December 2017: General Catch Up

Since the last post (bugles at the ready) many jolly nights have been going on upstairs in the Grapes, Newcastleton with old friends and new in attendance. If I have let the blogposts lapse (which, of course, I have) done, it has not been for lack of singers, musicians, tunes and songs, but rather that my time and energy for recording these has been being syphoned off elsewhere. However, I have resolved to write a briefer summary from this point on (it being the time for resolutions and all that) and in that way to keep the news ongoing.
To cover the times that have sped by in 2017, I notice my last was during the build-up to the Newcastleton Traditional Music Festival of last year: April. So to catch up, Janet has contributed greatly to our little gathering this year and, in May, joined David and I, Steve, Phil, Ruth and Katy and some audience friends Ian and Angela, Eric, Diane and Mary (and one or two others whose names are indecipherable in my book). Looking through the list of songs there was a seasonal spring-like theme with a couple of birds, 'The Swallow' and 'A Small Bird Comes to me Apron' also featuring. Janet gave us 'Heartbreaker' an early Elvis number as well as 'Adieu to Old England.'
June I omitted to bring the book and wrote elsewhere (unknown).
In July Norman, Charlie, Carol and Dave joined us, Norman contributing 'The Ploughboy Lad from Yarrow' among others, Carol 'The Goodnight Train on the Trail' by Utah Phillips and Dave, in a rare vocal rendering, 'Have you Seen Ought o' my Bonnie Lad' and Charlie the tune, 'The Longhope Lifeboat' among others.
August brought us Maureen and Ron, Martin and Lynne from the caravan site as well as our special guest, Miriam briefly returned from Italy. Also Kevin and Charlie with Swedish Irish and other tunes on pipes and fiddle. Miriam's 'The Maiden and the Selkie was particularly haunting.
In September Christine gave us some grand songs accompanied on guitar such as 'Underneth the Weeping WillowTree. It was good to have Carol, Dave and Norman visiting again and to hear Carol's 'October Song' one I haven't heard for a while also Phil's 'The Setting of the Sun' by Cicely Fox-Smith and Angus' 'A Dedicated Follower of Fashion. '
October brought the annual visit of Jed and family, some lovely tunes by Jed on the fiddle and songs by various family members. Clive also brought his fiddle: a great treat to have two fiddlers, both much enjoyed.
November's session also proved lively, Steve joining us after a difficult year and contributing greatly to the proceedings which went off with much general good cheer.
Thanks to all who took part. We have one more session night to go in 2017 on the 26th Boxing Night for anyone who manages it. See you there.

April 2017

We were joined this month by Carol and Dave from Crawcrook as well as Lindsay and Rachel. Although the latter claimed to be audience, Lindsay was prevailed upon to sing and gave us a grand rendering of 'Oh Pendle.' We were greatly pleased that Janet returned and gave us Alan Taylor's, 'Lady Take your Time,' 'The Coat of Many Colours' and 'The Ash Grove' among others. Carol sang Robin Williamson's, 'October Song,' and Anna McGarrigle's, 'Talk to Me of Menocino,' as well as 'Mr. Bojangles.' Phil gave us, 'The Bonny Ship the Diamond,' 'Slip Jigs and Reels' and 'Tim McGuire who Loved to Play with Fire,' and Angus, 'I am Weary' sung by the Cox Family and Sydney Carter's 'Run the Film Backwards.' Robbie threw in 'Over the Hills' and 'The British Soldier by Harvey Andrews.' David sang , 'Daddy Fox,' and 'Old Fid.' There were others but the above selection gives a flavour of the evenings proceedings.
Tunes on dulcimer, pipes and guitar were, 'The Quaker's Wife,' 'Mr Preston's Hornpipe,' ' Eileen o' Carroll,' 'Love Minus Zero' by Bob Dylan, 'Eagles' Whistle' and Northumbrian tunes and polkas with all joining in.
We raised a glass to our good friend David Hutchinson who had become a regular at the club before his recent sad death. We will remember his songs and tunes songs and tunes. Rest peacefully, Dave.
I look forward to meeting again on May 23rd.

