24th November 2015

Great to see Frank and Corrie with several instruments between them and also our local singer-instrumentalist, Rod, who slipped in quietly, tuned his guitar and gave us the pleasure of his company while his guitar sat there smug in the knowledge that it was in tune...job done for the night (which was fine). Also welcome back Ruth. Also good to see our other regulars including Carole who is becoming one of them. And long may it last.
So to business. Upstairs is grand and the large table set up with everyone sitting round is generally convivial and friendly. Good tunes from various sources and occasionally Europe on accordions (I think, though not the 'piano' variety), pipes, fiddle, recorder, whistle and guitars.
Frank and Corrie opened and closed the session, starting with two Northumbrian song tunes, 'Up the Raa' and 'Footy against the Wall' and 'La Sansonette, 'a Scottische from France on accordion and pipes. They later played an English Playford tune, 'Kettledrum,' then 'The Far Away Waltz' on box and fiddle, followed by 'The Woody Cock' on box and wooden recorder and later the Playford tune, 'Jenny Pluck Pears,' again on box and wooden recorder. Other numbers were on box and pipes; a Morris dance tune from Oxfordshire, 'The Old Drove Road,'and 'The Laird of Drumblair,' a strathspey. Angus played a couple of sets of tunes on mandolin with the musicians joining in. These were 'Winster Gallop,' 'Jaimie Allen' and 'Salmon Tails' and later, the polka set which includes 'John Ryan's' and 'Egan's' (I think). David played 'Lassie gae Milk on Cow Hill' on small pipes.
Katy began a military theme with Tennyson's 'The Charge of the Light Brigade,' arranged for singing. Robbie, a former soldier, sang his military songs, Strawhead's 'One-Eyed Jack' and 'Over the Hills.' These, perhaps, triggered (unintentional pun) Phil's later 'Brave General Wolfe.'
Carole accompanied herself on guitar for Jez Lowe's, Yankee Boots and her own piece drawing on John Masefield's 'Sea Fever' as well as Stan Rogers,' 'The Lock Keeper' and Ian Tyson's, 'Four Strong Winds.' Angus also did a Stan Rogers, 'Tiny Fish for Japan,' and Cyril Tawney's 'Chicken on a Raft,' a good chorus number (if you can keep up). Ruth was well equipped with 'The New Nation Song Book' and the odd separately published song score. She sang 'Blow, Blow thou Winter Wynd' from Shakespeare's 'As You Like It.' Also 'Smoke Gets in your Eyes' (we benefited from the 'fire' theme at Brampton Folk Club - The Howard Arms - 3rd Tuesday) and 'The Nightingale. Also on the theme of 'fire' was Dawn's 'Fires of Ninety Eight' by John Warner. Dawn also sang 'The Last of the Widows,' and Davey Steele and John McCusker's 'Last Trip Home,' more of her evocative repertoire.
Corrie sang Sir Walter Scott's lovely Jock o' Hazeldean. As well as the aforementioned, Phil gave us 'The Donnybristle Mossmoran Mining Disaster,' and 'Cloudberry Day.' As discussed, there was a time when people here would pick yellow cloudberries, native to the arctic tundra, boreal forests and Newcastleton (and Northumbrian and other) fells. Apparently they are much sought after in Norway. Katy set off a deal of harmonising with her rousing, 'All the Good Times Are Past and Gone,' by Bobby Bare and later gave us the beautiful 'Three King's Sons; an Ode to the Sacred City' a Sinhalese Buddhist piece (partly as a riposte to Carole's comment about religious songs - let no one say we don't throw in a bit of religion and politics on folk nights).
Eliza, influenced by the season (though not the month) sang the 'The Month of January.' She later followed with 'The Great Selkie of Sule Skerry,' and 'The Lament of The Lass of Loch Royale' and Steven Schwartz' 'The Road the Gypsies Go.' David's songs were, 'The Lincolnshire Poacher,' Mike Harding's, 'King Cotton' and 'Roving Navvy' by Ian Woods.
I certainly enjoyed the night once again and look forward to our pre-Christmas night on the 22nd of December. Hope to see you there. Bring whatever songs and tunes you like; festive, seasonal or whatever takes your fancy, floats your boat etc. Eliza