weston, for an American vaudeville act performing in the UK, The Two Bobs.
Denny offered up Pretty Saro (roud 417) followed by Paul bringing the first rotation to an end with Waking dreams (roud 22620).
Colin recalled our late friend Phil by singing from his repertoire Plastic Jesus (Ed Rush, George Cromarty).
Chris sang David of the white rock (*), the English version of Dafydd y Garreg Wen with tune by Welsh harpist David Owen and (Welsh) words by John Caeiriog Hughes.
Roger followed this, referring to the jazz funerals of New Orleans and singing When the saints go marching in (* roud 13983).
Colin gave us Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger's Nova Scotian mining disaster song The ballad of Springhill (*).
Chris added to her tally with The spinning wheel (* roud 17647 - John Francis Waller).
Colin sang the only song of the evening not in the YouTube playlist linked below as "a selection", and that was Graeme Miles' The Whitby girl's lament.
Stan reminded us of Elvis by singing The wonder of you (* Baker Knight), first recorded by Ray Peterson.
Rob has recently spread his net beyond his usual ballads and shanties to include some Americana, which he demonstrated to us with Poor Wayfaring stranger (* roud 3339). And finally, it also fell to Rob to finish the evening which he did with Nassau Bound (roud 15634), the original version of the well known Sloop John B from the singing of Tom Lewis.
Now listen to a selection of songs sung during this session.
(Number of people present - 9 of whom 9 performed)
 |
| Rhubarb (Photo: yems Dinn) |
Colin, the MC, started off the singing with Tom Paxton's Bottle of wine. This was the first of several songs new to the Dragon database - though as usual, not necessarily new to the club. Subsequent songs new to the database will be marked with an asterisk (*).
John followed on with U2's I still haven't found what I'm looking for (* Bono).
Simon's first song of the evening was Drill ye tarriers drill (roud 4401 - Thomas Casey, Charles Connolly).
Sue brought us Island in the sun (Harry Belafonte, Irving Burgie) and Bob followed her with Went to the river (roud 469).
Chris ventured Cockles and mussels (* roud 16932) and Roger sang Mountains of Mourne (Percy French).
And so the baton returned to Colin, who sparked memories for at least two of the other singers with Malvina Reynolds' Little boxes (*).
If it need to be proved, John showed how eclectic we could be with You can't always get what you want (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards).
Bob and Sue followed up on Sue's Gatherin' rhubarb of the previous week with John Fogerty's Rhubarb pie (*). With a Kipper Family song (Not sixteen til Sunday) from Colin, and Simon diddling the theme from Roobarb and Custard, I think we could almost have ourselves a rhubarb theme.
Chris gave us the one item of the evening which is not on the linked YouTube playlist: a peom which she wrote herself entitled evening. Roger meanwhile was Makin' whoopie (*) with the song written by Walter Donaldson and Gus Kahn, and originally performed by Eddie Cantor.
I'm not sure how Chris' The lark in the clear air (* roud 24791 - Sir Samuel Ferguson) had managed to stay out of the Dragon database until now.
It was Colin who finished off the night with the sing-along Air fa la la lo (a traditional gaelic song translated by Hugh S Roberton).
Now listen to a selection of songs sung during this session.
(Number of people present - 7 of whom 7 performed)
 |
| Roger Whittaker in 1971 |
Colin, as MC, started the proceedings with The good ship Ragamuffin (roud 10466). This is a music hall song written around 1882 by John J Stamford for William J "Billy" Ashcroft. Stamford also wrote McNamara's Band for Ashcroft. This (Ragamuffin) was the first song of the evening new to the Dragon database (usual disclaimer: not necessarily new to the club). There were many new songs for the database on this occasion, so rather than get repetitive I will mark them with an asterisk (*).
Tricia's first song was Race of long ago (*), based on a poem by Cicely Fox Smith called Racing Clippers.
Stan found us Waiting for a train (* roud 699, laws H2, Jimmie Rodgers). Simon gave us King of Rome (Dave Sudbury) before Sue took us to Big Rock Candy Mountain (roud 6696, Harry McClintock) and Bob returned us to the American railroad with Golden Rocket (Hank Snow).
Roger was showboating with Ol' Man River (Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II) before Chris sang She's like the swallow (roud 2306) sweetly despite having a frog in her throat.
And so ended the first rotation. We went on to sing an impressive total of 38 songs during the evening. You can hear mostly other people's renditions of all but one of them by following the "a selection" link below. I will however mention a subset of them starting with those sung by newcomer Tricia:
Now listen to a selection of songs sung during this session.
(Number of people present - 9 of whom 8 performed)
 |
| (Photo: Simon Meeds) |
Twenty six songs were sung, which isn't a bad tally. Sorry no YouTube playlist this week because this dragon is rather busy, but that's a small downside after the ups and downs of the last few weeks.
(Number of people present - 4 of whom 4 performed)
Last week at The Bridge was interesting... hmmm. True, there was only one singer present, and true he did sing sixteen songs - you'll have to trust him on that. But stranger, there were no bar staff and no beer. Wait, that's not quite as bad as it sounds. Apparently The Bridge's faithful regular drinker, Allie, turned up and found nothing happening. She asked what it was about and was told there were no staff, so she volunteered to work behind the bar, and a pretty good job she did of it - friendly and warm as always, and seemed to know what she was doing. According to Allie the beer had not been ordered, so not only was there no Doom Bar (shock, horror), but no other beer on tap nor even in bottles and cans. However there were several ciders, which did the job for one lonely singer, even if the effect was a slightly burpy (TMI?) rendition of some songs - maybe best that there was no one to hear.
Simon started, continued and finished the session, so I won't bother to add too much detail to this report, but in the process he sang loudly in case someone passing the door on their way into the gents heard and felt moved to wander in (they didn't), and he sang some songs rarely sung by him, and some rarely in the club. There was only one song new to the Dragon database which I have marked below with an asterisk (*), and even that was certainly not new to the club, just not previously electronically recorded.
Here is the complete list.
(Number of people present - 1 of whom 1 performed)
