September 22nd, 2015

What a grand, champion, smashing' (north-eastern credentials sneaking out here) time we had last night (well I did, anyway). It was great to welcome Dave back and Meg and, for the first time, (drum roll) Rod was roused to cross the Square from the other side of the road through the village. Their presence and contributions were much appreciated. We were endowed with seven guitarists (Meg, Dave, Carol, Phil, Rod, Angus, and Steve) a recorder (Carol), a whistle (David) a bodhran (Rod) player, and a smallpiper (as opposed to small piper) (David), many voices and a partridge... Amongst her offerings, Carol sang one of her own... and the company boasts at least two other lyricists. I recorded the session on a new digital recorder, something i'll do randomly once every few months or so. Not sure how this will have turned out as last time it was done by an expert (thanks Kevin) but hope to upload songs and photos during the next week or so once I get my head round editing etc (which Kevin did last time). Watch this space.
To business. Eliza kicked off with Robin Williamson's version of 'The Raggle-Taggle Gypsies.' Sad (in my view) that being on the road in Britain belongs more or less to a romantic past (obviously not romantic if you actually live/ lived it). She later followed this up with Williamson's own 'The Road the Gypsies Go.'
There were a couple of emigrant/stranger songs, perhaps brought on by the refugee crisis. It was good to see Steve again with his topical 'Isle of Hope' by Brendan Graham about Ellis Island, passed through by emigrants from Ireland (and elsewhere) in the process of gaining entry to America. Dave did the 'Banks of the Bann,' a nineteenth century song about Delaney who probably moved from one part of Ireland to another (County Meath to Ulster?) as a result of too much drinking and sporting - so not really emigrant but he did arrive as a 'stranger'. Drunken and nutting maidens were also in evidence in Dave's bawdy 'Three Drunken Maidens' (with Rod on bodhran) and David's 'Nutting Girl' (and as he pointed out, summer is an odd season for hazelnuts).
David and Angus did starting work and Monday Morning Songs, 'The Little Piecer' and Cyril Tawney's 'On a Monday Morning' respectively. (Others by Tawney were 'Jack Tar on Shore' sung by Phil and 'Farewell to Kingsbridge' contributed by Katy). Other work songs were 'The 'Chiner's,' a steam threshing machine song (Shirley Collins' version) from Eliza, 'The Carver' by sung by David and 'The Right Side of the Footplate,' a Tony Williams song sung by Dave. Songs of heartbreak and relationships included Angus' Annie McElvie and his 'You Can't Stay Here' by Stan Rogers, Carol's 'A Heart Needs a Home' by Richard Thompson and, perhaps, Steve's 'Gentle Annie' written by Stephen Foster, Steve thinks for and about his mother. There were a couple of ballads; Katy's rendering of the Child Ballad, 'The Brown Girl' in Frankie Armstrong style and Eliza's 'Reynardine.'
Meg, who runs a club at 'The Railway' at Fourstones did some stunning renderings; of Mary Black's 'Bright Blue Rose,' John Prine's powerful, 'Angel from Montgomery' as well as her arrangement of Loretta Lynn's 'Coal Miner's Daughter' in a strong country bluesy style (I hope i've got this one right) and a rocking 'Two More Bottles of Wine' by Emmy Lou Harris.'
A strand that developed linking some of the songs was socialism/social justice versus fat cats. Carol set it going with Jim King's, 'Little Posh Kids' eerily resonant of recent revelations about the antics of a certain 'esteemed' leader and his cohort. Steve did Ray Hearne's haunting 'Calling Jo Hill' and Phil, 'A Socialist ABC' by Alex Glasgow.
Robbie borrowed Carol's copy of Strawhead's song book and found a trio of songs beginning with their version of 'Over the Hills,' now known at the Grapes as his personal signature song. He followed with 'The Fall of Babylon' and 'One Eyed Jack,' all rendered in his own inimitable style.
Carol and Phil did a couple of philosophical songs about time and change, Steve Tilson's 'Oil and Water' and 'Watch the Clock by 'Sam...' Eliza threw in a brief scrap of something longer from 'The Incredible String Band,' 'This Moment is Different' about seizing the moment. And (at the risk of sounding like someone compiling a book on songs with subheadings...well actually not being able to resist doing so) there were handful of comic songs, too; Katy's 'Granny Frazer's Flittin,' Rod's 'A Yorkshire Couple' and  'The Vicar and the Frog' and Phil's, 'It Went All Right at Home.'
Carol's own song was the evocative, 'The slow train.' And Rod did one that began, 'If I were a...' which I obviously thought was memorable (for those who are compos mentis unlike me, obviously) because I haven't noted anything else. ('...Witch's Hat comes to mind...but there have been one too many Williamson/String Band references.) It was good - that's all I remember. Sorry Rod.
Tunes this time were Dave's 'Merry Blacksmith' with guitar and bodhran accompaniment, David's 'Little Wee Winking Thing' (not recorded), 'Bobbing Joan,' and 'Cherry Garden' on small pipes and, to finish, some tunes led by Carol on recorder and then various people with Dave, Phil Angus and Rod on guitar, David on whistle. These included 'Bonny Nancy' on recorder and 'Harvest Home' and 'Midnight on the Water' on whistle.

