Deep breath

Ashton Court, December 2010 (Photo: Simon Meeds)

Yes, it wasn't quite Christmas at last Friday's Dragon Folk Club session, in fact there wasn't an official theme, but that didn't stop people singing Christmas songs, Heather because she won't be with us this week, and Denny because she felt like joining Heather. Even Paul got in on the act at least once.

This Friday (19th December) will be our Christmas themed session although our themes are of course always optional. The following week (26th) we will have a break and then we'll be back for our New Year session on 2nd January. Various appropriate themes and sub-themes come to mind, but I'll leave that to your imagination for the moment.

Back to last week, in Colin's absence Simon was MC and he kicked us off with Tom Paine's bones (Graham Moore).

Heather took up her Christmas theme with Cliff Richard's 1988 festive hit Mistletoe and wine (* Jeremy Paul, Leslie Stewart, Keith Strachan).

Denny started her contribution with When yellow's on the broom, written by the recently deceased Adam McNaughton, and Paul finished off the first rotation with Tending the sheep (*). This last song was probably written by Ruth Tongue.

Although Tongue's songs were presented as having been collected from various (pseudonymous) singers in Somerset in the early part of the 20th century (in this case ‘Old Shepherd’ from The Blackdown Hills), most have never been found anywhere else, and evidence suggests that many of them were written by the same person, quite possibly by Miss Tongue herself, though it is impossible to be sure.

Only two songs sung during the evening was not found on YouTube and therefore not in the playlist linked from "a selection" below:

• Denny - A tribute to the drowned (Samuel Laycock)
• Paul - Tracks in the snow (Steve Thomason)

Due to Heather's self-set Christmas theme, there were a few more songs (and a poem) new to the Dragon database:

• Heather - The Christmas truce (* Carol Ann Duffy)
• Heather - Little donkey (* Eric Boswell)
• Heather - Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow! (* Jule Styne, Sammy Cahn)
• Heather - Rockin' around the Christmas tree (* Johnny Marks)

Simon left us with a good sing and something to warm us up ready for the Christmas session proper next week: 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 4 performed)

In the above report songs new to the Dragon database (though no always new to the club) are marked with an asterisk (*) and any songs not included in the "a selection" playlist are marked with a hash (#).

Heading into winter with a smile

Brandon Hill, Bristol (Photo: Simon Meeds)

Last week's Dragon Folk Club session had no theme, but several emerged. Simon tried to keep us smiling through the foul weather to come, while others reflected the season to some degree. We heard some new songs, some old songs, some borrowed songs, but in the absence of our friend Bob, not so many blue songs.

This Friday's session (12th December) will also have no official theme, but we have already had three or more Christmas songs as well as others pointing towards the season, so if your mind drifts that way we're not going to stop you. 19th December will be our official Christmas themed evening, and then we will have a break on 26th ready to hit the ground running for the New Year on 2nd January.

Colin, back in the MC's seat this week, started us off with The maid of Amsterdam (roud 649). Denny sag her new favourite November drinking song (Bryan Hawes, Martin Graebe), but in an attempt to keep it going changed it to the December drinking song.

Helen took us off to a Christmas scene with Winter wonderland (* Felix Bernard, Richard Bernhard Smith), and Paul followed Denny's theme of varied persons out drinking with Jones's ale (roud 139).

Simon completed the first rotation with a humorous take on winter: Down our street (roud 32257).

Colin's second song came from the pen of Gilbert O'Sullivan. It surprised everyone how early in his career he had written Nothing Rymed (*), but in fact it was even earlier than we believed at that time. It was released in 1970! I am however quite pleased that my guess was correct that he released Clair in 1972.

Helen introduced us to the singing and songwriting of TikTok sensation Rose Betts by giving us Irish eyes (*). In fact all the evening's remaining songs new for the Dragon Database came from Helen: Solstice Evergreen (* Adrienne Piggott)  from the Australian pagan folk rock band, Spiral Dance, and a surprisingly landward song, There are no lights on our Christmas tree (*), from the pen of Cyril Tawney.

The only song of the evening not found on YouTube and therefore not in the playlist linked from "a selection" below was perhaps unsurprisingly, Colin's The war junk Tennessee (# Willis - A quarter-gunner on the USS Tennessee and nephew of Nathaniel Parker Willis).

Paul finished the session with Bold Riley (roud 18160).

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

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

In the above report songs new to the Dragon database (though no always new to the club) are marked with an asterisk (*) and any songs not included in the "a selection" playlist are marked with a hash (#).

St Andrew's Day 2025

(Photo: Simon Meeds)

Our faithful MC Colin was otherwise engaged during last week's Dragon Folk Club session so Simon took up the pen, ledger and metaphorical gavel. Theme accuracy was not 100% given that Paul and Denny, who had been absent the previous week, both started by harking back to Remembrance before honouring Denny's native county on Lancashire Day and eventually joining us in Scotland. Roger on the other hand took the opportunity that our themes are always optional and sang a wide variety of styles, but of course since St Andrew is the patron saint among other things of singers, nothing was truly off-topic this time anyway.

