Transport of delight

Sometimes the trials and tribulations of our singers are almost as newsworthy as the songs we sing and that was the case at last week's Dragon Folk Club session. I had just started my journey to the club when I received a message to say that Denny's car had suffered a puncture on the motorway, and that Paul and Denny were waiting for the AA.

When I arrived at The Bridge I found five others already there and informed them of the predicament.

Colin as MC started the session with David Diamond's Folksinger's lament.

At this stage I received another message from Paul to say that they had been sorted by the AA and were on their way home. We were pleased for them, but also slightly sad that they wouldn't be joining us.

Steve continued with the Galway Shawl (roud 2737) and John was next with Leon Payne's Lost highway.

Simon sang of the Lambton worm (roud 2337) and Bob gave us Junior Parker's Mystery train, made famous by Elvis Presley.

Sue rounded off the first rotation with Messing about on the river written by Tony Hatch and most famously recorded by Josh McRae. Hatch wrote the song under the pseudonym Mark Anthony.

Soon after the start of the third rotation Paul and Denny made their entrance, having taken Denny's car home and set out again in Paul's. We were very pleased to see them and they took up their place at the end of the line with Denny's first song being Down in your mine by Colin Wilkie, and Paul's was Bold Riley (roud 18160).

There were a few songs new to the Dragon database, though not necessarily all new to the club:

• Colin - Joy to the world (Hoyt Axton)
• John - Belfast Child (Jim Kerr, Charlie Burchill, Mick MacNeil)
• Bob and Sue - I love to boogie (Marc Bolan)
• Colin - The gnome (Miles Wootton)
• John - Blind Willie McTell (Bob Dylan)
• Sue - Smile (Charlie Chaplin)

John's singing of Simple Minds' Belfast Child was prompted by Sinéad O'Connor's recent death. The song's tune is based on that of She moves through the fair and in the linked recording O'Connor provided a break with that traditional song. She also sang the song for itself and therefore Simon followed up by singing She moves through the fair (roud 861).

This week's heading photo is chosen for Steve's singing of Cyril Tawney's Ballad of Sammy's Bar. Sammy's Bar was in Valletta, Malta and was apparently a favourite of British sailors. The second refrain "Call away the dgħajsa" refers to a local water taxi (pronounced "di-so" by British sailors). Dgħajsa is in fact simply "boat" in Maltese, and the full name of the taxi is "dgħajsa tal-pass". The photograph, which shows several dgħajjes tal-pass in Grand Harbour Valletta with naval ships in the background comes from my father's photo album created while he was in the Royal Navy. He may have had a drink at Sammy's Bar or he may have moved other sailors on from there in his occasional role as a Naval Provost.

Paul fittingly finished the session with Dave Webber's Parting song.

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

(Number of people present - 8 of whom 8 performed)