25th August

Hello to all, including, as the stats for this blog tell me, people who have viewed pages from Spain, the US, Ukraine, Germany, Russia, Greece, Ireland, France and India (and those are just the main ones).  Based on the pages viewed, there seems to be an interest in smallpipes as well as traditional singing and playing. Perhaps some of you will call in if you are staying in the village some day. 

It was a lively gathering as usual last night, if smaller than last time. The repertoire of those attending is impressive and there seems to be a good deal of knowledge of songs, writers and singers among you all, including Ray who doesn't sing (or prefers not to, perhaps) but certainly seems to know his onions. James provided the lions share of the tunes this time on button accordion, with the addition of some smallpipe tunes from David. The other instrumentalist was Carol, accompanying herself on guitar. 

We started off with a strong female contingent and, after a natter, Eliza opened with a song learned from Silly Sisters (June Tabor and Maddy Prior), 'The Seven Wonders.' Carol threw down the gauntlet with a fabulous Les Barker parody of 'My Husband's Got no Courage in Him' learned from Norma Waterson's singing, the title of which substitutes the word 'Courage' for 'Porridge' which will give you an idea of where it might go. Katy's first offering was 'When Your Time o' Work is Done,' and 'Miriam's, Heather Dale's 'The Maid and the Selkie' in which, as Miriam pointed out, things end well, unusual for songs based on the selkie myth.' Beth's first was Emily Smith's, 'Put your Hand in Mine,' and Dawn joined us, beginning with,John Warner's lovely nostalgic song remembering the classroom, 'I Remember How the Ryans Came to School.' When the men joined us, David sang Cicely Fox Smith's 'The Race of Long Ago.' and Robbie, Harvey Andrew's 'The Soldier.' 

At various points in the proceedings James played a set of Irish Jigs, one of which was 'One Hundred Pipers.' He later gave us Jerry Holland's Lonesome Eyes,''The Dance of the Riug Salmon' (some of us heard this as the 'rogue salmon' which produced an interesting picture) and also, 'Miss Monaghan's (a reel) as well as a couple of other nameless ones. 'David's tunes on pipes were 'Never Loved Thee More,' 'Bobbin' Joan,' 'Mount Your Baggage' and 'Pawkey Adam Glenn.'

Eliza later sang 'The False Knight on the Road' and had a go at Burns' 'Westling Winds,' helped out by Beth. 

Carol accompanied herself on guitar for a great Mike Silver song (didn't get title and can't find it based on my scribble) and 'Dougie McClean's, 'Down too Deep,' as well as the rousing chorus, 'Yellow's on the Broom' and Dick Gaughan's anthem for independence with mutual respect, 'Both Sides of Tweed.' Miriam also gave us her haunting, 'Twa Corbies' and the gently humorous, 'Courting too Slow' 

