The night was chill and wet. At the Grapes the room was warm and cosy. They came from far. They came from near. From Settlingstones (where the river carves set stones for sharpening your sword) and other such outrigger spots near Haydon Bridge where witherite and lead were mined; from Brampton, Carlisle, even St. Bees and from Newcastleton itself, they came. As well as regulars, Neil was in fine voice and playing anglo concertina, Angus recited, sang and played harmonica and Peter, currently teaching in Newcastleton and a fine exponent of the guitar, joined us. There were small pipes and uilleann pipes, concertinas, English and anglo, guitar, harmonica, voices and knitting needles to boot.
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Some fine tunes were played through the evening including Chris' 'O' Carolan's Draught' on English concertina with pipe and anglo accompaniment; Neil’s ‘The Road to McMurray’ on anglo concertina; by Mike on uillean pipes, ‘By the River of Gems,’ and later, 'The Humours of Ballyloughlin,’ ‘The King of the Pipers’ and ‘The Hag at the Churn’; by David on smallpipes, ‘The Old Drops of Brandy’ and ‘The New Drops of Brandy’ and by Angus on harmonica, ‘Summertime.’In no particular order, songs included Ken’s rendering of the locally set, ‘Copshawholme Butcher’ by Harvey Nicholson and later, ‘A Sailor and his True Love.’ Angus brought us Ivor Cutler’s ‘Gruts For Tea’ and ‘The Route to Morpeth.’ After Neil gave us 'The Gilsland Hunt Ball', David threw in 'The Horn of the Hunter,' and was, after a time, answered with Neil's 'The Kielder Hunt' (after Willie Scott from 'The Shepherd's Song') which made the bar tremble with hark aways.
Having two bell ringers at one session, and one a knitter, too, is always an opportunity not to be missed and Katy gave us a fine rendering of, 'The North Lew Bell Ringing.' Our guitarists were also in fine form: Phil gave us two songs on work, ‘The Shipyard Apprentice’ from Norman Buchan’s 101 Scottish Songs and the Hydro-Electric Dam song (‘The West Winds Come to Cushiville’) and Steve, ‘The Valley of Strathmore’ and ‘Magdalena McGilvory’ and Peter, in a change of mood, ‘The Old Crow Medicine Show’ and Billy Joel’s ‘Piano Man’.
It being the night after the night after Burns night, we couldn't let it pass without Katy offering Burns’ warning 'O Leave Novels' and Eliza's 'Dainty Davie' (bawdy version). Chris gave us, 'Tak your Buckles' and another brilliant one which I haven’t noted down, I was so involved (shame – let me know Chris). Ballads were ‘The Earl of Errol’ and 'Down by the Greenwood Sidey.' David gave us ‘The Plains of Waterloo’ and Phil rounded off the night with ‘Adieu to Tarwathy’ and ‘The Old Armchair’.
The next Folk Club night will be Tuesday 24th February. That week will be a bumper one as there will also be a traditional music concert in the village hall on the 27th (see poster on Home Page of this site and under Festival Chat) where you can hear some grand music from stalwarts of the summer Newcastleton Traditional Music Festival (3rd to 5th July). This concert will also raise funds for the Festival. With snow outside as I write, it seems far away but the Festival will be a good one if you all come. There are plans afoot to make sure there is space for the quieter sessions of old. So put it in your diary.
Eliza
