Natural Phenomena

Partial solar eclipse 15 December 1982 (Photo: Simon Meeds)

Last week's Dragon Folk Club session was the usual eclectic mix of songs, providing an entertaining evening. There were eight songs new to the Dragon database including some surprising previous omissions at least two of which had been sung here before, but before the days of the database.

Our MC, Colin, had been beaten to the venue by Stuart and Carrie, so they got the first slots, singing solo this time because Stuart's guitar was tuned to DADGAD. Stuart kicked us off with Waly Waly - The water is wide (* roud 18829) and Carrie followed with Country song (Jake Bugg).

Colin's first song was Cotton mill girls (* roud 11549), notably sung previously at the club by the late Betty McDonald (see the linked video).

Simon tried a new-to-him song in Halley came to Jackson (* Mary Chapin Carpenter). This was an attempt at an astronomical theme, thinking tenuously of the solar eclipse coming up on 12th August. The song is apparently biographical about the American writer Eudora Welty.

Bob gave us Blood red river (roud 15807) and Sue finished the first rotation with Love of the common people (John Hurley, Ronnie Wilkins).

Songs not already mentioned and new to the Dragon database were:

• Stuart - East Virginia blues (* roud 3396)
• Colin - Sinking of the Reuben James (* Woody Guthrie)
• Stuart - Sandwood down to Kyle (* Dave Goulder)
• Colin - Blaydon Races (* roud 3511 - George Ridley)
• Colin - Prickly bush (* roud 144)

The job of closing the evening fell to Bob, which he fulfilled with White line fever (Merle Haggard).

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 not 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 (#).