As a collector of many years Katy has much to delve into and there were some gems last night, Violet Jacob's powerful Scots dialect poem, 'The Norlan' Wind' set to music by Jim Reid as well as the mysterious traditional tale song, As I was Going to Banbury' which features salmon found in the head of a dead man, her choice inspired by James' earlier salmon tune.'
Beth's, 'There were Roses' by Tommy Sands spoke to and complemented Robbie's previous, 'The Soldier' (about senseless killing of people on all sides in the Northern Ireland conflict) and the Traditional 'The Blacksmith.' Eliza followed this with 'The Allensford Pursuit' based on evidence collected at witch trials at Morpeth Assizes which also has the transformations during pursuit. As was remarked, the female is outdone in these ritualized mating conflicts, though there are two versions in which this could be said to be ambiguous. Implied violence against the female precludes the singing of them for some, though I, for one, find the animal transformations anthropologically intriguing - but then i'm a sucker for mythological remnants.
Dawn later sang Jez Lowe's, 'The Big Fear' from the point of view of the animals who can become roadkill on the night of the lone badger's death and 'For the Lack of Honest Work.' Robbie gave us his favourite and ours, 'Over the Hills and Far Away' and David, Mike Harding's 'King Cotton,' inspired by a walk in the Rossendale valley.

James rounded off proceedings with 'The One Horned Sheep.' and 'The Redesdale Hornpipe ' 
Next month's date is Tuesday September the 22nd. It would be great to see you all then for the sharing of songs and tunes interlaced with congenial conversation.
- Eliza

28th July 2015

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

June 23rd 2015

Last night's folk club was tinged with sadness. During the day his family and the village had said farewell to Bruce Wallace who died a couple of weeks ago. David earlier played 'The Fifty-First Highland Division's Farewell to Sicily' for him outside the churchyard after the funeral.
Bruce was the very first person to turn up at the folk club, saying in his modest manner that he wasn't really a folk guitarist. It turned out he was a lovely finger-picking jazz and ragtime player whose handful of Scottish tunes grew as time went on.  He became one of we three core folk night participants from the village. We will always remember his favourite, 'Bluebell Polka' and his quiet presence and sensitive playing.
Peter later brought some cake made by a member of his staff for us to share in memory of Bruce.

This was likely to be the last visit of Mike and Chris who are shortly off to Ireland to take up residence in the Mountains of Mourne. We have thoroughly enjoyed having them visit the club and I am sure they will delight their new local clubs with their wonderful playing and singing.
We were very pleased to welcome Miriam (once again) and Laura who joined us on vacation having finished their first year as students of English Literature.

So to business; we were but a select few last night, but the songs and tunes were no less memorable for all that. Tunes were provided by Mike and David on uilleann and English small pipes (English fingering - gosh, pipes are complicated). At various points in the evening Mike played 'The Green Fields of Canada,' 'The Choice Wife,' 'The Castle of Drumore' and 'I am asleep. Don't wake Me.' David opened with 'Mount your Baggage' and 'Pawky Adam Glenn' and finished with 'Buy Broom Besoms' (the Scottish version of the tune) and 'Mr Preston's Hornpipe.'
Still in Battle of Waterloo commemorative mode, Eliza sang 'The Bonny Light Horseman'  and David, 'The Plains of Waterloo.' As a former military man who used to train soldiers for duty in Northern Ireland, Robbie added to his repertoire a song by John Harvey Andrews, 'The British Soldier' and also gave us his rendering of, 'Over the Hills and Far Away.' Miriam made a judicious choice by singing, 'Where have all the Flowers Gone' (though before most of the other military ones) and Eliza did 'The Female Soldier' to the accompaniment of David's bodhran (though he thought it needed a bit of tlc, namely a drink).
As well as all of these matters military, there were some great songs of occupation from Chris' 'The Jute-Mill Song' (sung in her inimitable fine style despite house-moving related exhaustion) to Katy's 'The Dundee Weaver' and, later, 'The Miller' and David's 'Albert Berry' (the miner versus the coal) by Ted Edwards.' Mike's 'William Hollander' tells a tale of a young man who starts off as a cooper, is bound to work on a slaver with Captain Moore and how the captain became a pirate and his crew had not much choice but to follow suit and he eventually ends up in Newgate. There were also songs of food from Chris, the Irish, 'Colcannon or 'The Little Skillet Pot' and Katy's hilarious, the Scottish 'Jeely Piece Song.'
Miriam's highly accomplished 'Bryd one Brere', was not only sung in Middle English to the original mediaeval tune but she somehow communicated this as some guy addressing a bird on a briar. She gets the prize for the most original range of songs as she also sang 'The Old Penny Whistle' by Bruce Mainland.
That only leave the rather raunchy Burn's 'Dainty Davie,' though stupidly, as Katy pointed out, I missed out the most explicit verse (a Freudian slip in reverse - or perhaps the opposite). Her 'Dundee Weavers' had the better of me for bawdiness. My 'Who are you my Pretty Fair Maid' was no match. But Chris' 'Cupid's Garden' stole the laurels for the implied loss of virginity without so much as a word of it being spoken.
So there you are. All the best to Chris and Mike. We missed you Bruce, still playing...somewhere, perhaps.         Eliza