Roger had been first to arrive at The Bridge so he was called upon to start the evening, which he did with Proud Mary (* John Fogerty).

Simon was first to take us to Scotland with Dougie MacLean's Caledonia.

As already mentioned, Paul and Denny started off in a remembrance theme with Poor murdered men (*# Jon Heslop) and A nightingale sang in Berkeley Square (Eric Maschwitz, Manning Sherwin) respectively. The latter was Denny's late father's favourite song and was sung at his 90th birthday party by her late sister-in-law. Denny's singing of the song also marked both of their birthdays.

And so we came to the end of the first rotation.

Having already mentioned two above, there were a further two songs new to the Dragon database this time, both sung by Denny. The first was November drinking song (* Bryan Hawes, Martin Graebe). The second gave me a little more of a problem. The only trace I could find of Drink to the Laddies (* Sue West) on YouTube (and therefore the version I included in the playlist linked from "a selection" below) was this slightly raucous and badly recorded "Drink to the lassies". But we don't give up so easily here, and a more respectable version, sung by Dutch shanty choir De Kaapstander, was found here in the middle of a longer video.

LATE ENTRY: Another version of Drink to the laddies has been found.

It also fell to Denny to round off the session with a Scottish version of Rolling home (roud 4766).

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

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

In the above report songs new to the Dragon database (though no always new to the club) are marked with an asterisk (*) and any songs not included in the "a selection" playlist are marked with a hash (#).

Remembrance 2025

Avro Lancaster "Just Jane"
at the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre
(Photo: Simon Meeds)

Last Friday's Dragon Folk Club session had our delayed Remembrance theme; delayed due to a conflicting room booking the week before. Was it because of the gap in service that we were short of singers? Never mind, we had fun singing a total of 36 songs during the evening.

This Friday (28th November) this scribe will your MC for a change so your presence and performance (optional) would be especially encouraged. I propose a theme (optional as always) of St Andrew's Day. As you know St Andrew is patron saint of Scotland. If that isn't scope enough, you may like to know that he is also patron of:

Barbados, Georgia, Ukraine, Russia, Greece, Cyprus, Constantinople, Romania, Patras, Burgundy, San Andrés (Tenerife), Diocese of Parañaque, Candaba, Masinloc, Telhado, Sarzana, Pienza, Amalfi, Luqa (Malta), Fontana, Gozo (Malta), Manila and Prussia; the Diocese of Victoria and Canada; fishermen, fishmongers, rope-makers, textile workers, singers, miners, pregnant women, butchers, farm workers, the Russian Navy, the US Army Rangers; protection against sore throats, convulsions, fever and whooping cough.

Get your thinking caps on and we'll see you there.

Back to last Friday, Colin was MC, but Simon who had arrived first started us off on theme with The band played waltzing matilda (Eric Bogle). And I'm afraid to say that Colin completed the first rotation (more of an alternation) with our friend Gary Hopwood's White poppy (*).

Being a bit short of time I will simply list the songs sung which are new to the Dragon database:

• Colin - Red and Gold (* Ralph McTell)
• Colin - I just wanna stay at home (*# Irwin Silber)
• Colin - Christmas in the trenches - (* John McCutcheon)
• Simon - Brothers in Arms (* Mark Knopfler) to the tune Monk's Gate (Ralph Vaughan Williams, traditional)

Two other songs were sung which couldn't be found on YouTube and therefore doesn't appear in the playlist linked from "a selection" below:

• Colin - The kriegie ballad (Robert Garioch)
• Colin - Falklands song (sung by Mabsant)

Colin rounded off the evening with Only remembered (Horatius Bonar, Ira D Sankey).

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

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

In the above report songs new to the Dragon database (though no always new to the club) are marked with an asterisk (*) and any songs not included in the "a selection" playlist are marked with a hash (#).

Bonfire Night 2025

Last week's slightly belated bonfire night session at the Dragon Folk Club saw the usual mix of Guy Fawkes, bonfires, and campfire songs as well as general winter themes and some serendipitous performances mixed in. more importantly it brought an impressive turn-out of singers including three first timers: Ander, Rebecca and Johan who all sang excellently.

First, and importantly, there will be no Dragon Folk Club session this Friday (14th November 2025) so we will delay our Remembrance themed evening (war, anti-war, remembrance, etc.) until the following Friday (21st November). In the meantime some of use may visit Folk at Frampton Cotterell this Friday.

Colin, MC as usual, set us a rhythm by starting the evening with Running bear (Jiles Perry Richardson "The Big Bopper"). Roger said it was the first record he bought.

Roger invited us to Keep right on to the end of the road (roud 23917 - Harry Lauder). Perhaps this was an early Remembrance contribution since Lauder wrote the song in honour of his son, killed in the First World War.

Heather gave us Wild mountain thyme (roud 541 - Francis McPeake).

Paul invoked his inner child with Michael Finnegan (roud 10541) and Denny made some of those assembled squirm with Nobody likes me (roud 12764).

Simon sang The ballad of Patch Eye and Meg (Michelle Shocked), relevant because it was first recorded as part of The Texas Campfire Tapes.