March 2017

Lawks: getting left behind! Busy book writing (of which, more anon, perhaps).
So, where was I? The March session turned out to be a lively night on which we were visited by the jolly, rollicking company of a singles club plus others: Jill, Sally, Joyce, Sheila, Francis, Mary, Jane, Debbie, John, some of whom were singers and offered up a song or two, and much enjoyed these were, too. Janet introduced herself and brought her guitar, which was great. We were also joined by a friend, Robin, of the old days at the Colpitts in Durham and our good regulars. The Colpitts session may well be still going. I wonder whether there is still a furious water boiler for glass washing, pawing the ground and snorting spurts of steam at intervals.
David started us off on pipes with the tune, to the song, ' Broom Bezoms' and later did 'Valse de Pol. ' Other tunes were Charlie's 'Harvest Home' and 'Trumpet Hornpipe' with joining in by other instrumentalists and, later, 'King o' the Fairies' and 'Willa Fjord' or 'Spooky Skerry.'
There were lots of good songs, particularly featuring some from Lancashire such as Carol's 'Oh Pendle' and Cicely Fox Smith's, 'Hunting o' the Hare'. A selection of others were: Janet's 'Sadly Certain,' Katy's, 'Generations of Change,' Richard's spirited rendering of the bothy ballad, 'Nicky Tams,' and Robin's 'You Are' by Graeme Miles. Robin, a great friend of, and collaborator with, Graeme during his lifetime, is also a fine exponent of his haunting songs of Teeside and beyond. Ann sang, 'It Made me the Man that I Am,' a song of an emigrant to Australia, and Angus, Gillian Welsh and Dave Rawlings,' 'Dear Someone. 'Phil picked up on the earlier spooky tuned gave us Dorothy Una Radcliff's, 'The White Dog of Yockenthwaite.' Janet gave us 'The Nightingale' and Tom Paxton's, 'Can't help but Wonder Where I'm Bound.' We were privileged to be treated to Cubby's story of,'The Spanish Waiter,' told with great aplomb.
There were plenty more songs and some laughs but the above gives a flavour of the evening. Thanks for coming, all. A grand evening.

January and February 2017

These were two small but perfectly formed or should I say select evenings i.e. there were only four of us, the same four (Katy, Dave, David and Eliza) on each occasion giving us time to enjoy the craic etc. Pipes, guitar and voice featured on each occasion and suffice it to say a selection of tunes and songs the like of which were ne'er....etc.

A flavour of the two evenings follow:
January Tunes - on pipes 'Lugaren,' 'Lads of Alnwick,' 'All the Neet I Lay wi' Jackie in my Arms,'
and on guitar, 'Loch Tay Boat Song' and 'Dark Island.'
Burns, Robert, of that name was celebrated from the get-go with Dave's 'Ae Fond Kiss...' and Eliza's 'Ca the Yows.' Dave also gave us 'Will you come by the Hills.' and 'Where have the Years Gone Between.' Katy gave us some instruction on the link between greenery and year-round festivals with 'Candlemas Eve.'  Ribaldry was a prevailing theme among the women's songs with Katy's 'As I came over the Curly Mount' as a card to trump Eliza's 'Dainty Davy' the unexpurgated version. Katy also sang the curious 'Codling Tree'
There were others, too numerous to name... not quite.

February Tunes - on pipes 'Baillez- li,' 'Waltz a Cadet,' 'Pawkey Adam Glen,' 'Mount your Baggage' and 'Old Drops of Brandy'
Songs: Dave gave us 'All the Tunes in the World' to the tune of 'South Wind' and 'I'm a Rover' to which Eliza responded with the supernatural version of same, 'The Grey Cock' and Katy a riposte, 'Why Should I...' There followed a discussion of night visiting songs usually involving a cock that crows, sometimes before the dawn, and generally disrupts proceedings natural or otherwise, the discussion ranging as far as the Provencal 'Alba,' a very vibrant form, as Katy outlined.  Katy also gave us a feisty version of 'Barbara Allen.'
There were others including a notable 'Ever Since the Dog Ate Aunt Bella' from Katy, Dave's heartfelt rendering of 'On a Monday Morning,' and 'The Rose of Allendale'  and David's 'Mek a Good Hound' by Cisley Fox Smith.