26th May 2015

Apologies for tardiness in blogging this month but this time the music began on Monday and just kept on rolling.
Tuesday's folk night was stowed out and it was great to welcome friends and new folk friends staying at Lidalia Caravan Site or, in the case of Elaine and Eric, scooting through the back-ways from Greenhead. So, along with our crew of stalwarts, we had a full house and a grand variety of songs and tunes. Gillian and Brin joined us from Wales as audience - always appreciated. There were two sets of pipes, three 'Davids', five guitars and a dulcimer present. The Davids were all instrumentalists (dulcimer, guitar, pipes) but i'll also distinguish them by their place of habitation.

David a highly accomplished guitarist from Darlington (in camper), appropriately for a (sadly) former railway village, steamed in with a rousing, 'Travelling by Steam', a Huw and Tony Williams song. Katy, staying with the locality and a different kind of pulling power, turned to matters of border history or legend with 'Willie's gane to Melville Castle' about a departing border gallant bidding farewell to admiring lasses. Carol and Eliza singing 'Searching for Lambs' were accompanied by Carol's guitar and David (of Crawcrook)'s dulcimer. Bruce picked 'Whistling Rufus,' an African-American piece composed by Frederick "Kerry" Mills on his trusty guitar and, also with guitar accompaniment, Steve gave us 'Gentle Annie' by Stephen Foster and Carol (with David on dulcimer), 'They Marry and Go.'

In honour of our Welsh guests, David of Newcastleton played two tunes on English small pipes (small pipes with English fingering - all very technical), 'Mellionen' and 'Mopsi Don' and Kevin, also on small pipes  the Northumbrian, 'Noble Squire Dacre.'

Phil's next was a humorous song by John Walsh with acknowledgements to 'The Ancient Mariner' about air rather than sea travel and Angus put his cards on the table with Bascom Lamar Lunsford (the 'minstrel of the Appalachians')'s,  'I Wish I was a Mole in the Ground'. David of Darlington asked us to imagine him having the appearance of a youthful female setting off to observe the pranks of the French with his rendering of 'The Female Drummer.' Imaginations soared. Katy raised the once vexed question of the morals of the Edinburgh Medical student in 'Sandy Bell's Man.' 

After Robbie's Napoleonic 'O'er the Hills and Far Away' with words as a prop a couple of months ago, he decided to go for it minus the written page and we all lifted the roof on the chorus. Bruce played a couple of tunes to Burns' pieces, 'Ye Banks and Braes and 'Ae fond Kiss.' Eliza sang 'The Recruited Collier' and eighteenth century ballad, at least one source being Anderson's 'Ballad in Cumbrian Dialect' (1808). Apparently A.L Lloyd touched it up by making a carter of coals into a collier. Steve sang, 'Roll on the Day, David of Newcastleton, 'Tuppence on the Rope,' Carol, 'She Cut Through to my Heart', David of Crawcrook the dulcimer tune, 'The Fair and Charming Eileen o' Carroll'.

At this point Kevin, joined by David on whistle and Angus on guitar, played tunes on small pipes; 'Neil Gow, Holmes' Fancy and the song tune, 'Chevy Chase' which is quite stirring on pipes.

Elaine, who had missed the first round, gave a wonderful performance of 'The Cullercoats Fish Lassie  with a touch of the Music Hall style. David o' Darlington continued the military and recruitment theme with 'Twa Recruiting Sergeants,' and Katy, Sydney Carter's 'Like the Snow.'
At this point Phil's mysterious beast, 'The White Dog of Yokenthwaite' reared it's head from a poem by Dorothy Una Ratcliffe and after a tension dispelling, 'I Never Realised What you meant to Me' from Angus and a Jelly Roll Morton offering from Bruce, Eliza threw in a more murderous spine-chiller set in Whittle Dene near Prudhoe.
Two rousing chorus songs Steve's, 'The Rose of Allendale' and 'David' of Newcastleton's Plains of Waterloo'  raised the voices and then Carol and Dave accompanied John Martyn's 'Spencer the Rover' on guitar and dulcimer. The instrumentalists played severe rounds of 'Eagle's Whistle' and Kevin on pipes, 'Fairly Shot on Her' and 'Highland Laddie.'
Elaine gave another fine rendering, this time of 'Mother I Would Marry'. David of Darlington on guitar finished with Matt McGinn's 'Rolling Hills of the Border,' another great Scottish chorus song and a tune by Dave Richardson, 'Calliope House'. Katy's last was, 'Woe Worth the Time,' Phil who was on a comic roll finished with 'The shelves of Herring' and Angus led his medley of polkas and Northumbrian tunes (sorry I didn't ask you for a final song Angus - next time). 
Thanks, once more, to all who trekked from far and near. 

