Marlow Bottom Acoustic Club

This week at The Prince Albert, we heard some songs and tunes that we haven’t heard before or don’t hear very often. In particular:

• Roger’s morris-style arrangement of the tune for ‘To be a Pilgrim, which he calls Pilgrim’s Progress
• James Taylor’s Anywhere Like Heaven from Steve
• A Calling-On, the Steeleye Span song, from Simon
• A song from Karen that I think was called One Down The Road, Two Down The Road
• John’s version, to a different tune, of the Wild Rover, which he calls the Docile Rover
  
• Also from John, the hilarious and irreverent parody of Green Fields of France

I was sitting between Simon and Rosie, with Dave on Rosie’s other side. This made the joining-in tunes a test for my eardrums, being surrounded by Daddy melodeon, Mummy melodeon and Dave’s baby melodeon. The tunes were:

• Huntsmen’s Chorus/Brooms Reel led by Simon
  
• Old Tom of Oxford by Dave
  
• Off to California/Tomgraney Castle and Musical Preist/Star of Munster by Rosie
  
• Varsoviana by Roger

Other songs were:

• Sonny’s Dream from Karen and Steve
  
• Ride On from Karen and Roger
  
• Rover Days from Steve
  
• Hares on a Mountain, Good Ale and The Card Song from Dick
  
• Tolpuddle Men and Let Smiling Be Your Banner from Dave, with his now-regular backing singer, Norma
  
• Looking in the Eyes of Love and Jolly Rogues of Lynn from Rosie, plus Killing The Blues (featuring Roger on harmonica)
  

Steve has at least six songs popularised by Nanci Griffith in his repertoire. He clearly thinks that’s not enough because, having won the raffle, he choose another of her CDs as his prize.

We’ll be at The Belle Vue in High Wycombe next week, where there will be many more non-musicians than we get at our other venues. The amps and microphone seemed to work well last time we were there, so I’ll set them up again for those who want to use them. Stuart W has a new box of tricks that I look forward to hearing.

TJ O'Reilly's in Marlow Bottom was the sole venue for Wycombe Folk Club's rebirth as Marlow Bottom Acoustic Club in 2003/4. As the future of TJ's has gone through some uncertainty, we've tried out some other venues and became a peripatetic club with a monthly schedule. This approach has proved to be very successful.

TJ O'Reilly's is now under new management and has been reborn with its original name of The Pegasus. Judging by the menu that was delivered to all houses in the village and the excellent free canapés that were served on the launch night, it will focus on posh food. However, real ale is served from directly from the barrel. I can vouch for its quality, especially when compared with the beer previously served at TJs and currently served at Chesham.

We thought it best to give the new management a chance to settle in before approaching them about having us turn up on a Wednesday. We'll therefore be at The Prince Albert in Frieth again next week, 26th November.

Please also note the schedule change for December. The Xmas meal is on 17th at The Old Ship, so we've moved our Prince Albert week to the 10th. As always, please check the web site for up to date venue information.

There were only five of us for our last visit to the Old Ship. This week was a big contrast, with a full house of musicians, plus some diners. So we squeezed around the table by the window, spread down the pub and had a great night.

It was, of course, the nearest Wednesday to Armistice Day. Delia sang a couple of timely songs: Where Have All the Flowers Gone and Only Remembered For What He Has Done. Karen added What Did You Do In the Last War.

Amongst the other contributions were:

Tony H: Michael Turner’s Waltz
Fred: two Scandinavian Polskas on his willow flute, one in 6/8 and one in 9/8; The Night Before Larry Was Stretched
Dave (from Staines?): some Morris tunes on recorder (at a speed to dislocate dancers’ knees) and something on the banjo later
Rosie: Shetland tune Da Trowie Burn on concertina
The Fenner/Diegan/Fenner combo: Crow on Then Cradle, a song in French followed by a Breton tune; Dave Walters’ Paper to Heaven
Dave H: The Age of Steam
Dick: Brian Boru
Steve: Country Life

To conclude the evening, Stuart F told us of a gravestone he’d seen at Hedsor. It was that of an elderly woman whose young husband had died in WW1 and was inscribed Faithful Until Death.

We’ll next be at The Old Ship on 17th December for our Xmas meal, followed by plenty of music (hopefully of a seasonal variety). Places are going fast. If you’d like to come, please let us know.

We’re at The Prince Albert next week, where we can expect to it to be very cosy.

Before that, Dave Fenner will be playing a feature spot at Tudor Folk Club at Chesham on Monday 17th. Please go along if you can.

As usual it was a lovely evening with a very appreciative audience. Not as busy as last month, nevertheless the mikes and amps were useful as there were a fair few in the bar.

I got there late after bonfire (of 11 plus practice papers), fireworks and food. Steve had sung The Great Divide, Alan and Rosie and Steve had done Keep on the Sunny Side, Dave and Tony and Alan & Rosie had played various tunes. No doubt Dick had sung something to start off the evening.

Karen sold raffle tickets at half time including some in exchange for singing a Fairport Convention song. No-one could remember all the words to Matty Groves and Bob wasn’t there to do his brief version, so Karen and Steve sang Crazy Man Michael. This went down very well and the person who bought the raffle tickets was delighted, and even more so when he actually won the raffle – and it was his birthday too!

Later Rosie and Karen & Steve and Roger sang & played I’ll Fly Away and I’m In The Jailhouse Now which went down very well.

Dick sang Bring Us a Barrel and Man in the Moon.

Earlier Karen and Steve did Joni Mitchel’s Circle Game, and Karen & Roger did Give Yourself to Love. Roger played a tune.

Dave sang, on request, a Nova Scotia whaling song, and led several tunes.

Tony from Uooop North sang a lovely song about the oldest colliery near Leeds closing, which made Karen think about her Grandfather who died in a mining accident even though his parents had hoped he’d never work down the mine. Luckily far fewer people work down mines these days – as it infers in the song - it’s a double edged sword I guess – lack of work versus dangerous work. Tony also played some concertina tunes, as did Rosie.

John turned up later as usual after his male voice choir practice, and was persuaded by Steve and Alan to sing Can't Help but wonder where I'm bound to their accompaniment. He will be away for 2 weeks in sunny (hopefully) Malta but will be back in time for Bedworth Xmas Festival – cold but fun!

Next week we’re at The Old Ship, so see you all there, for another great evening.

Regulars should have received the information about the Xmas dinner on 17th December at The Old Ship – non-regulars are welcome to ask to attend as we should have a few spare places. Xmas dinner is £19:50 and there is an excellent menu choice and song and tune afterwards. We willpost the menu on the websites soon.