May 23rd 2016

Pipes, mandolins (small and large), guitars and a whistle graced the gathering this month. In particular, it was a night of piping, in that there were three pipers, Kevin, James and David, proponents of a variety of traditions originating from/in the style of various locations (Northumbrian, Scottish small pipes, English small pipes, Swedish and French as well as Kevin’s Swedish/Spanish hybrid set). David kicked off with ‘Piper’s Maggot’ and ‘Cuckold come out of the Amry’ and later, ‘Morfydd’s Pipes’ and both old and new 'Drops of Brandy.' James followed in his fast-developing danceable style with ‘Over the Border’ and ‘Nae Good Luck Aboot the Hoose.’ He later added 'Ian Green of Green Trax’ by Gordon Duncan and ‘After the Green Monster,' also 'Jack Latin' and 'I'll Aye Ca' in by Your Toon to See My Bonnie Jean Again' (tune to the Burns song?).' Later still he played a Gavotte and 'Shew us the Way to Wallington.' Kevin, on his self-designed hybrid Swedish/ Spanish pipes gave us a Mallorcan Bolero and an Asturian tune followed by a Welsh tune and an Andro from Brittany and later, 'I'm awa Young to Marry Yet,' 'Highland Laddie,' with a Belgian tune to up the European quota for good measure. To finish with he contributed 'Ibeus(?),' an Asturian tune and 'Frisky,' a Northumbrian tune. Angus on mandolin gave us some Northumbrian tunes 'Salmon Tails,' 'Winster Gallop' and 'Jimmy Allen' and guitars joined in as well as the odd whistle.
Singers were in fine voice with good guitar and mandolin accompaniments as well as unaccompanied performance. Songs ranged from the Scots to the Australian, taking in Hamish Henderson and Dave Sudbury and probably crossing three or more centuries if Katy had anything to do with it. There were a couple of whaling songs, not to mention a bit of a bird theme springing up and winging it through the night. Phil sang 'The Cocky,' 'The Diamond,' 'Freedom Come All Ye' (Henderson) and 'John O'Dreams' as when as 'Farewell to Tarwathie.' Ruth 'The Swallow,' a reminder of the bird many still note the first appearance of to confirm summer is on its way, also 'Gossip Joan,' and 'Glad That I live Am I.' Katy rose to the challenge of this emerging theme with, 'A Wee Bird's Come to my Window,' and later followed it with 'As I was Going to Banbury,' and something I have down as 'Duma.' My hunch is that this last is subject to an error in my scribble; I do know that her final song was not about the legislative body in the ruling assembly of Russia. Angus, gave us the oddly haunting 'When Winter Comes Howling In' (Lindisfarne), the moving, 'Charlie's Pigeons' by Dave Sudbury, and another one I have omitted to note down as is my wont from time to time (sorry about that). Dave, building back from strength to strength gave us the 'Old Blind Dogs' version of 'Pills of White Mercury', 'The Trysting Fair at Falkirk' and 'The Rolling Hills of the Border' with the tune, 'Calliope House' as well as Andy M. Stewart's,'Ramblin' Rover.' David sang 'Old Maui' and Robbie 'When Cannons are roaring. Eliza did Halan Tow (meaning 1st of May garland, according to 'Mainly Norfolk') 'Let no man Steal Your Thyme' and 'The Gallowgate Lad.'
Thanks for coming, all. Hope to see you on the 28th June.

April 26th 2016

It was great to welcome new and new-to-the-session friends from Bewcastle, Simonburn and Larrison this month. Rob (guitar), Philip (concertina, bodhran and whistle), Val, Adele and James (in seating order clockwise!) regaled us with music and songs and provided a muster of new audience. Norman brought Highland singing and playing on guitar and mouth organ and Jasmine guitar and more contemporary songs, generally entering into the spirit of things, too.
As well as the above, other instruments were recorder, mouth organ and small pipes.

So to begin with tunes. David began with regulars on these pages, 'Mount your Baggage' and 'Pawky Adam Glen' and later followed with 'Nobel Squire Dacre' and 'The Apprentice Lads of Alnwick,' a personal favourite as a former (childhood) denizen of the town, variously inhabiting no fewer than three gaffs there. Rob and Philip gave us 'The Press are in the Van' (!) and 'The Lambs are Eating the Rushes.' Later these two played 'Da Slockit Light' by Tom Anderson of Shetland, a meditation on the depopulation of his birthplace  (the old word 'slockit' meaning a light that has gone out) on guitar and bodhran. They later contributed, 'Dougherty's' and 'The Woman I never Forgot.' Carol gave a lovely rendering of 'For Ireland I dare not speak Her Name' on recorder following this with 'Mrs MacClelland.' Norman's 'Barra to Balloch' and the grand, 'Farewell to the Creeks' were played in pibroch style on mouth organ with guitar accompaniment. Dave (guitarist) led the finishing reels including 'The Merry Blacksmith' and 'The New Road to Alston,' and Carole threw in 'Jimmy Allen,' also a reel on recorder. 

Robbie began the singing  with 'When Canons are Roaring,' from Strawhead's songbook and, later, 'The Rochester Recruiting Sergeant.' Old ballads had been mentioned so Eliza sang 'Renardine' and, later, 'Thomas the Rhymer,' (also the song 'John Anderson my Joe') and Katy later contributed the plaintive ballad, 'Queen Jane' which many believe is about Jane Seymour, as well as 'Roseberry Lane'.  Phil launched a brief mining theme with 'The Donnybristle Mining Disaster.' Katy picked up the baton and ran with 'Pit Boy' which reminded David of Ted Edwards' fine song, 'The Coal and Albert Berry.' David later sang 'Tarry Wool' in honour of our local shepherd who was present. Phil sang 'Jock McGraw of the Forty Twa' and, in waltz time, his own 'Prancing with Ewes' based on 'My Uncle Walter goes Dancing with Bears.' Carole contributed 'The Lock Keeper' and, later, 'The Morning Lies Heavy' by Allan Taylor and Jasmine gave us, Richard Thompson's, 'A Heart Needs a Home' sung by Richard and Linda Thompson and Karine Polwart's, 'I'm gonna do it' as well as, 'If you Were a Sailboat' by Katy Melua.
A Highland song from Norman from the singing of Sheila Stewart, was the evocative, 'The Corncrake among the Whinny Knowes.' Dave played and sang, 'The Rolling Hills of the Border' with Philip on bodhran and Philip, accompanying himself on concertina, sang, 'My Virgina Bride.' Dave on guitar later sang 'All the Answers' by Ilse Delange and later 'Orion' (sorry haven't noted name of writer legibly) and Phillip and Rob commemorated the peasants revolt with 'John Ball' by Sydney Carter.
I for one enjoyed the evening with its wide range of songs and music. We seemed to manage to fit a lot in. (Angus, we missed you.) Thanks everyone. See you next time, on the 24th May.