April 2015 Folk Night

April's fourth tuesday brought a jolly night at the Grapes with a good variety of songs and tunes from fiddle, pipes, whistle and guitar. Charlie sang us Eddi Reader's, 'You are my shining star.' Ruth set out on a personal bird-themed odyssey, beginning with 'The Swallow' by Richard and Mimi Farini and which (later) featured, also "The Skylark' and song by Margaret Cropper mentioning the curlew, 'I didn't want anything new.' Katy's 'Lovely Nancy' and Phil's, 'The broom o'er the Cowdenknowes' followed.
Kevin started off the tunes with two song tunes on Scottish small pipes, 'Westling Winds' and 'The Gallowa' Hills.' Eliza threw in a song, intended to bring in the summer and the may-o, though after the two days of snow and hail showers, it seemed untimely to be singing, 'Jolly Rumbelow.'
Angus, accompanied by Charlie, Phil and David on fiddle, whistle and guitar (plus Robbie on guitar used as a drum) respectively gave us a couple of polkas, Egan's and John Ryans and a clutch of Northumbrian tunes, 'Winster Gallop', 'Jimmy Allen' and  Salmon Tails.' Charlie picked up his fiddle and gave us Jay Ungar's 'Ashokan Farewell.'
Sarah's 'Wild Rover' went down well. Everyone joined in with her on her first time singing at a folk club. 'My Grandfather's Clock' by Henry Clay Work and Erich Doll was David's offering and Ruth read 'The Dead Rabbit Myth,' an offbeat little resurrection tale. Hills reared their heads again in Katy's 'The Rolling Hills of the Border,' and Robbie's 'Over the Hills and Far Away' and Phil followed  with 'Annan Water.'
Dawn threw caution to the winds and entered the fray at this point with the hilarious 'Dad's Funeral.' It turns out she has a good line in comic songs and good comic timing and later did, 'In Praise of The Menopause' also sung by Scold's Bridle and a Roy Bailey song (unfortunately I haven't noted down the title).
At this point there was a selection of tunes beginning with Kevin on Scottish small pipes playing 'Frisky,' 'Chevy Chase' and 'Neil Gow.' Angus did Hazel Dickens' 'Hills of Home' in bluegrass style, Eliza sang, 'She Moves through the Fair' with the pipes, and Charlie played the old Shaker hymn tune borrowed by Sydney Carter for 'Lord of the Dance' in bluegrass followed by New Orleans jazz styles.
David sang Robbie's request, 'The Rambling Soldier.' Katy a lovely 'Strath...' and Phil the topical, 'And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda' by Eric Bogle.
Kevin switched to Northumbrian pipes for 'Fairly Shot on Her' and 'Bonny at Morn.' Eliza followed with 'My Johnny was a shoemaker' and Angus, Kate Rusby's 'You Belong to Me.'
Charlie's, 'The Three Sea Captains' and 'Mason's Apron' was accompanied by Angus and David and David played 'Eagle's Whistle' on small pipes. Katy raised the tone with a rousing drinking song in French, 'Chevaliers de la Table Ronde.' King Arthur would be spinning in his grave. Phil was requested to sing, 'It Went all right at Hame' and we finished off with Kevin leading the instrumentalists in 'The Rowan Tree' and 'The Battle's Over.'
A grand night indeed. Thank you all.

