Marlow Bottom Acoustic Club

There's now a 'jukebox' page where you can hear some of our regulars in action. Thanks to everyone who has contributed their material and recording facilities.

I've also:

• included more photos into a new photo gallery page
• collected our videos into a video wall

The old St Johns Church in Desborough Road in Wycombe is being renovated to be an Arts Centre, including exhibition space and performance areas. The group doing this is called Arts4every1 and has an open day at the St Johns Halls on Saturday (27th November) afternoon, followed by a social event in the evening starting @ 19:30.

As Marlow Bottom Acoustic Club has a group membership, we were asked to provide some music for the evening. Alison & David Fenner with Simon Diegan have stepped up to the task and will be playing an amplified set at around 20:00. Rosie and I can't make it, but it would be great if there were some friendly faces in the audience, so please go along if you can. You'd be sure to hear some great songs, performed in their inimitable style.

Entry is free and there's a 'bring your own refreshments' arrangement rather than a bar. More details about the evening are here.

We were pleased that Tom McLelland from Scotland, who was visiting relatives in the Chalfonts, was able to find his way to the wilds of Frieth. He sang three really original songs for us, accompanying himself with deft and subtle guitar playing. Let’s hope he returns when he’s next down our way. It was also nice that John came along to show us how easy finger-style guitar can be made to look.

By common consent, last Wednesday (17th) was one of the best MBAC evenings for a long time. Not only did we have a big turnout, with very diverse material, but everyone seemed to be on top form. That was always going to be hard to follow this week and so, with some notable exceptions, it proved. We had:

• forgetting of words
• starting a song to the tune of a different one (whilst not being part of a Radio 4 panel game)
  
• apparently not knowing the melody to a song at all
• switching from one whistle to another, then back
• announcing a tune in one key and playing it in another, then getting a bit lost

Someone was heard to say “ has washed his and can’t do a thing with it”.

Apart from the musical difficulties, there was a post-shooting party at the pub when we arrived. That’s not unusual at the Prince Albert, but this group was a rowdier than most and lingered a bit longer. There were also two middle-aged chaps at the end of the bar who seemed to be competing in the UK talking-loudly competition. All this was a far cry from our usual convivial and accomplished evenings at The Prince Albert. However, we did get to eat some left over pasties (and feed some more to the dogs), prompting Stuart to sing The Oggie Man.

I should mention that Fred premiered Festival Creep, a song he’d written that morning about ‘Xmas’ starting earlier every year. Lyrics are here.

We’ll be at The Belle Vue in Wycombe next week (1st December) and hoping that the Fenner/Diegan slot at the Arts4Every1 event on Saturday persuades some new people to come along. Also hoping that we’re back to the usual high standard that most visitors remark on.

The significant event at this week's well attended spectacular had to have been Dave and Alison's Anniversary. Alison made the careless remark that she was absolutely exhausted. It was one of those "was my face red" moments. And there were three Daves in a row, which makes things tough for me. One day I'll learn people's surnames. That will be after I've learnt their forenames, so don't hold your breath.

Overture was "Princess Royal" and "Young Collins", and Mr Frost opened the proceedings with "Blow Boys Blow". Steve followed that with Lyle Lovat's "If I had a Pony" (or "If I had a Boat") – I've got mixed up there somehow. Terry continued with "Bird on a Wire" (as performed by that renowned tragedian Mr L. Cohen). Alan and Liz performed some intricate harmonies on "Poppies Lie Buried". (Magenta.) Martin made his fingers dance picking "April Come she will". Debbie made everyone coo singing "The First Time ever I saw your Face". That was by Ewan McColl. Not George Michael. I had a crack at "Winter Winds" to the tune of "My Lagan Love". I wasn't the only one to commit a long pause this evening. Delia led us all in "Lavender's Blue (dilly dilly)". Alan and Rosie played "A French Waltz in E minor", it says here. Can there have only been one? Someone should write another! And despite crippling ear problems, Rosie sang "Blue Valentine".

Dave and Alison sang "The Rose". Dave performed a solo with "You've got a friend in me", the Randy Newman song popularised by a Kinematographic Animation, they tell me. Then the other Dave (Dave H) performed his own song "The Eagle". Then the other other Dave sang "Sail on By" with his own accordian accompaniment. Allah knows who these Daves are. Simon sang "My Brother Martin". Karen and Roger performed "When I'm Gone", and Roger played "The boys of Bluehill" and "Fishers Hornpipe". Hornpipes on guitar are no mean feat. We had come full circle so Dick sang us "The Verdant Braes of Skreen". Terry leapt into the fray with "Hello Hans", providing another echo of Remembrance Day. Alan and Liz gave us more intricate harmonies with "I'm going to Drown my Cat" (by Judith Aarons); a pastiche on "All Around my Hat" which had us falling about. (On Mudcats they attribute this to Bob Walser who "got it from someone in England". You might like to set the record straight there.)