All in all good sangs and tunes and good company. Join us next time!

27th December 2016

It was great to welcome two couples who were staying at the caravan site for a few days of getting away from it all. Both Ann and Peter and Amy and Wyn had just happened to find the village and find us - which made for good cheer. Ann and Peter brought guitar and voices and Amy and Wyn general patter. We were thrilled to be visited by Bob, formerly of the Holme Accordion and Fiddle club and a founder member of the Newcastleton Traditional Music Festival, who at ninety-three is still going strong on accordion and whose tunes were flowing despite a bit of nerve-to-the-finger trouble. Also joining us were Kevin on pipes (Spanish chanter, Swedish bag and drones by the man himself) and concertina, Charlie on Fiddle and Robbie with his own songs. David was sparing with the pipes on this occasion, having just had the small operation on the hand for Dupuytrens Contracture or the 'Viking claw,' an ailment afflicting many descendants of the Norse in Scotland and elsewhere, including the MacCrimmon family, once pipers to the MacLeods of Lewis apparently.

Charlie started off the night with a strathspey on fiddle, 'Gloomy Winter.' He also gave us, 'In the Bleak Midwinter' - the Harold Darke rather than Gustav Holst tune to Christina Rossetti's poem. Later in this wintery vein he continued with 'The Frost is All Over' and the 'Teetotaller,' a march 'The Barren Rocks of Aden' and 'St Anne's Reel.'

Kevin played 'Highland Laddie' on small pipes; 'The Wild Hills of Wannie' and 'Green Bracken' on concertina; then back to the pipes for a Majorcan tune as well as 'The Gypsies of Moia,' and 'Wigh's Fancy' and returned to concertina for 'Jane's Fancy and 'Lamb Skinnet.'

Bob played many tunes through the evening, some accompanied by guitar, concertina and a bit of fiddle picking of which 'Granny's Highland Hame,' 'The Dark Island,' 'The Mucking of Geordie's Byre,' 'The Soft Rolling Tongue of the Border,' 'Loch Lomond,' some Chopin and 'Sweet Baby James' were but a few.

David played 'Buy Broom Besoms' and a Swedish psalm tune, 'Visa Fran Ostbjorka' on small pipes.

Moving on to the songs, Peter, a former professional, gave us a fine couple of North Eastern numbers accompanying himself on guitar; Johnny Handle's, 'Going to the Mine,' 'Little Chance' from the singing of John Elliot of Birtley, plus Nancy Griffith's, 'Trouble in the Fields.' 

Ann sang with guitar accompaniment and sometimes additional vocals by Peter; Robbie Burns' 'The Silver Tassie,' Paul Simon's 'The Sound of Silence,' Dougie McLean's 'Caledonia, Karine Polwart's 'Follow the Heron Home,' 'The Dawning of the Day' and, finally, 'Dirty Old Town' with all joining in.

Eliza had a Christmas, Midwinter and generally seasonal theme going with 'The Cherry Tree Carol,' 'Joy, Health, Love and Peace,' 'The Gower Wassail' and 'Cakes and Ale.'

David sang, 'The Bonny Grey,' or 'The Cockfight' from the mining communities of Northumberland, Kipling's, 'The Dutch in the Medway' to Peter Bellamy's tune, and 'Old Fid' by Bill Lowndes.

Robbie sang three of his own compositions, 'Christmas Day,' 'You Are the One,' another and 'Over the Hills and Far Away,' as well as 'The British Soldier' written by Harvey Andrews.

Charlie led the musicians in 'Midnight on the Water' to finish.

A good time was had by all, I think. 

Next session is the 24th January. Happy New Year and goodnight!