Remembrance 2023

Thumper and Vera (Photo: Simon Meeds)

Last week's Dragon Folk Club session was our annual remembrance theme. We now have a couple of weeks' hiatus in the theme season before it returns with St Andrew's Day on 1st December (the actual day is 30th November). Meanwhile though we can always manufacture unofficial themes. This Friday, 17th November, is for example BBC Children in Need, and next week, Friday 24th, is the closest Dragon session to Lancashire Day which is on 27th.

Back to last week, we had many offerings on or close to the remembrance theme. I won't pick them out for fear of missing some or misidentifying others. You can listen to the YouTube playlist linked from "a selection" below and make up your own mind. I will however mention those, identified with an asterisk (*), which are new to the Dragon database if not necessarily to the club.

Colin was the MC as usual and started us off with Salonika (roud 10513).

Roger's emotional first song, despite being by popular American singer songwriter, Don McLean, was new to most of us with the simple title of 1967 (*). Roger dedicated it to a former police colleague killed in the line of duty.

Chris gave us Pete Seeger's anti-war song, Where have all the flowers gone. It was Joe Hickerson who added to the lyrics to give it a circular theme.

Denny sang one of those old songs where the chorus is several hundred times more well known than the verses, and therefore keeps its light under a bushel until we get there, appropriately in the case of Keep the home fires burning (roud 25763 - Ivor Novello, Lena Guilbert Ford *).

Simon had come prepared with two more anniversaries which he wanted to get out of the way first. He brought the first rotation to a close with The wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald (Gordon Lightfoot), about the ship of that name which sank in Lake Superior on 10th November 1975. His second anniversary was the 80th birthday of Joni Mitchell on 7th November, which he marked by singing her 1969 song Woodstock.

The remaining songs new to the database were:

• Roger - Roses of Picardy (roud 25454 - Frederick Weatherly, Haydn Wood)
• Colin - As if he knows (Eric Bogle)
• Roger - Kohima Epitaph (John Maxwell Edmonds), more correctly labelled as For a British graveyard in France. Roger combined this with The last post on the harmonica.
• Colin - The Malvinas (Dave Rogers)
• Colin - Full moon over Mozambique (Garth Hewitt) - the only song performed that arenisn't in the "a selection" playlist
• Colin - War without bangs (Geoff Pearson)
• Denny - The shores of old Blighty (Graeme Miles)
• Colin - The sun is burning (Ian Campbell)

Simon completed the evening with Phil Ochs' There but for fortune.

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

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

Down but not out

Our outgoing landlady, Helen

Last week's Dragon Folk Club session marked a recent low-point in attendance, but for good reason. We were hit by other musical events taking place, not least the dying embers of the Sidmouth Folk Festival. It's worth noting also that it was the last week at The Bridge for Helen our friendly landlady of the last seven years.

We're not quite sure what happens next for the club. Please come along this Friday to show your support, but be prepared that things may not be business as usual. Let's just hope we can continue as normal, but if not then service will be resumed as soon as possible.

Back to last week, the singing was started by our MC Colin with Lamorna (roud 16636). Apparently the song, on the face of it about a village in Cornwall, was originally about a Manchester pleasure ground called Pomona Gardens.

Next came John with Leon Payne's Lost Highway, made famous by Hank Williams.

Simon asked Where have all the flowers gone? The first three verses were written by Pete Seeger before Joe Hickerson added another two verses which brought it back round to verse one.

And so, very quickly this week, the first rotation was complete.

John threw himself into the second rotation with a new song for the Dragon database, though as usual not necessarily for the club, Satan, your kingdom must come down (roud 5737). John also provided the next addition to the database with Bob Dylan's It takes a lot to laugh, it takes a train to cry.

Simon sang My grandfather's ferret, written by Derek Jolly. It was pointed out correctly that Jolly's song used the tune from My grandfather's clock, a song written by Henry Clay Work. Was it coincidence or clever design that had Colin later singing Ring the bell, watchman: a song thought to have been written by that very same Mr Work. This latter song was also an addition to the Dragon database.

Other new songs for the database last week were:

• Colin - El Salvador (Johnny Duhan)
• Colin - Bold Sir Rylas (roud 29, child 18)

Simon finished off the session with Jackson C Frank's Blues run the game.