Sue sang of The leaving of Liverpool (roud 9435) and Bob brought the first rotation to an end with My girl Josephine (Fats Domino, Dave Bartholomew).

For now our visitors, appropriately to Bonfire Night, kept their powder dry, but that wasn't to last long.

Rebecca's songs were:

• The little beggarman (roud 900)
• Poor Guy (* Peter Christie) from the singing of Instant Sunshine
• Woad (roud 24978 - William Hope-Jones)

Ander sang:

• I wish I was back in Liverpool (Leon Rosselson, Stan Kelly-Bootle)

We also heard a duet from Rebecca and Ander on Queen of Waters (Nancy Kerr).

Johan gave us a traditional Swedish drinking song about Noah leaving his ark and growing vines to make wine: Gubben Noak (* Carl Michael Bellman). The tune reminded Denny of Come landlord fill the flowing bowl (roud 1234), and so she sang it.

There were just two songs which are not on YouTube and therefore not in the playlist linked from "a selection" below:

• Roger - Together we'll fight (*# Roger Stanleigh)
• Colin - I love to go a-gorging (#)

The remaining songs new to the Dragon database, but not necessarily never before sung at the club, were:

• Roger - Don't ever change (* Gerry Goffin, Carole King) - Rejected by The Everly Brothers, recorded by The Crickets and performed by The Beatles
• Heather - A winter's tale (* Mike Batt, Tim Rice)
• Colin - My leader (*)

It fell to Paul to finish the evening which he did with Cockles and mussels (roud 16932).

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

(Number of people present - 12 of whom 11 performed)

In the above report songs new to the Dragon database (though no always new to the club) are marked with an asterisk (*) and any songs not included in the "a selection" playlist are marked with a hash (#).

Halloween 2025

(Photo: Simon Meeds)

It was Halloween  (quite literally on the 31st) last week at the Dragon Folk Club and everyone joined in on the theme for at least part of the evening, which was great. This week's theme, optional as usual, is for Guy Fawkes Night or Bonfire Night if you prefer. Consider songs, poems, monologues and stories on themes such as Guy Fawkes, fire, fireworks and campfire songs along with anything else appropriate that you can think of.

Back to last week, and I'm keeping this report brief, Heather was asked to start us off. She was obviously looking forward to this week as she read her own poem "What, no fireworks?" (*#).

Simon got into the current theme with Zombie jamboree (Conrad Eugene Mauge, Jr or Winston O'Conner (Lord Intruder) - disputed). The linked version by King Flash is the first to change the original "Jumbee Jamboree" to "Zombie Jamboree".

Stuart and Carrie gave us Ghost (Kate Rusby) followed by Long black veil (roud 18510).

Colin, also on topic, sang Hallows Eve (Chris Hoban).

Paul read a poem, So many different lengths of time (* Brain Patten) and Denny completed the first rotation with Davey Dodds' The magpie (*). Brian Patten, on of the Liverpool poets, died in September.

Now with limited time I will simply list those remaining songs (and poem) which have been added to the Dragon database this week, though as usual it doesn't necessarily mean that none of them haven't been performed at the club before:

• Heather - NWR Halloween (*# Heather, poem about the National Women's Register, Chipping Sodbury branch)
• Stuart and Carrie - I wandered by a brookside (* Words by Richard Monckton Milnes, 1st Baron Hougthon; tune by Barbara Berry - Ed: I knew Barbara and I heard her sing it at least once, see the video for the full story)
• Paul - Sweet William's ghost (* roud 50, child 77)
• Stuart and Carrie - Wonderful life (* Black, real name Colin Vearncombe)
• Denny - The coal and Albert Berry (* Ted Edwards)

Stuart and Carrie closed the session with A horse with no name (Dewey Bunnell).

See you this week, 7th November, for (metaphorical) fireworks!

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

(Number of people present - 8 of whom 7 performed)

In the above report songs new to the Dragon database (though no always new to the club) are marked with an asterisk (*) and any songs not included in the "a selection" playlist are marked with a hash (#).

Nose to tail

(Photo: Simon Meeds)

Thanks to serious traffic disruption we didn't attain our full strength until well after half way through the evening, nevertheless a total of forty two songs were sung. Second-timer Heather ran out of songs she had prepared but valiantly sang with the help of words found on her mobile phone for the rest of the evening without missing a beat.

Don't forget that this Friday (31st October) is our Halloween-themed session. As always, themes are optional, but it's nice to come up with something appropriate, however tenuously. Watch out for more upcoming themes.

MC Colin was first up with The nutting girl (roud 509).

Heather introduced the club to Scarlet ribbons (for her hair) (* roud 45048 - Jack Segal, Evelyn Danzig), and Simon completed the first rotation with John Conolly's The Punch and Judy man using Tony Capstick's version of the chorus.

Here are some more performances which need to be mentioned.

Heather sang Blanket on the ground (* Roger Bowling) which was first recorded by Billie Jo Spears and Grandfather's clock (* roud 4326 - Henry Clay Work). Heather's friend Hazel was not there to sing, but it was noted that she joined in enthusiastically with the "tick-tocks".