Here is a link to Kevin (piper)'s blog with comments
http://ethnopiper.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/newcastleton-folk-club.html#links

March 2015 Folk Night

They came through hail, they came through snaw from Northumberland, Westmoreland, Cumbria and Roxburghshire. What a great night last night was. Arrived to find the place packed to the gills with singers and musicians who came with Paul from Rock UK to check us out. We went around the room widdershins as I didn’t want to put them on the spot first off. Most snuck out before we arrived at them. Thanks for coming lads. Hope you’ll bring songs and instruments and stick it out next time. It was great that Paul, Peter and Josh of the marvellous voice stayed.


Last night was also memorable for the song Robbie has been promising this last year – a grand rendering of ‘Over the Hills and Far Away’ with voices raised in chorus. As well as voices there were three sets of pipes, uilleann and smallpipes, Northumbrian and English (like Scottish only a different fingering – the more you learn about the pipes, the more extraordinary the old goat gets) and guitars of steel and gut. Colin joined us from near Penrith but his goatskin bodhran sat in state all night as Colin claimed he was enjoying listening too much to play. Mike started us off with, ‘Eagle’s Whistle’ on uilleann pipes and later played ‘Lament for Ewan Ruar’, Garrett Barry’s jig and ‘The Gold Ring’ as a set and later, ‘The Stray Away Child.’ Bruce followed with a tune on guitar, ‘Hamish's Tune’ and later with a foot-tapping ‘Maple Leaf Rag’ and ‘Dark Island.’


A theme developed among the singers initiated by Angus with the College Valley Hunt and followed by Chris and Mike with ‘Bright Phoebus’ and another rousing foxhunting one with a ‘Tally-Ho’ chorus from Chris. David sang ‘The Parting,’ Cicely Fox-Smith, a great songwriter who knew how to stir the emotions. The song is narrated someone who brings up hounds for the pack at the moment they have to part when the hound is ready. Angus subverted the hunting theme he had started with, ‘I won’t go a-hunting.’ As everyone was in fine voice there were some other rousing choruses as well as lyrical numbers among what followed.


Steve gave us ‘The Blue Cockade’ – similar to ‘The White Cockade’ about a man who takes the King’s shilling, enlisting in a regiment abroad, arranged for guitar accompaniment . It refers to a cockade of a different, probably European regiment as British wore black or white feathers in their caps. Steve later sang, ‘The Galway Shawl’ with harmonising chorus and ‘Only our Rivers Run Free.’ David followed with ‘Tuppence on the Rope,’ about the cheap beds at the workhouse where you swung, arms over a rope alongside your compatriots for two pence. And Katy sang a rollicking, ‘Fathom the Bowl’ and later, ‘The Cotswold Shepherd’ and later, rounding off the animal strand one from way back in her early life, the excellent, ‘The Kirkcudbright Centipede.’Kevin’s tunes on Northumbrian pipes were from the Peacock and the Bewick manuscripts respectively; ‘I’m too Young to Marry Yet,’ ‘Bonny Lad' and 'Welcome to the Town Again’ from the former and John Fenwick’s from the latter. Kevin also played a Northumbrian pit medley with singing by Eliza; ‘The Bonny Pit Laddie,’ ‘Byker Hill,’ and ‘Small Coals and Little Money.’ Eliza later sang, ‘An Oulandish Knight,’ the ballad offering of the evening as well as ‘The Hexhamshire Lass.’ Kevin and David played their own arrangement of ‘Buy Broom Besoms and ‘The Bonny Miller.’


Josh sang a superb, ‘Danny Boy’ and later, ‘October’ with a voice that has evidently been honed in worlds other than the folk singaround and Phil gave us that haunting ‘Franklin’ and later, Terry Conway (a deservedly famed Northumbrian singer-songwriter)’s ‘Fareweel Regality.’ Peter sang ‘In my Liverpool Home.’ Phil was prompted by the earlier Fox-Smith rendering to offer, ‘Home Lads Home,’ this one with a grand chorus. Chris lifted the roof with, ‘Dublin in the Rare Old Times,’ obviously close to her heart.


Kevin recorded the evening. We won’t do this too often, just at odd times to give a sense of what is going on and we will ask those present at the beginning rather than the end whether it is okay (apologies Chris). There will be a link/s to the icloud where this will appear when we have edited the tape (as the recorder was next to the bar some noises off dominated some parts).     


Thanks to all who came. As everyone agreed it was a lively mixture with Angus’ polly joke for good measure.       

Come again. New arrivals always welcome. 

Eliza