Sea and land

Dungeness (Photo: Simon Meeds)

It was another great session at the Dragon Folk Club last week. Rob made one of his occasional appearances to give us some great unaccompanied singing and we enjoyed a first visit from Mark who provided more unaccompanied singing as well as the unusual but enjoyable experience of solo five string bass guitar.

There will be no set theme again this week though that doesn't preclude people arriving with their own or something developing over the course of the evening. Remember that even when we set a theme it is always just for fun and very much optional.

Colin, MC as usual, started us off with Steve Knightley's Cousin Jack. Rob followed on with a different version of Geordie (* roud 90), which I have found in the singing of June Tabor.

Simon sang The Handweaver and the factory maid (roud 17771) and Mark's first contribution was Cyril Tawney's Grey funnel line.

Denny sang another song which I found in June Tabor's repertoire: Lisbon (roud 551, laws N8) and Paul finished the first rotation with The ship in distress (roud 807).

As usual I will mention all of newcomer Mark's songs together with anything else that needs highlighting.

Mark announced his second song as O my love's gone, which is a version of The forsaken mermaid (roud 466, laws K17).

Colin's version of The soldier and the sailor (roud 350) included versions with relatively modern verses including one about a "radiation-proof room".

Rob sang two songs written by his late friend Adey Shaw. The first was Monkey in the hold (*). The other one, about Adey's cat called Bosun, which was killed by a dog is simply To Bosun (*#).

Mark sang two of his own songs: Back and forth (*# Mark Gunner) and When it ends (* Mark Gunner). His last two songs of the evening were The crafty ploughboy (* roud 2637, laws L1) and Stan Rogers' Mary Ellen Carter.

Denny closed the evening with Dave Dodds' I can hew boys.

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 songs not to be found in the playlist linked from "a selection" are marked with a hash (#).

Mothering Sunday 2025

(Photo: Simon Meeds)

At last week's Dragon Folk Club session we took up my suggestion of a Mothering Sunday theme with Simon and Colin following it all the way through, and both Bob and Sue making valiant attempts given that they arrived with no prior warning of it. I'm not aware of a theme for this Friday (4th April) unless you want to go for Fools and Nonsense - optional as always.

Unusually last week there were no new songs for the Dragon database, and while there was one that Colin sung not to be found on YouTube, Simon has since filled the gap, so every song we sang can be listened to by following the "a selection" link below to the customary YouTube playlist.

Colin started off with that previously missing song, The Mother Country, believed to have been written by Benjamin Franklin and sung to the tune of Greensleeves (roud V19581). It is a common myth that Greensleeves was written by King Henry VIII. However, Henry did not write Greensleeves as the piece is based on an Italian style of composition that did not reach England until after his death.

Bob asked that Blues stay away from me - a song written by Alton Delmore, Henry B Glover, Rabon Delmore, Wayne Raney. Sue sang Steve Goodman's City of New Orleans.

Simon finished the first rotation with Geordie (roud 90, child 209).

I'll pick up on some mini themes that emerged during the evening and ignore the order which the songs were sung.

Bob followed Sue's first song into a mini railway theme with Orange blossom special (Ervin T Rouse).

Colin sang two Beatles' songs: Lady Madonna (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) and Mother nature's son (John Lennon, Paul McCartney).

Sue sang Gatherin' rhubarb (Keith Hopwood, Phil Bush), a song from the TV mini-series Soul Music based on the Terry Pratchett novel of the same name. Bob followed up with Rhubarb Pie (John Fogerty). I suspect the fit isn't quite as close as it at first appears. Much like a lot of old blues songs, this newer song may be referring to something stronger: in this case a strain of cannabis. Apparently it is a hybrid strain with a sweet, dessert-like flavour much like its namesake dessert, blending together fresh sweet fruits, spicy cherries and red berries.

Simon's second song of the evening was one which our former organiser, Maggie Starkey (who was not present) does not like: Summertime (DuBose Heyward, George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin). When he was asked to sing the closing song of the evening Simon thought he would make it up to Maggie (in her absence) by singing one she does like: Speedy Gonzales (Buddy Kaye, Ethel Lee, David Hess / Dante).