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

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

Remembrance

(Photo: Simon Meeds)

As I keep saying, we are currently refraining from announcing official themes, but last Friday falling on 12 November meant that we were still thinking of remembrance, which therefore coloured many of the songs. Our usual room was in the middle of being decorated so we spent the evening in the small bar which was pleasant and we even got appreciation from some of the customers passing through to the toilets.

MC Colin started the ball rolling with Jez Lowe's Old Bones, which Maggie L noted was often sung by our late friend Ray Croll.

Derek hadn't been at our sessions for the previous two weeks, so he first took us back to Halloween with Sweet William's Ghost (roud 50, child 77) and The Unquiet Grave (roud 51, child 78), then to Guy Fawkes with Bonfire Night before bringing us back to the present with There's A Simple Little Cross Out At Mons.

Simon started with Elizabeth Padgett's tale of second world war wild-fowling in the fens, The Plover Catcher.

Colin took us to the First World War Balkans with Salonika (roud 10513), a song often sung by our late friend Pat Hyett.

Simon's singing of Where have all the flowers gone (Pete Seeger, Joe Hickerson) prompted Derek to burst into the German version, Sag mir, wo die Blumen sind (words by Max Colpet).

Colin contributed two songs from the singing of Roy Bailey: Ghost Story (Jim Woodland) and Maria Diaz (Lenny Galant). Simon gave us two from Mike Harding's pen: Bombers' Moon and Jimmy Spoons.

In the end it fell to Simon to finish off the night which he did, as the song says (metaphorically) "shaking plaster from the wall" with When all men sing (Keith Scowcroft, Derek Gifford).

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

(Number of people present - 4, of whom 3 performed)

Remembrance 2019

Shrouds of the Somme by Rob Heard, Bristol 2016
(Photo: Simon Meeds)

We were once again thin on the ground last week for our Remembrance session. This Friday's will have no theme, so there is no excuse for not joining us. The next theme will be on 29th and will be for Saint Andrew's day the next day. Saint Andrew is of course patron saint of Scotland, which should give some scope for inspiration but you may also be interested in his other patronages. If you are really stuck you may be interested to know that his is the patron saint of singers!

Back to last Friday, Colin started us off in his customary manner with Fighting For Strangers, a version of Roud 3137 (Johnny I Hardly New Ye) having undergone adaptation by Steeleye Span.

Peace as a starting point

International Day of Peace logo

It was great last Friday to be joined by Steve C and Jane to make us properly quorate for the first time since the harvest. The pub was very quiet, so we had a good session.

Colin MCed as usual and kicked us off by announcing that it was International Day of Peace. As it happens I knew this because I'd heard the Dean of Bristol Cathedral asking the cathedral bell ringers to mark it by ringing a special "touch" at their practice. Colin sang Where Have All The Flowers Gone (Pete Seeger, Joe Hickerson).

Derek said he hadn't worked out a song for the day, 21 September, but he had songs for 20th, 22nd and 23rd. His first three songs were therefore Kevin Barry (Roud 3014) who was executed for his part in an ambush which took place on 20 September 1920, The Gresford Disaster (Roud 3089) which took place on 22 September 1934, and The Boys From Gwent (Meic Stephens) who on 23 September 1962 hampered construction of the Tryweryn Dam which would flood the village of Capel Celyn.

More campfires than Guy Fawkes

Guy Fawkes Night 1776 at Windsor Castle

Last week's session was our Guy Fawkes Night bash with songs and stories encouraged on any subject related to the man, to fire or things you might do round the campfire. This week's (Friday, 10 November) will be the Remembrance session, so any form of performance war-related, anti-war or for remembrance would be excellent. If you can't manage the theme, then anything goes as long as it's acoustic, and if you don't want to perform then you are most welcome to come along for the fun and make us an audience.

Back to last week, Colin was MC and he started off proceedings with Richard Digance's Boy Scout Song.

