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!