an original evening

21:31

We were in our usual end of the Prince Albert this week, where there is much more space but too much furniture. However, we had just the right number of people and had a great evening.

Most featured song-writer of the evening was our own Steve Laughlin, who unusually sang 4 of his own songs:
  • Mother Teresa Only Counts in Ones
  • My Life is Changing
  • Down, Down I'm Sinking Down
  • Rolling Fields of Blue
We don't hear his own stuff often enough, so this was a treat. I think he might even have been practicing.

As usual, Dave H sang a selection from his ever-growing collection of original songs. This week's were:
  • Village Life
  • Clipper Ships
  • Plough & Sow
The other original material was:
  • Karen's Summer is Invincible (which you can listed to on our new Jukebox on the right)
  • Dave F's song Island, about life on an oil rig
  • Simon's tune, now named The Prince Albert (who is perhaps married to The Princess Royal?)

As well as the frequently heard Let Union Be and the always-lovely Fair Rosamund, Dick dug up a couple of songs we hadn't heard for a while: Belle of Barking Creek and Ben Hall.

Another highlight was Stuart's rendition of Truro Agricultural Show, with what sounded to me like an authentic accent despite him being from the other side of the Tamar. Delia sang 2 songs that took me back to my youth: the Seekers' Morningtown Ride, which was in the charts in 1966, and Early One Morning, that was part of the Singing Together programme on BBC Schools radio while I was at primary school.

Other songs of the evening were:

  • The Robin and The Wren (which may not be the actual title) and This Life from Dave F accompanied by Simon
  • Benjamin Bowmaneer and Jake Thackray's Sister Josephine from John
  • The White Stripes' We're Going to be Friends fromthe film Napoleon Dynamite and Our Town from Vicky
  • Joan Armatrading's The Weakness in Me, Stevie Wonder's Blame it on the Sun and John Lennon's Crippled Inside from Rosie and Alan
  • Maid of Coolmore and Rare Old Time from Karen and Roger

The tunes were:
  • 2 64-bar polkas: Not for Joe and Woodland Revels from Simon supported by Dave
  • 2 O'Carolan tunes: Shebag Shemore from Roger and O'Carolan's Draught from Alan
  • an impromptu instrumental version of Buttons and Bows - a song that won the 1947 Oscar for Best Original Song. See Bob Hope singing it while he mimes playing a concertina here. Note that the soundtrack actually has an accordion.
  • the 3 jigs Tar Road to Sligo, Tripping Up the Stairs and the Blarney Pilgrim from Rosie & Alan

Despite it not being the first Wednesday of the month, we'll be at The Old Ship at Cadmore End next week for St George's Day evening of English music and food. See the panel on the right for details.


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