The Oxford English Dictionary says that the song Grandfather's clock, written in 1876, was the origin of the term "grandfather clock" for a long-case clock. It is said that the clock in the George Hotel, Piercebridge near Darlington inspired Work to write the song. The tradition was that the clock had been owned by two brothers named Jenkins. When one brother died, the clock began losing time, and it stopped for ever upon the death of the other.

Colin found what must have been a low hanging fruit to add to the Dragon database in Foggy foggy dew (* roud 558, laws O03).

Heather contributed Crazy (* Willie Nelson), made famous by Patsy Cline and that was soon followed by Colin with Reynard the fox (* roud 1868, 358).

After a couple more songs Paul and Denny made their entrance. While they are our most distant regulars, it doesn't usually take them anywhere near the two and a half hours to reach The Bridge for a session that it did last week due it seems to two road closures: one maybe for an accident and one for the planned replacement of a bridge. Anyway, arrive they did and Paul was immediately invited to sing. His first song was Bold Riley (roud 18160) and Denny followed that with The forsaken mermaid (roud 466, laws K17). And with that our complement was complete for the rest of the evening.

Helen channelled her inner Louis Armstrong for What a wonderful world (* Bob Thield (as George Douglas), George David Weiss).

Colin sang The Liverpool barrow boy (*), a song written, we are told, by Mollie Armstrong whose job it was to collect money at the door of The Spinners' Folk Club.

Heather had us singing along to Time after time (* Cyndi Lauper, Rob Hyman).

We were also able to sing along with Paul although I don't think any of us had previously heard Keith Donnelly's shanty parody Lever Johnny lever (*).

It fell to Simon to close the session with Nancy whisky (roud 883).

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

(Number of people present - 6 of whom 5 performed)

In the above report songs new to the Dragon database (though no always new to the club) are marked with an asterisk (*) and any songs not included in the "a selection" playlist are marked with a hash (#).

1805, 1066 and all that

HMS Victory (Photo: Simon Meeds)

We may have been a small group at last week's Dragon Folk Club session, but we sang up a storm. There was no official theme, but we touched on the Battle of Trafalgar and the Battle of Hastings which were both near their anniversaries, had a variety of songs directly or indirectly from Singing Together, and several also from the singing of The Spinners. Listen to the playlist linked from "a selection" below and I'm sure you will find other themes that emerged.

There will be no theme this week (24th October), but get ready for the Halloween theme the following Friday (31st October).

Colin, MC as usual, started the ball rolling last Friday with Come fair wind or stormy weather (Steve Knightley).

Paul continued the maritime theme and took us straight to Trafalgar with Nelson's death (roud 18837) and Denny brought us onto dry land (just) with Tom Lewis' Marching inland.

Simon completed the first rotation with Boney was a warrior (roud 485) which was our first from Singing Together - he sang it at junior school in the 1970s.

I won't labour the point about the ad hoc themes, but there are a few things that may be worth a mention.

Colin returned to the work of Steve Knightley to sing Breme fell at Hastings (*), marking the recently passed 959th anniversary of the battle.

In the absence of our resident blues-man, Bob, Paul sang Little red rooster (* roud 16807 - Willie Dixon), and Denny followed on with The chickens in the garden (roud 2552 - James Alan Bland).

Simon sang two songs to the same tune: The wark o' the weavers (roud 374 - David Shaw) and The oyster girl (roud 875, laws Q13).

Denny sang Ye Jacobites by name (roud V31021 - traditional, rewritten by Robert Burns) which caused Simon to bring out Les Barker's My name it is Van Goch (*), a parody of the same song. I don't know whether Denny knew who wrote Simon's song, but shortly afterwards she sang Les Barker's Sloop John A (*), of course a parody of Sloop John B, otherwise known as H'ist Up The John B's Sails (roud 15634).

Simon finished the evening off with No Sir No (roud 146).

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

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

In the above report songs new to the Dragon database (though no always new to the club) are marked with an asterisk (*) and any songs not included in the "a selection" playlist are marked with a hash (#).

Harvest 2025

(Photo: Simon Meeds)

Last week's Dragon Folk Club session was themed for harvest and we did pretty well with lots of more or less on topic songs.

Remember that our themes are always optional, so while following the theme is encouraged, don't worry if you can't at all or if you can't keep it up all evening. As usual, any type of performance is welcome as long as you keep it acoustic.

We are heading into one of our theme-laden seasons, so here are some dates for your diary:

• 31 October - Halloween (traditions, ghosts, witches, horror...)
• 7 November - Bonfire Night (Guy Fawkes, bonfires, fireworks...)
• 14 November - Remembrance (Remembrance, war, anti-war...)

With only very rare exceptions, with or without a theme, we are to be found every Friday night from 8:15pm in the barn (just past the toilets) at The Bridge Inn, Bridge Road, Shortwood, Bristol (UK), BS16 9NG. See you there!

And so to last week's session: Colin, MC as usual, started the ball rolling with Out in the green fields (roud 2670).

Helen followed with a version of the Skye boat song (roud 3772). Apparently Robert Louis Stevenson rewrote the song in 1885. He judged the lyrics to be "unworthy", so made a new set of verses "more in harmony with the plaintive tune". The version Helen sang (*) was based on this version, adapted by Bear McCreary for the TV series Outlander.

