During nearly 18 months of lockdown restrictions on live folk clubs, I spent many an evening on virtual song sessions using zoom. In the process I heard many singers from all over this country and world-wide that I would never have met under normal circumstances. My folk club ‘attendance’ rocketed from perhaps 4 or 5 a month to sometimes 6 in a week. I revived several songs from my ‘archive’ repertoire, wrote or amended others, put tunes to some interesting poems and ‘borrowed’ yet more superb songs from other composers, with their permission. One could say all the songs on this CD have been inspired in some way by virtual sessions on the internet.
Sullivan’s Farewell Written by Les Sullivan, and based on a letter written by Sullivan Ballou to his wife, Sarah, shortly before he was killed in battle in the American Civil War. I heard this song performed by Norwich singer, Steve Evans on a zoom session from Spalding.
My Darling Girl Written by Dave Evardson, I heard this, pre-lockdown, sung by Des Redwood at a 2019 Sidmouth Festival themed singaround.. Des and his wife, Maggie, have been stalwarts in helping me to run the virtual themed singarounds .
The Bold Insanity A parody of the Golden Vanity traditional song which I wrote a few years ago, and resurrected for the zoom sessions, where it has been well received.
Fiddler John Taken, with a few amendments, from A Cicely Fox-Smith poem of the same name. During lockdown, I was experimenting on the guitar with a tune I had written (and recorded on my Gleanings CD) and was looking for some words to go with it. After an abysmal attempt at my own lyrics I found the poem which needed only minor adjustments to work. As I’d never heard of any of the tunes mentioned in Cicely’s chorus, I substituted the names of some with which most folkies will be familiar
Annie Brookfield Written by Steve Thomason and based on a true event . Steve was a regular at Devon folk clubs before he moved back to Derbyshire. He joined my virtual themed singarounds at the beginning but sadly died of cancer in October 2020. His songs have been published posthumously – see www.bonnygreen.uk/books.html
Seven Nights Drunk I learnt this rather bawdy version from Dick Davey, a founder member of Exeter Morris Men . I revived it for the zoom sessions.
Groovy Goblins Written by Cliff Easterbrook, the Travelling Talesman. He submitted it in October 2020 as part of his regular contribution to our parish magazine. I put a tune to it.
Pembroke Fancy/Iris In Full Bloom A Welsh tune followed by a tune I composed after the birth of my grand-daughter, Iris, in 2018. I see her regularly on Skype - she’s in Sydney!
May Morning Day My fellow musician, Paul Cherrett, in Winkleigh Morris sent me this lovely tune in the Autumn of 2020. I found a set of words, which were the most depressing lyrics ever. Keeping fairly close to the theme, I rewrote the song.
The Eagle And The Dove Written by Graeme Miles. I was fortunate in January 2021 to acquire a copy of the reproduction of his original long out-of-print book, Songscapes. I have made some minor adjustments to the last two verses.
Sex Drive My parody of the classic blues song, Careless Love.
Knight William I’m not quite sure where I got this song from - but I dug it out of my old files and added a melodeon accompaniment
Johnny And Molly I discovered some extra verses which changed the character of the two verse ditty I’d known previously, in which a maid quickly dismisses the advances of a young man. The tune is a variant of the Morris tune Black Joke
The Oldest Man In London Another poem by Cicely Fox-Smith. I have some amendments to the words and added a tune, whilst keeping her main theme
Sailor Song A traditional ballad with a familiar theme - maid laments the absence of her sailor sweetheart who eventually returns and marries her. I added the guitar accompaniment while experimenting during lockdown.
The Unclaimed Pint Written by Barbara Millikan, from Oregon, for Merritt Herring. I heard her sing it on one of Dawn Berg’s Alaskan zoom sessions. Barbara kindly sent me the words.