New friends and old

Terry C a few years ago
(Photo: Simon Meeds)

Once again your usual scribe wasn't at the Dragon Folk Session last week, but it was great to hear that our old friend Terry C made an appearance for the first time in a long time. Also great to hear was that it was the first visit by Stuart and Carrie who both play the guitar and the ukulele.

Stuart and Carrie were straight in at the deep end, starting the session with Fresh as a sweet Sunday morning (Bert Jansch) and Waiting around to die (Townes Van Zandt).

Bob sang Merle Haggard's White line fever which Sue followed that with Ain't misbehavin' (Andy Razaf, Fats Waller, Harry Brooks).

Terry C's long-hoped-for return to the club started with Jim Moreland's What happened to the ponies. Sorry, there's no YouTube video in the playlist of this lovely song and even an article I have linked before about Jim has disappeared from the Sunderland Echo website.

On easier ground for this report writer, Colin went to Newfoundland for I'se the b'y (roud 4432).

Denny sang Broom of the Cowdenknowes (roud 92). The linked recording, made by Terry H, is of the club's late friend Ray.

Paul finished the first round with Keith Marsden's Bring us a barrel.

It is tradition that I mention all the songs sung by newcomers Stuart and Carrie. Their remaining offerings were:

• Bring me a boat (Kate Rusby, Phil Cunningham)
• Don't let the sun catch you crying (Gerry Marsden, Freddie Marsden, Les Chadwick, Les Maguire)
• Nine hundred miles (roud 4959)
• The rambling Irishman (roud 3572)
• Spancil Hill (roud 22062 - Michael Considine)
• Don't want to know (John Martyn)
• Long black veil (roud 18510 - Danny Dill, Marijohn Wilkin)
• Summertime (DuBose Heyward, George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin)

There were lots of songs sung during the evening that are new to the Dragon database (though not necessarily new to the club). Some of these have already been mentioned, but the remainder are listed here:

• Sue - Love of the common people (John Hurley, Ronnie Wilkins)
• Colin - Drinking with Rosie (Richard Digance)
• Terry C - Soap, starch and candles (V56772) - not in the playlist linked below
• Colin - Down on the corner (John Forgerty)
• Bob and Sue - Blue eyes crying in the rain (Fred Rose)
• Bob and Sue - Blackpool Belle (Howard Broadbent, Jimmy Smith)
• Colin - My friend the sun (Roger Chapman, Charlie Whitney)
• Paul - Rufford Park poachers (roud 1759)
• Terry - Goodbye my old friend (Mike Denver)

After all that excitement it feel to Colin to complete the evening with Peter Bellamy's Sweet ladies of Plymouth from his folk opera "The Transports".

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

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

Strange times

Coventry Cathedral's Chapel of Christ in Gethsemane seen through
a crown of thorns made from iron (Photo:Simon Meeds)

There will be no Dragon Folk Club Session this Friday or until further notice because of government advice relating to the CORVID-19 pandemic. We will use all the usual channels to keep people informed when we reopen.

Last Friday's session involved just the core members and there was no theme. Colin kicked things off with Steve Knightley's Galway Farmer, partly because it was the last day of Cheltenham Festival and partly because Mike likes it.

Simon had been carrying Harry Robertson's Wee Dark Engine Room (the words that is, not the room nor the stove) around with him since St David's day since "whales", "coal" and "gold" all provided very tenuous links. He didn't sing it then, so he brought it out now.

Geoff's first song of the evening was the The Lakes Of Ponchartrain (Roud 1836, Laws H9) and Mike gave us Keith Marsden's Bring Us A Barrel.

Derek said he had looked down the listings of Radio 4's Sunday programmes and noted that the theme of the Sunday Worship programme was "The Woman at the Well of Living Water", which he interpreted as "The widow at the well". He hoped therefore to find something of interest, maybe a performance by a traditional singer? He was disappointed to find that the hymns would be "I heard the voice of Jesus say" and "Tell out my soul". He made up for this omission by singing The Well Below The Valley (Roud 2553, Child 21).

Colin pointed out that it was the sixteenth anniversary of the death of Sydney Carter, and therefore sang three songs written by him: My Last Cigarette, Crow On The Cradle, and The Ballad Of George Fox.

Geoff added some brightness to proceedings with UK one hit wonder, Jerry Keller's Here Comes Summer.

Derek was meanwhile going for a body count. He claimed a million from a song which seems to be related to the Whiffenpoof Song and Kipling's Gentlemen Rankers, but is neither of those - similar in some ways to though Gunboat Sailors which is also derived from them.

Anyway, back on the body count, his research suggested adding about 300,000 from The Bonny Bunch Of Roses (Roud 664, Laws J5).

Mike also claimed a large body count, though at the time of singing he wasn't aware of the game, from The Battle Of Sowerby Bridge. He claimed indeed that it was the anniversary of the battle but the song claims it was on the 44th March! The historical event however seems to have occurred on 4th January 1644.

Simon's poor effort added only two bodies (not really a laughing matter) with Bob Geldof's I Don't Like Mondays. Recently retired teacher, Derek pointed out that this song didn't resonate with him in quite the way it had done when it was sung previously.

Mike continued to unwrap the body bags with his own song, Away To The Western Front. He claimed all the deaths at the front in the First World War. It was then suggested that he might add all those who died subsequently in the Spanish Flu pandemic, started as it was among the soldiers - and incidentally had nothing to do with Spain or the Spanish.

Geoff's voice took us for a tour of his boots, much to Mike's delight since his voice is always happiest in the depths, singing Wandr'in' Star (Alan J Lerner, Frederick Loewe). Finally, it was Mike who finished the evening off with Roll Alabama Roll (Roud 4710).

Keep safe in these strange times. Look after yourself and keep singing, even if it's only to yourself.

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

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

There's no B in Liverpool

Liverpool's "Three Graces" (Photo: Simon Meeds)

I'm afraid I have to keep the report fairly short this week, would you believe because I'm planning to go out and hear more music, and maybe sing a bit too. But first there are some significant parish notices.
With one exception as you will read in a moment, we meet every Friday and usually you can sing whatever you like at our sessions but sometimes we have an evening with an optional theme, and we happen to have a few of those coming up. You don't have to follow the theme with all of your songs, but it's nice if you can bring something to the party.

26 October - Halloween theme (All Saints, All Souls, ghosts, witches, etc.)
2 November - Campfire theme (camping, fires, fireworks, Guy Fawkes, etc.)
9 November - No session (if you come to the pub you may find yourself in the middle of a charity Ladies' Night)
16 November - Remembrance theme (war, anti-war, remembrance, etc.)

With that out of the way, let's get on with the report.

The importance of visitors

Constantine Parish Church, Cornwall (Photo: Tim Green)

Last week's session may have no theme but it certainly saw a decent turnout at the Dragon Folk Club. There's no theme again this week so I hope we can expect the same again.

We were treated to the second visit in a fortnight by the wanderers from Yorkshire, Malcolm and Janet (yes, I've now learned her name though I understand she liked being called "Malcolm's lady"). They brought along a West Midlands contingent in the form of  Dragon first-timers, Steve and Denise.

Colin, being MC as usual, started us off with Ben Backstay (Roud 21256).

Mini themes galore

CSS Alabama

The report has to be a quick one this week before I hand over to the deputy scribe, and I'm afraid there won't be any YouTube links.

Next week's Dragon Folk Club session could be very thin on the ground, so if you are an occasional or lapsed dragon, I would encourage you to make a special effort to come and support the club; the more of us there are, the happier the landlord is.

This week's session was MCed by Richard who started off with The Lark In The Morn.

Mike said his first song was about a place that could be very cold, at which Colin and Derek suggested, almost in unison, Weston-Super-Mare. An amusing suggestion, but not what Mike intended. He rather gave us a sing-a-long favourite that I don't think he's done for a while: Lish Young Buy-A-Broom (Roud 1865) - the intended location being Kirkby Stephen.

Valentine's Day - no massacre

The date was 14 February, Valentine's Day, so it seemed obvious that we should sing love songs, and so we did but at the Dragon Folk Club things are never quite that simple. Mike started off by announcing that the theme would be anti-love songs, something even he didn't stick to, but we did have some lust among the romance.

As last week, maybe it's becoming a (good) habit, Maggie S started us off with a poem by "Rick from Portishead" called A Valentine. Mike followed that up with Come write me down (The wedding song) (Roud 281).