Denny gave us the first of the evening's three versions of John Barleycorn: Hey John Barleycorn (roud 2141).

Paul introduced us to Shiny-o (*). According to Stan Hugill, "this halyard song was saved from oblivion thanks to the daughter of a certain Professor Hatfield who took town several rare shanties her father heard being sung by a black crew in 1886 aboard the 548 ton, three-masted barque Ahkera on an eighty-four day passage from Pensacola to Nice. He collected nine work songs, the rarest being Way down below (roud 11870), Nancy Rhee and the one we have here.

Excuse me here a quick aside. Until I was researching the previous section I don't think I'd ever seen a shanty being used for it's original purpose, whether that's capstan, windlass, or whatever. That is until I saw this video of Hulton Clint singing Across the western ocean "at the windlass". It makes the point often stressed by our shanty-singing friend Mike Starkey that people often sing shanties too fast.

Roger's first song of the evening was Adge Cutler's Twice daily.

Simon finished the first rotation with John Barleycorn (roud 164) to the tune Wir Pflügen (Johann Abraham Peter Schulz).

Helen's second song, Forever Autumn (music by Jeff Wayne, lyrics by Gary Osborne and Paul Vigrass), was already in the Dragon database, but it deserves a bit of an explanation for it's unusual history. Most people know the version sing by Justin Hayward for Wayne's musical version of War of the Worlds, but it was previously recorded by Vigrass and Osborne. That however is not the start of the story, because the tune was written by Jeff Wayne for a Lego commercial in 1969, and here it is.

Roger sang Keep right on to the end of the road (*), written by Harry Lauder in 1924. Lauder wrote the song in honour of his son, Captain John Currie Lauder, killed in the First World War, and it was originally published under the name "The End Of The Road".

Helen was surprised that none of us knew The shelter of your eyes (*), written by Don Williams, which was his first single, released in 1972. It's good to introduce us to things we haven't heard before or don't remember.

It was also Helen who sang I'll never find another you (*), written by Tom Springfield and recorded by The Seekers.

Roger sang his own Ukrainian lament (# Roger Stanleigh).

Crows in the Garden (* roud 4505) was Colin's penultimate offering of the evening for it was he who rounded off the session with Take a whiff on me (roud 10062), which of course isn't as innocent as he claimed. Here's the earliest known recording from 1930.

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

(Number of people present - 6 of whom 6 performed)

In the above report songs new to the Dragon database (though no always new to the club) are marked with an asterisk (*) and any songs not included in the "a selection" playlist are marked with a hash (#).

A bunch of "new" songs

A decorated door in Villefranche-de-Conflent, France
(Photo: Simon Meeds)

Last week's Dragon Folk Club session saw two visitors joining us for a lot of singing and chat. I will consider both Heather and Hazel new to the club although I believe I heard that Heather had been before though I think before any of the others present had first attended. Some of us however knew her a little from other sessions. Hazel did not perform, but it was noticed that she sang along to many of the songs and her presence was very welcome.

Before I go any further there is an important announcement. Our room at The Bridge is double-booked this Friday (3rd October 2025), so it will be a very rare Friday with no Dragon Folk Club session. We will however be back on Friday 10th October for a Harvest themed session. As always the theme is optional, but if you can bring along some appropriate songs that would be great.

Returning to last Friday, Colin as MC started the ball rolling with Tom Lewis' Sailor's prayer.

Heather's first song was Snowbird (* Gene MacLellan), a hit for Anne Murray in 1969.

Stuart and Carrie started off performing together, first with Under the boardwalk (Kenny Young, Arthur Resnick), followed immediately by Cool water (* Bob Nolan).

Sue, this week without partner Bob, sang Beyond the sea (Charles Trenet, Albert Lasry, Jack Lawrence).

Simon gave us Michelle Shocked's Ballad of Patch Eye and Meg. While this brought the first rotation to an end, Denny and Paul, who had just returned from far flung places, arrived at the beginning of the second rotation and their respective first songs of the evening were The water of Tyne (roud 1364) and One more pull (Ian Woods).

i'm going to be busy enough cataloguing, as our blog's tradition requires, the songs Heather sang on her first visit in club memory and the remarkable number which were new to the Dragon database, so I will get straight down to the job.

Heather's other songs were:

• Nobody's child (Cy Coben, Mel Foree)
• Secret love (* Sammy Fain, Paul Francis Webster)
• Bunch of thyme (roud 3)
• Paper roses (* Fred Spielman, Janice Torre)

Other songs new to the Dragon database:

• Stuart and Carrie - A horse with no name (* Dewey Bunnell)
• Carrie - Close to the wind (* Stuart Marson)
• Colin - The next Best Western (* Richard Shindell)
• Stuart - Reuben's train (* roud 3423)
• Carrie - Until morning (* Kate Rusby)
• Colin - William Taylor (* roud 158, laws N11)
• Carrie - All of me (* Gerald Marks, Seymour Simons)

Simon closed the session with Stan Rogers' Northwest passage.