Just Harping On

Photo: Bart Hanlon

Yes, you read correctly at the bottom of this post, we were only five at last week's session, in fact we were really "four twice" as my grandmother used to say about a family that lost a child and gained a new one soon after. We really need to see some new faces, and for some of you old hands to come and join us. Yes, I know we have a reasonable number of regulars but it only takes a few to have something else on and we are down to a skeleton crew. We didn't even hold our "famous" raffle, so you can tell that things were bad.

Nevertheless we had a pretty good evening with some of us singing unusual songs around the edge of our repertoires which made for some excitement.

Colin was MC and Derek started us off by taking up his own self-imposed theme of harps. His first song on this theme was The Minstrel Boy (Thomas Moore - Roud 13867). Derek continued his theme with another from Thomas Moore, The Harp That Once Through Tara's Halls (Roud 13392), impressively remembered from childhood and apparently not sung since. Next came The Twa Sisters (Roud 8, Child 10). The Ballad Of James Larkin (Donagh McDonagh) was next and generated some interest for it's phrase "The harp was buried beneath the crown", which reminded Mike of a shanty called The Harp Without A Crown, which he said was a puzzle because, while it seems to be a true shanty, it cannot be traced to any period earlier than the very last days of sail in the early 20th century. Derek's final harp contribution was a funny story of a man who died and went to heaven and became "chocker with harpin'".

Remembrance 2016

Thumper and Vera - the two currently flying  Avro Lancasters
(Photo Simon Meeds)

It was small but perfectly formed turn-out for our Remembrance session last Friday. There was a vast array of on-topic songs sung and a few more besides.

But first, I make no apology for repeating an important club notice... On Friday 2 December, the Dragon Folk Club will not be at its usual venue of The New Inn, but rather at its previous venue, The Bridge, Shortwood, BS16 9NG where we will once again enjoy the excellent acoustics of our old room. If you come to the New Inn that night, you will find yourself in the middle of a private party. please help pass this message around our regulars and anyone else who may be considering a visit to the Dragon Folk Club on that evening.

Remembrance - 2015

As last week's session marking Remembrance continued, news of the massacre in Paris started to unfold on my phone. I didn't mention it to those assembled as the scale of the incident wasn't yet clear and I didn't want to disrupt proceedings, but it now seems somehow appropriate that we were remembering past conflicts and mostly asking for peace. I don't want to dwell on it too much but I'm sure we would all want to offer support to those in Paris and the rest France who we know, and those we don't.

England's out but we're still singing

Kate Rusby

Thank fully all facilities at the pub were restored this week so there was nothing to disrupt an entertaining evening of singing and playing.

Mike started off the evening with a "calling on shanty", used when recruiting for a ship to show that the shanty man on board was good enough. It was said that a good shanty man is worth ten men on the rope, since his singing made it easy to keep time, thus making the job easier. The song was poor Tommy's gone, grey goose is dead. I haven't been able to trace it but it seems to me to have elements at least of Tom's gone to Hilo, Go tell Aunt Rhodie and D'ye ken John Peel. Neither Mike nor Maggie seemed to think that its mournful tone would be very good for getting new recruits to come on board - surely something more rousing would be better.

Tributes to Pete Seeger and some other stuff

Pete Seeger (Photo: Anthony Pepitone)

This week's session was the first for a while when we saw some new faces. Actually Kerry and Malcolm weren't exactly new faces since they had been to the Dragon Folk Club around twenty years ago. I think Kerry said it was the first folk club she had visited.

Mike started off the evening with Blood red roses.

Visitors Kerry and Malcolm, who had come from as far south as the Somerset / Devon border on a pretty nasty night, sang both separately and together. Kerry sang Once I had a sweetheart and Malcolm sang Ian Bruce's Too far from she. In the second half they got together for Lord Franklin (Roud 487, Laws K09) and Donovan's Catch the wind.

Remembrance

Ebenezer Theodore Joshua

This week there was no Mike or Maggie so Richard was in charge and, being the closest session to Remembrance Sunday, remembrance and war was the theme.

Most of the small number of us assembled joined in the theme.In fact Gary started the theme off last week with his song, White poppy.

Colin started us off with Ghost Story. I don't usually add too much in the report that wasn't said on the night, but my hunt for this on the web was an interesting one. Unfortunately I didn't find a recording, but I did find this mention of the song. The first place I saw it was on the website of The Church Times: