Songwriters

Dave Sudbury and the King of Rome

Usual MC, Colin wasn't present for last week's Dragon Folk Club session, so Simon filled in and was joined by a perfectly adequate group of four other singers, including Sean who hadn't visited since 2015 when we were meeting at The New Inn, Westerleigh. His long absence is mainly due to morris dancing duties; apparently last night they were neither practicing nor "dancing out".

Simon kicked things off with Dave Sudbury's King of Rome.

Rob followed up with an explanation that he once sang The two sisters (roud 8, child 10) only to have an audience member suggest afterwards that whoever wrote it might have made it shorter. Rob had to admit that it was quite long and so wrote the song he performed for us: The magic lute (Rob Winder).

Sean said he always starts off with something traditional when he visits a new place so he gave us Down by Blackwaterside (roud 564, laws P18). This song was new to the Dragon database, though as usual that doesn't necessarily mean it was new to the club.

Paul's first of the evening was Waking dreams (roud 22620) and Denny's was The collier laddie (roud 3787), another new song for the database.

And so ended the first round of singing. We definitely found it good to chat (and why not), so the total number of songs sung only amounted to 24, but it was nevertheless a worthwhile and pleasant evening.

Rob was next to add to the new songs for the database with Jimmy Driftwood's He had a long chain on. For anyone wondering about Driftwood, it may help to know that he also wrote the more famous Battle of New Orleans (roud 17913), made famous by Johnny Horton. It was also Rob adding to the database with The four-loom weaver (roud 937).

Sean sang two of his own songs. Coat of blue (Sean Cusack) is inspired by the fact that Sean believes that his Irish ancestors may have fought on both sides at the Battle of Waterloo. Cradle to grave is a song about the NHS. Sean penned this song at a songwriting workshop led by Nancy Kerr. Sean was pleased not only because Nancy seemed to appreciate his song, but because on leaving the workshop he heard two of the other attendees discussing it. I'm afraid these two songs are missing from the playlist linked below.

The final new addition of the evening for the database (both of Sean's songs were also in that number) was Rocky road (Peter Yarrow, Noel Stookey). Rob thought it was a children's song, and indeed it seems it may have originated as an African-American children's playground song, but it had probably travelled via Green green rocky road (roud 15657).

Simon knew there was just time for one song to finish the evening when it came to Paul's turn. Not wanting to cause any arguments he invited Paul and Denny to decide between them who should sing. The equitable solution was that they sang alternate verses of When all men sing (Keith Scowcroft, Derek Gifford) with the assembled throng assisting when it came to the chorus.

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

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