A cornucopia of song

Frederic Weatherly, the Englishman
who wrote Maggie's nemesis song, Danny Boy

Before I get started on this week's report I must remind you that due to a private party in our usual venue, there will be no Dragon folk club session this Friday (22 April). We will be back with a belated St Geoge's Day theme next week (29 April), when you may also wish to mark Wthe 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare's death.

Last week's Dragon session was surprisingly well attended given the absence of a couple of regular faces. It's always good to see Tom and Terry H in our midst, and Paul was a surprise visitor. Apparently he was all geared up to go to another club on the night but realised at the last minute it wasn't on, so he made the long journey from home to see us, at least for the first half.

Note that this is the semi-regular Paul and not Paul of Paul and Jenny last week. If they both turn up together I'm going to have to ask for surnames. Oh, the lot of the blog writer is a stressful one. ;-)

Youthful songwriters and miners among others

Elizabeth Cotten who wrote
Freight Train at the age of 11

There was no theme this week so anything goes. We were very pleased to welcome Paul and Jenny, who we hadn't seen before. Apparently they came out for a quick drink and finding us singing away they not only stayed longer than planned, but Paul sang two of his own excellent quirky songs. We certainly hope they will come again.

This week (15 April) has no set theme again, so please come and sing anything you fancy, or maybe bring your own theme. Next week (22 April) there will be no session and the following week (29 April) will be our St George's Day session.

Colin was MC and Derek started proceedings with The Ploughboy (The Warwickshire RHA) (Roud 163); notably from the same root as The Scarlet And The Blue which Mike sang the previous week.

Richard reminded some of us of BBC Radio's Children's Choice (Derek McCulloch) with the vocal gymnastics of Leroy Van Dyke and Buddy Black's song, The Auctioneer.

April Fools and Irish Rebels

Comedian, Ronnie Corbett
who died on 31 March 2016

Last week's session included some new blood which is always very pleasing. The advertised theme of April Fools turned out to be only half the story with several of our number turning to the centenary of the Easter Rising.

First a couple of announcements. There will be no session on Friday 22 April since "our" bar is being used for a private party. This gives us a dilemma since the 22nd would be the obvious day to have a St George's Day theme, so that particular event is moved to 29 April.

Martin and Christine were the first newcomers to arrive. Christine ably provided an audience for us, which Martin regaled us with some stories, more of which later. We were joined at the interval by another couple who I would guess weren't regular folk club attendees - nothing at all wrong with that. They didn't appear to respond during the evening apart from the young lady finding hilarity in some innuendo in one of Derek's songs. However, at the end of the evening she thanked us for the music which was nice of her and I expressed a hope that they would visit us again. Everyone is welcome at the Dragon Folk Club, whether to perform or just to listen.

St Paddy Meets the Easter Bunny

Devastation caused by the Easter Rising.
Easter is a major holiday in Ireland,for a host of reasons,
some of which are religious and some historical.

Should readers, understandably distressed at finding that this week's blog has fallen into the hands of the Substitute Scribe, decide to leave precipitately, please at least pause to view this message – THERE IS NO CLUB MEETING ON FRIDAY 25TH MARCH (GOOD FRIDAY). This is due to the room's being used by the Inn for Easter festivities.

One result of the above was that this week's meeting became the optimal day for Easter songs as well as treading on the heels of St Patrick's Day. Most of those present confined themselves to the Irish aspect, although only DomBehan's Caesar's Conquest Of Ireland (Derek) actually recorded (albeit lesser known) events from the life of St Patrick himself!

No train wreck

This week's session (18 March 2016) will be our closest to St Patrick's Day, so you might like to bring along some Irish songs and tunes. Next week (25 March) will be Good Friday and there is an event at the pub, so we will not have a session but we will be back the following week for the 1 April. There's no official theme yet but I wonder whether some fooling around might be in order?

Last week, Colin was MC and Derek started us off with The Bailiff's Daughter Of Islington (Roud 483, Child 105). Mike got us all singing with Drink Old England Dry (Roud 882).

St David's Day and Mothering Sunday 2016

Yes we had a dual theme last week with St David's Day on 1st March and Mothering Sunday on the 6th (Don't get me started on why it isn't Mothers' Day). There was plenty for us all to go at, and Colin was MC.

Derek started us off with a song I failed to trace. The lines I noted down were: "On the 23rd day of September", "the Liverpool waters will ring" and "they destroyed the electric transformer". From something he said later, I assume, like two of his other songs this evening, it was written by Meic Stephens.

Yet another musical miscellany

The Mary Rose in a battle with seven Algerine corsairs
(an engraving by Wenceslas Hollar
who was on the ship at the time)

There was no theme for last week's session so we were free to come up with clusters of songs around various topics.

Colin was the MC and Mike kicked us off with the topical The Twenty Fourth of February (Roud 951) (sorry I couldn't find a recording in English), although he sang "twenty third". Apparently it describes a battle which took place on 29 December 1669 where Captain John Kempthorne on the fifth Mary Rose saved a convoy from attack by seven ships of Algerine pirates. He was knighted for this action.