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

(Number of people present - 9 of whom 8 performed)

In the above report songs new to the Dragon database (though no always new to the club) are marked with an asterisk (*) and any songs not included in the "a selection" playlist are marked with a hash (#).

Blue and Gold

(Photo: Simon Meeds)

What last week's Dragon Folk Club session lacked in number of singers it made up for in the eclectic selection of songs. Yes, we knew in advance that we would be a couple of regulars down and this time we didn't have any visitors, but that didn't affect the keenness with which we attacked our respective repertoires.

Colin, MC as usual, started the evening with The man in the moon (roud 21397), which Simon followed with Scarborough fair (roud 12, child 2).

Bob was straight into his genre of the blues, asking Blues stay away from me (Alton Delmore, Henry B Glover, Rabon Delmore, Wayne Raney). Sue cheered us up a bit and completed the first rotation with Sting's Fields of Gold. It was obviously this juxtaposition that gave us this week's report title.

There were only two songs this week that were new to the Dragon database:

• Colin - Everything glows (Les Barker)
• Sue - You've got a friend in me (Randy Newman)

And the only song not available for the playlist linked from "a selection" below was Sue's own Recycled teenager.

Other blue and gold songs (in some cases loosely) included:

• Colin - Midnight special (roud 6364)
• Bob - You got gold (John Prine, Keith Sykes)
• Simon - Blues run the game (Jackson C Frank)
• Bob - Matchbox (Carl Perkins)

Colin finished off the evening with George Papavgeris' Friends like these.

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

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

In the above report songs new to the Dragon database (though no always new to the club) are marked with an asterisk (*) and any songs not included in the "a selection" playlist are marked with a hash (#).

Mining at the song-face.

Mine cage winding equipment at Beamish Museum
(Photo: Simon Meeds)

It was great to see one new face and one second time (I think) visitor at last week's Dragon Folk Club session. Jackie was the superb newcomer while Dominic was the excellent singer we had heard before.

Colin, as MC, started us off with Flying high, flying free (Leon Rosselson) and Roger followed him with Ed McCurdy's Last night I had the strangest dream.

Dominic's first of the evening was The coast of Malabar (* roud 24566) and Jackie's Dragon debut song was Rap her to bank (roud 1786), learnt during her time living in the North East of England. This was the first of quite a number of mining songs we heard during the evening. “Rap ’er te bank!” is the cry of men at the bottom of the mine shaft, waiting to come up in the cage. The onsetter would rap, and the winding man, hearing the signal would draw the cage to the surface (the ‘bank’).

Paul continued the mining theme with The old miner (roud 1136) and Denny didn't let it drop, singing The collier laddie (roud 3787 - Robert Burns).

Simon completed the first rotation with Elizabeth Padgett's The plover catcher.

It's perhaps surprising that Colin's second song, a shanty not only from the Hugill, but it seems commonly sung in school and at home for at least 90 years, is new to the Dragon database. Of course that doesn't mean it has never been sung at the club before. The song in question is Fire down below (* roud 813). I have it in a 1930s book of popular songs; perhaps I should get that book out and trawl it for some of the less sung, yet still singable, songs.

During the evening Roger sang two of his own compositions: Together we fight (*# Roger Stanleigh) and Fifties child (# Roger Stanleigh).

As always, I will mention every song sung by newcomer Jackie:

• Song of myself (* Peggy Seeger)
• West Virginia mine disaster (* Jean Ritchie)
• Loch Tay boat song (* roud 38364)
• Green grows the laurel (roud 279)
• The moon and St Christopher (* Mary Chapin Carpenter)

To quickly wrap up this report, here is a list of songs not mentioned so far that were either new to the database or or do not appear in the YouTube playlist linked from "a selection" below:

• Dominic - Geraldine's thinking of Galway (* Pat McKernan)
• Paul - Dead knight behind the hedge (# Jon Heslop)
• Dominic - Isle of Innisfree (* roud 29758)

It fell to Simon to wrap up the session with other joining in on When all men sing (Keith Scowcroft, Derek Gifford).

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

(Number of people present - 7 of whom 7 performed)

In the above report songs new to the Dragon database (though no always new to the club) are marked with an asterisk (*) and any songs not included in the "a selection" playlist are marked with a hash (#).

A poor report of a promising evening

(Photo: Simon Meeds)

Sorry that the report of last week’s Dragon Folk Club session is rather late appearing, Blame it on the usual scribe being out of the country.

It wasn’t technically the greatest session since an Oasis tribute act was playing in the bar. This sort of thing happens from time to time, but isn’t a frequent occurrence. No doubt it was made worse by the ladies’ toilets still being out of action and therefore a steady stream of women making their way through our room. Nevertheless, every cloud has a silver lining and at least two of them contributes a song to the session.

I can assure you that we will be there again this Friday as we are almost every Friday from 8:15pm in the barn (just past the toilets) at The Bridge Inn, Bridge Road, Shortwood, Bristol (UK), BS16 9NG.

You will always find FREE ENTRY, a warm welcome, excellent acoustics, and a reasonably priced bar. Anything goes as long as it’s acoustic: a song, a story, a tune, a poem, a joke, a monologue, whatever you can come up with, and if you don’t feel up to performing eve in front of a small, friendly, crowd, then you are welcome to just listen, and maybe join in the odd chorus and some friendly banter.