Martin went fingerpicking again with "While my guitar gently weeps". Debbie did her own fingerpicking with "Underneath the Stars". I sang my own song "Essentials", which has a nice simple refrain of "A Green Field, under a Blue Sky". Delia sang us "Only Remembered for what we have done". Alan and Rosie played "The Tar Road to Sligo" and "The Blarney Pilgrim". When you can peer over peoples shoulders to read the sheet music you don't have to whistle at them when they're at the other end of the room. Simon, Dave and Alison performed "The Tall Ships", and Alison sang an American version of "Little Sir Hugh", which cheered us up immensely. Dave H sang his song "Tolpuddle Men are We". The other other Dave sang "Her Name's the Marco Polo". I think it was. His lovely companion, whose name I do not yet know, played "The Coleraine Jig" and "The Humours of Cork". It was her I had to whistle at. I'm sorry. I've sure it's not the first time she's been whistled at. Karen and Roger sang "Sonny don't go away". Roger and Dave co-ordinated to round up the evening with "Merrily Kissed the Quaker's Wife" and "Gander in the Pratie Hole", both on guitar! Lots of diddly tonight!

P.S. I'm told the other other "Dave" is actually called "Doug". And his companion is called "Issy". I can't bring myself to ruin a good title.

It was the evening before Remembrance Day, and several of the assembled number (but not Rosie and I) remembered to bring along songs suitable for the occasion. If I’d made better notes (or even any at all), I would have listed all the songs here. I’d be happy to add any that anyone present can remember.

Notably, we failed in our duty to have anyone sing The Green Fields of France, or even any parody of it. However, we probably won’t be expelled from the folk club union because of Paul’s excellent and touching rendition of The Band Played Waltzing Matilda.

Here’s what I do remember or have sought out:

• Dick: Fair Rosamund, the Royal Artillery version of Old King Cole, Manchurian Border
• Steve: Old Tennessee
• Karen: Briege Murphy’s One Down the Road
• Karen and Roger: Follow the Heron Home
• Roger: an unaccompanied song
• Dave H: two songs, one of which was about a bomber mission and was written in the car
• Fred: Mick Maguire and his own somewhat tardy, but very good, Samhain Song
  
• Rosie and me: Time of the Preacher, You Go to my Head
• Martin: David Farncey’s Flowers of Saskatchewan and one other
• Me (with help from Richard): Ships in Full Sail
• Richard: a song and some tunes I think
• Alison, David and Simon: Battle of the Somme (with help from Richard), Poor Struggler (Curst Sons), Home Lads Home (Fox-Smith/ Sarah Morgan), Jesus Wept, (Reg Meuross) and the Scarecrow (John Tams).
• David and Simon: General and Majors
• Paul: some dance tunes and the aforementioned TBPWM

Apologies to the singers of the ones I’ve forgotten.

We’ll be at The Dog and Badger next week (17th November) on which date:

• Peter Cook, Gordon Lightfoot & Jeff Buckley were born
• Alan Hull died

Our regular 'first Wednesday' evening at The Belle Vue fell in the middle of their beer festival. We expected a larger and livelier than usual crowd, so Andy set up his excellent mini-PA so we could hear ourselves and be heard. Thanks for that Andy.

However, many of the BV regulars had over-partaken of the beers at the weekend, so there were actually fewer people there than usual. Nevertheless, we had an excellent evening, which we ran more like a 'open mic' than our usual 'sing-around' style. Contributors were:

• Dick
• Andy and Richard
• Rosie and me
• Martin
  
• Terry
• Debbie
• John C

During our first turn at the mic, I noticed that Rosie was trying hard not to laugh while singing. Was my guitar out of tune? Perhaps I was playing too fast? It turned out that she'd noticed that Terry has his eyes closed and was breathing slowly. I think that's what we call 'sleeping'. Nice to know that we were putting on a good show.

I'm pleased to say that it wasn't only us that sent him to sleep - it happened with everyone else too. The amazing thing was that Terry continued to plink along on the mandolin while showing all other outward signs of being alseep.

We're at the Prince Albert next week, where we'll all squeeze in and try to stay awake.

The Xmas meal will be at The Dog & Badger on Wednesday 22nd December. Numbers are limited so please let us know ASAP if you'd like to come.