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

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

Burns' Night 2024

The haggis season?
(Image with thanks to Paul Welcomme)

Last week's Dragon Folk Club session again saw four singers meet to make a noise. This time is was for Burns' Night, belated but only by one day. There were several performances which had in some way been touched by Rabbie, and most others had some connection with Scotland, some strong, some more tenuous.

You will find everything performed on the evening represented in the YouTube playlist linked from "a selection" below. I'll list some of the more Burnsian ones here, and sorry for any I miss:

• Denny - Ye Jacobites by name (roud V21021, Robert Burns)
• Simon - Address to a haggis (Robert Burns)
• Denny - Leezie Lindsay (roud 94, child 226, Robert Burns)
• Colin - Such a parcel of rogues in a nation (roud V31022, Robert Burns)
• Simon - Geordie (roud 90, child 209, but not Robert Burns' version)
• Colin - Afton water (roud 24637, Robert Burns)
• Denny - The collier laddie (roud 3787, collected by Robert Burns)

This Friday (2 February) is a theme-less session so anything goes as long as it's acoustic. Bring your own theme if you wish. While are of course there for your enjoyment every Friday evening, the next theme should you wish to prepare will be a slightly belated Valentine's Day on 16th February. I'll give you some food for thought on that in next week's blog report.

See you there any Friday, but remember to wrap up warm at this time of year. We are promised a snowy blast this weekend in Bristol.

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

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

Between New Year and Burns

Anarchist trial defendants Bartolomeo Vanzetti (left)
and Nicola Sacco

Last Friday's session at The Bridge saw an increase of 50% in the number of singers after the previous week. Let's hope this starts a trend. Come and join us this week (21st January) with an informal Scottish theme for Burns' Night. Don't worry if you can't match the theme; everyone is welcome to sing whatever they fancy as long as it's acoustic (tunes, poems, stories, monologues, jokes... are also welcome).

Back to last week, Colin was MC as usual and started off the evening with Coal Hole Cavalry written by Ted Edwards who was brought up in the coal mining community of Wigan. He used to lie in bed as a small child and listen to all these early morning sounds around him, then imagine the miners in clogs as a cavalry charge, off to remove the Indians who'd taken over the mine during the night.

Mike was still singing of the new year with Richard Thompson's We Sing Hallelujah. Meanwhile Simon was prematurely Scottish, singing Geordie (roud 90, child 209).

Colin pondered whether he had recently sung Two Good Arms (Charlie King), and having established that he probably hadn't, proceeded to do so. King wrote the song in 1977, for the 50th anniversary of the execution of Sacco and Vanzetti (see photo).

Mike was still marking the new year with The Happy Man (roud 1230), a Morris Stick Dance and Song collected in Adderbury, Oxfordshire.

Colin's next song, written by Stan Kelly and Eric Winter, Come-All-Ye And Go-Back-Again is a parody of a multitude of folk songs. Kelly wrote: 'The line "Come all you gallant mariners/ shopwalkers/ computer engineers..." or what-have-youse is folk song's commonest curtain raiser. Its only real purpose is to get the audience quiet before you begin to unfold the story. One night, I found I had to sing three verses of throw-away lines before I could get hush and, when I mentioned this to Eric Winter on one occasion, it set us thinking that there must be somewhere a prototypical martyr ballad consisting of all the best introductory and closing lines. Together, Eric and I produced this masterpiece, this do-it-yourself song kit that needs only the name of your favourite hero to be inserted at strategic places.' It's worth noting that Stan Kelly-Bootle to give him his full name was a computer scientist having achieved the first postgraduate degree in computer science in 1954, from the University of Cambridge.

Mike noted that Dave Goulder's The January Man had been sung by Simon the week before in his absence, and sung it anyway "because it's the only time of year I sing it". Colin couldn't recall Simon having sung The Gentleman Soldier (roud 178) before, but he certainly had, here at least, but no doubt a few other times.

Colin gave us Sean Bhean-Bhocht which is a traditional Irish song from the period of the Irish Rebellion of 1798, and dating in particular to the lead up to a French expedition to Bantry Bay, that ultimately failed to get ashore in 1796. Let's also have a listen to it in Gaelic: An tSeanbhean Bhocht. Wikipedia tells us that the title literally means "poor old woman" and was used as a personification of Ireland in the 18th century.