Come and try us, we don’t bite.

(Number of people present - 9 of whom 8 performed)

---

...and now for the addendum...

As usual, mentioning all songs sung by Dragon newcomer Amy:

• Wild mountain thyme (roud 541 - Francis McPeake)
• Who knows where the time goes (Sandy Denny)
• Follow the heron (Karine Polwart)
• Don't wanna fall in love (* Jane Child)
• Detectorists (Johnny Flynn)
• Who will sing me lullabies (* Kate Rusby)
• Dancing on my own (* Robyn, Patrik Berger)

Finally for now, here are the songs sung by others which were new to the dragon database:

• Colin - Goodbye to the sea (* Dave Boulton)
• Colin - Robert Whitworth (* Roz Kimber, Neil Kimber)
• Roger - Thinking of letting go (*# Roger Stanleigh)
• Helen - America (* Johnny Borrell, Andy Burrows)
• Helen - Bring me sunshine (* Arthur Kent, Sylvia Dee)
• Paul - The Galway drawl (*# Liz Draper)
• Unknown singer - Grace (* Frank O'Meara, Seán O.Meara)
• Unknown singer - I see the light (* Alan Menken, Glenn Slater)

Now listen to a selection of songs sung during this session (this week not in the order in which they were sung).

In the above report songs new to the Dragon database (though no always new to the club) are marked with an asterisk (*) and any songs not included in the "a selection" playlist are marked with a hash (#).

Roger Wilco

Fishing boat with attendant gulls on Loch Hourn
(Photo: Simon Meeds)

We initially thought we would be four singers at the Dragon Folk Club last Friday, but then Roger turned up to make a perfectly quorate fivesome. It was Roger who added the most "new" songs to the Dragon database as you will see in this report.

Colin, our regular MC, started us off with The fox and the hare (roud 1140) followed by Denny who gave us Wings (Brian Bedford).

Paul proposed The Farmer's Toast (roud 1603) and Simon reprised his signature King of Rome (Dave Sudbury) after being disappointed with his own showing the previous week. And so ended the first rotation.

Second time around Colin sang the Song of the digger (* Neil Colquhoun with chorus words from a poem by William Satchell). Before it came round to Colin again Roger arrived and his first song of the evening was Flora (roud 957, laws P29).

It was Roger who sang Blueberry Hill (* Vincent Rose, Larry Stock, Al Lewis) followed by Colin with Sailing on the briny sea (# Miles Wootton).

Roger gave us two of his own songs: Goodbye I'll Try (*# Roger Stanleigh) and Dry your eyes (# Roger Stanleigh).

Colin added to the database a comedy song: The Dundee cat (* Matt McGinn) and the last "new" song of the evening came from Roger with The air that I breathe (* Albert Hammond, Michael Hazlewood).

The final song of the evening, The Mingulay boat song (Sir Hugh S Roberton) came from Paul.

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

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

In the above report songs new to the Dragon database (though no always new to the club) are marked with an asterisk (*) and any songs not included in the "a selection" playlist are marked with a hash (#).

New faces

Sheep shearing at the North Somerset Show
(Photo: Simon Meeds)

We're doing really well for new faces at the Dragon Folk Club recently and last week was no exception. I don't believe either Kevin or Sarah had been to a folk club before. Sarah decided not to sing, but after observing the first rotation Kevin offered us a song on the second and on each subsequent one. Well done Kevin! Your efforts were appreciated.

Colin, our regular MC, started off with a song previously sung at the club by our friend Terry Cock, but not previously recorded in the Dragon database: John Willie's ferret (* Larry Kearns, Gerry Kearns). Larry conceived the idea for the song after John, a deer-stalker friend of the Oldham Tinkers, told how he used to take his ferrets to parties and of the havoc they caused. It is a fun song, a bit of aural slapstick. Larry wrote the words and Gerry wrote half the tune but adapted the chorus from Sur le Pont d’ Avignon (the linked version is an interesting mix of French and German).

Paul gave us Thousands or more (roud 1220) and Denny contributed Byker Hill (roud 3488).

Simon followed Colin's example by singing My grandfather's ferret (Derek Jolly) about another mischievous mustelid.

Bob's first of the evening came from his blues repertoire and was Brownie McGhee's So much trouble. Sue thought she would cheer us up with Swinging on a star (Jimmy Van Heusen, Johnny Burke), and so finished the first rotation.

Denny sang a version of the Sheep shearing song (roud 812) collected quite locally, in the Mendips which I assume to be the version collected by Cecil Sharp from William ‘Farmer’ King.

As usual I will mention all the songs of a newcomer to the Dragon, and Kevin's debut was Drill ye tarriers drill (roud 4401 - Thomas Casey, Charles Connolly).

Sue sang Low bridge, everybody down (roud 6598 - Thomas S Allen) "I've got an old mule and her name is Sal, Fifteen miles on the Eerie canal". Colin assures us that he had already planned his next song, which was therefore coincidentally The Ee-rye-ee Canal (roud 6599).

