It was great to welcome our three new friends from France, Hortense, Florian and Thomas; three from Ireland, Christopher, Helen and Grace (two originating from Sweden and England) as well as Carole and Beth from Loch Lomond, Jim on accordion from Gilsland and Peter, the poet, from Alnwick. There was a bit of initial confusion about our Irish friends, Angus introducing them as from California (the kind of mistake I usually make). We also welcomed Ray and Dawn back again as well as Carol and Dave.
With our much appreciated regulars, this made for a good night. Although we were a wee bit squashed, we stayed in the downstairs bar, though are toying with the idea of moving upstairs to the larger room. It is a lovely room and a bit quieter. The only thing is, we are clinging to the cosiness of the small room - or perhaps I am....
And so to the musical detail. Instrumentals were provided this time by Carole on recorder, Jim on accordion, Dave on dulcimer, David on small pipes and whistle and Carol, Phil, Angus and Tomas on guitar. The tunes were dispersed throughout but grouped together here were: David's 'Never Love Thee More' on small pipes, then Carol, Dave and David's, 'Buy Broom Besoms' and Carol and Dave's, 'Eileen Aroon' and 'The Battle of the Somme.' Carole played 'Mr and Mrs McLean of Snaigow' and later 'The Rose of St. Magnus' and 'Sina's Tune' on recorder. Jim has a great repertoire of tunes and played us a clutch, of which 'Skibbereen,' 'Broken Loom' and 'Hugh's Barn' were some. Thomas gave a meditative rendering of 'Greensleeves' on guitar. David played 'Mount your Baggage' and 'Pawky Adam Glen' on smallpipes. Dave on dulcimer led everyone in 'EaglesWhistle.' All of the musicians had joined in with this one by the last gasp, apart from Angus who was engaged in some stage business. The Everley Brother's, 'Dream' was Dave's later left-field offering.
A theme of fish and fishing with a digression to sailor characters initiated by Katy emerged early on, only to wend its way through the evening. Katy's 'Herring Croon' by Gordon Bok, celebrates inshore fisheries and is from the album, 'Herring's in the Bay'. Carole's 'Follow the Heron Home' a poetic lyric by Karine Polwart mentions the salmon.' David threw in 'The Dogger Bank' about sailors 'on passage from the Dogger Bank to Great Grimsby' and later 'Windy Old Weather,' or, according to Stan Hughill, 'The Fishes,' Jim Eldon's version, and Phil reminded us of the closeness to the elements involved in the fishing with 'Three Score and Ten,' written for the fishermen from Grimsby and Hull who lost their lives in a storm of 1889.
A French and a Swedish song were among the fare served up. Katie's 'Le Roi a Fait Battre Tambour' dates from around 1750 and seemed well received by our French guests and others. Helen, singing in her first language, gave us a great rendering of 'Vem Kan Segla Forutan Vind?' or 'Who Can Sail Without Wind?' which she afterwards kindly translated for us.
Angus gave us Jerry Spurlock's 'The Man in the Moon,' 'Working Nine to Five,' and Chris de Burgh's 'These Broken Wings can take me no Further.' Dawn sang a great song by John Warner recollecting his life as a teacher and another Australian one, 'Dear Diary', Eliza, 'The Gallowgate Lad,' 'The Seven Wonders' and 'Lady Isobel and the Elf Knight' and Carole,' The Number Eight Mining Disaster.'
A couple of 'own compositions, showed what talented company we were keeping with Carole's, 'Kiss Goodbye to Romance: A Valediction Forbidding Mourning' (and why not recycle a title indeed) and Peter's performance of his poem, 'The Good Music.' (You can see him perform in Alnwick and around). David sang, 'The Labouring Man,' accompanying himself on smallpipes.
There were plenty of rousing swell as sweet and melodic chorus songs this time and everyone obliged by fair lifting the roof at times. Phil's, 'The Jolly Beggar' started us off and Grace, quietly poised and confident for one so young and on her first visit to a folk club, followed with Belfast City and, later, 'Loch Lomond' and 'Zena Dancing in the Village', Carol, 'Mr Punch and Judy Man', 'They Marry and Go' and 'When I Mowed Pat Murphy's Meadow,' Beth, 'The Galway Shawl' and 'The Fair Flower of Northumberland,' Phil, Dublin Town, Katy 'And so will we yet,' Robbie, 'Over the Hills and Far Away' and Eliza, 'The Twa Magicians.'
A lot of songs were sung and tunes played as you will have seen and, I for one, had a grand night as did one or two I spoke to. Perhaps you can join us next time when we gather once again to sing and play tunes. Until we meet... fare thee well. Eliza