I think Mike meant his singing of The Oak and the Ash (roud 1367, laws K43B) to pre-empt Burns' Night, but I couldn't find a reference to anything I could recognise as it on robertburns.org. Mike sang it as "...in the West Country"; I couldn't find a recording with that wording so, since we had been talking about various versions, I linked something which seems to me at least more obscure.

When Simon sang Tom of Bedlam (roud V16366; tune Dave Moran, Nic Jones) there was no expectation that it would be the last song of the evening. However, after Mike left the room, we moved into chat mode which carried on for the rest of the evening so this was as it turned out, the finishing off song.

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

(Number of people present - 3 of whom 3 performed)

Royal Wedding or When Harry met Meghan

The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan
(Photo: Implausibleblog)

Last week's session had no official theme but Colin, as MC, immediately declared that he would be singing some wedding songs to mark the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan. Despite some mutterings from our republican contingent everyone present in the end contributed to the theme.

Colin started us off in a wedding direction with Here's To The Couple (JN Maselwa, Pete Seeger) and carried on despite no one initially joining him, with Mairi's Wedding (John Roderick Bannerman, Sir Hugh Roberton), modified for the occasion to Harry's Wedding.

Derek's first obvious contribution to the marriage theme was Lord Thomas And Fair Annet (Roud 4, Child 73) which could be said to have some relevance in including a "brown girl" though that would originally have meant a lady less desirable because she works outdoors. Once on the theme though there was no stopping Derek, whose next song was False Lover Won Back (Roud 201, Child 218).

Groundhog Day?

Photo by Gary Yankech

I was pleased to see some people at The New Inn last week who seemed to have turned up intentionally for the session even though they had no intention of performing. Don't get me wrong, it would have been great if they had been prepared to perform but the fact they were there and said they had enjoyed themselves was excellent.

Colin was MC and Derek, who was first to sing, immediately set a challenge for me, the scribe. He started what because a theme - singing songs which were sung the previous week but in different versions.

Crowd Dispersal

Last week's session was again well attended with a welcome return for Rose, who also brought along a newcomer to the club, Jonjo.

Colin was MC and Derek started the evening off with Red Roses For Me (Sean O'Casey). Mike followed this with Wave Over Wave (Jim Payne, Janis Spence).

Tony brought us one of his Welsh tunes which this time was Tafarn Y Wheatsheaf (The Wheatsheaf Pub) and Hilary followed that with Try To Remember (Tom Jones, Harvey Schmidt).

Burns' Night 2016

Burns' Cottage (photo by Bethany Weeks)

Some of our number had made it to The New Inn hot-foot from the wake after Alan Mitchell's funeral. Richard, who had officiated at the funeral service even came bearing left-over food which we gannets descended on well, taking with us most of what was not eaten on the spot. This meant that Richard and Lesley would not be eating ham rolls for the next three weeks!

Being just three days before Burns' Night, the plan was to sing some Scottish songs. Unfortunately some present didn't seem to have their diaries quite in sync. Never mind, our themes are always optional.

Do you feel like a challenge?

The landing place at Rockstone from which the start
to the gold fields at the Essequibo River is made

We were a small but pretty enthusiastic band last week. Early conversations ranged through subjects relating to funerals and crematoria. This isn't perhaps as unusual as you would think, given that Mike works at the crematorium close to our venue and Richard also frequently finds himself at such premises in a professional capacity.

Our resident canine, Indy, was in fine voice and his timing does seem to be improving. During the singing of at least three songs I noticed him coming in perfectly on cue: variously as a wailing ghost, a howling dog and a baying wolf when the lyric required it.

Mandela, floods and Scottish remnants

Hamish Henderson

The big world event this week was the death of Nelson Mandela. At the beginning of the evening only Derek had a relevant song; one he had written himself, called Mandela. This was a song which he considered to be poorly written and he had therefore sung it only three times before. This, he declared, would be its last outing. We didn't think it anywhere near so bad. Later on Terry turned up and sung another song related to South Africa. Unfortunately I've been unable to identify it.

Simon spoke of the tidal surge that has affected Lincolnshire. The flooding got to within a mile of his parents' house and flooded the homes of several people he knows. It was noted that Three score and ten would be appropriate but it had been sung the previous week. Simon had considered reading High tide on the coast of Lincolnshire by Jean Ingelow until he realised how long it is!