Kevin's second song transported us to Botany Bay (roud 3267).

Denny, like Colin earlier, sang a song from the repertoire of Terry Cock without knowing it; I believe she has come across Terry only once. The song was Ted Edwards' Weepin' and wailin' (*).

Kevin's third song introduced us to Henry Russell's last words (* Diana Jones), a mining disaster song made famous by Joan Baez. His final song of the evening was Carrickfergus (roud 17556 - Dominic Behan).

The final song of the session, coming from Denny, was Good English ale (roud 1512).

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

(Number of people present - 8 of whom 7 performed)

In the above report songs new to the Dragon database (though no always new to the club) are marked with an asterisk (*) and any songs not included in the "a selection" playlist are marked with a hash (#).

With or without bangs

Enola Gay on display at the National Air and Space Museum,
Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
(Photo: Simon Meeds)

Another great evening at the Dragon Folk Club. Having got through the recent part of the festival season unscathed our numbers were indeed swelled. We even had another possible "catch" for the future among the ladies who walked through our room given that their principle toilet is still out of action - I am sure manager Mike is on the case, but these things take time.

Since the session fell on VJ-Day and the previous week's session should have marked the 80th anniversary of the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Colin announced an impromptu, naturally optional, war and anti-war theme, which he kicked off with The sun is burning (Ian Campbell).

Stuart and Carrie gave us two songs in duet: I'll tell me Ma (roud 2649) and Bonnie light horseman (roud 1185).

Simon returned to the anti-war theme with There but for fortune (Phil Ochs) and Rob sang his topical update of Jordan Is A Hard Road To Travel (roud 12153 - Dan Emmett) which he calls The other side of Jordan (Rob Winder).

Denny gave us The shores of old Blighty (Graeme Miles). Her friend and recent dragon recruit, Helen, contributed The rose (Amanda McBroom).

Bob brought along Call me the breeze (J J Cale) while Sue finished the first rotation with Lead Belly's Cotton fields (* roud 11662) - hands up who thought it was a Beach Boys original.

In researching this report I found that Lead Belly travelled with Blind Lemon Jefferson before his (Huddie's) first spell in prison. He was influenced by Jefferson's departures from the blues style which was being established, leading no doubt to his own near-rock'n'roll style of folk before the term was even invented.

I mention this because later in the session Bob sang Jefferson's See that my grave is kept clean (roud 7382). Bob hinted that Jefferson's later years were a mystery. It seems that's not quite true, but that is some uncertainty around his death. According to Wikipedia: "Jefferson died in Chicago at 10:00 a.m. on December 19, 1929, of what his death certificate said was 'probably acute myocarditis'. For many years, rumors circulated that a jealous lover had poisoned his coffee, but a more likely explanation is that he died of a heart attack after becoming disoriented during a snowstorm. Some have said that he died of a heart attack after being attacked by a dog in the middle of the night. In his 1983 book Tolbert's Texas, Frank X. Tolbert claims that he was killed while being robbed of a large royalty payment by a guide escorting him to Chicago Union Station to catch a train home to Texas. Paramount Records paid for the return of his body to Texas by train, accompanied by the pianist William Ezell.

"Jefferson was buried at Wortham Negro Cemetery (later Wortham Black Cemetery) in Wortham, Freestone County, Texas. His grave was unmarked until 1967, when a Texas historical marker was erected in the general area of his plot; however, the precise location of the grave is still unknown. By 1996, the cemetery and marker were in poor condition, and a new granite headstone was erected in 1997. The inscription reads: 'Lord, it's one kind favor I'll ask of you, see that my grave is kept clean.' In 2007, the cemetery's name was changed to Blind Lemon Memorial Cemetery, and his grave-site is kept clean by a cemetery committee in Wortham."

Bob said that See that my grave is kept clean was his second most miserable song. We didn't find out what this blues-man's most miserable song was called, but Colin gave him a good run for his money with a theme-appropriate song which gave me a bit of a run-around. No doubt the song is quite well known, but my search for the words came up with the song's origins as a poem written by Turkish poet Nâzım Hikmet and called Kız Çocuğu (The girl child). In English translation the poem is called Hiroshima child. Joan Baez sings it in the original Turkish here, but Colin sang it as I come and stand at every door (*).

With all that story I will quickly run through the other songs which are new to the Dragon database:

• Stuart - Katie Cruel (* roud 1645), a version of The lightbob's lassie.
• Carrie - Drafted (* Andrew Latimer, Susan Hoover)
• Stuart - Running from home (* Bert Jansch)
• Rob - The gallant frigate Amphitrite (* roud 301)
• Rob - The maid and the palmer (* roud 2335, child 21)
• Helen - Have you ever seen the rain? (* John Fogerty)

Stuart and Carrie finished the session with a pair of songs: The hills of Shiloh (Shel Silverstein, Jim Friedman) and Fresh as a sweet Sunday morning (Bert Jansch).

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

(Number of people present - 9 of whom 9 performed)

In the above report songs new to the Dragon database (though no always new to the club) are marked with an asterisk (*) and any songs not included in the "a selection" playlist are marked with a hash (#).