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 (#).

Tunes help you breathe...

David Holgate's statue of Julian,
outside Norwich Cathedral,
completed in 2000
(Photo: Tony Grist)

At last week's Dragon Folk Club session it was great to be joined by first timer Nick, and a pleasant surprise to have a visitor to this predominantly singers' club who mostly played tunes. In fact Nick's weapon of choice is the mandola.

Our regular MC, Colin, started things off with Tom Lewis' Marching inland, which in a slightly obtuse way started a maritime or at least watery theme for many of the songs sung in the evening.

As usual I will mark songs new to the Dragon database (though not always new to the club) with an asterisk (*).

Next came Simon with Dougie McLean's Caledonia followed by Nick's Dragon debut with Egan's polka (*).

Paul had clearly been adding to his repertoire and sang The old miner (* roud 1136) while Denny gave us John Conolly's Fiddlers Green. And so endeth the first rotation.

As is traditional, I will mention everything Nick performed. All but the last were tunes played on the mandola. For the last one he borrowed Simon's guitar and sang; something we understand he is not accustomed to doing in public.

• Ten penny bit (*)
• Mairi's wedding
• Drowsy Maggie (*)
• John Ryan's polka (*)
• Moonstruck (* Kev Carmody)

Other songs new to the Dragon database were:

• Denny - Julian of Norwich (Sydney Carter) Julian lived in permanent seclusion as an anchoress in her cell, which was attached to St Julian's Church, Norwich. She died sometime after 1416.
• Colin - Essequibo River
• Colin - I fought the law (Sonny Curtis)

It fell to Simon to close the evening with 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 5 performed)

Louder than usual

The knocker-upper man

Last weeks session was slightly unusual for us in that our venue at The New Inn was somewhat taken over by people who would usually be at The Old Inn (the pubs have really original names in Westerleigh) which was closed for refurbishment. While they were fairly loud at times they were at least reasonably appreciative of our efforts in the main and in any case they had dwindled to a memory by the break.

Colin was naturally Mc and for a change kicked off the singing himself with General Guinness, which seems as good a place as any to start even if he wasn't actually drinking the black stuff.

I think there was some skulduggery going on, maybe trying to test the resolve of the non-folkies in the bar when Derek sang Molly Bawn (Roud 166, Laws O36) and Mike sang Haul On The Bowline (Roud 652).