Being Friday the 28th of September, 2012 ...

BeHeld and Parkinson's UK

"What's happened to the square table?" people demanded.



"Where is everybody?" asks Moseley.

Actually, the herring-bone arrangement of tables was a bit alien to our regular congregation, slightly spooky, but, given the turn-out of 33 bodies, it worked well.

"Why am I not MC?" one person sulkily enquired.
Not downhearted, we embarked on a memorable evening of music that was well attended by regulars, and by visitors representing the local branch of Parkinson's UK.

This was always planned to be a special evening.
If you came along, you'll know that it was truly extraordinary.

The intention was to raise  money in aid of Parkinson's UK.
We achieved that - see below.

The usual sing-around occupied the first half, and there were many charming songs.
There were quite a few about love, yet another song about sheep, one about slaughtering cattle, one about a pretty alpine flower ... and one hundred and one deaths in the Arctic wastelands.
One song that was introduced as having 'certain inuendo' was, in reality, sexually explicit, (with dire consequences!)
Angela and Paul wound up the first half with a musical collaboration containing warnings about the dangers to health of tobacco, intoxicating liquors and feral beings of the female kind.
I hope that our visitors understood that such matters are simply representative of our musical tradition.

Then, after an interval of free association, we did something we've never done before ...

We featured a band: BeHeld.

 

Our friends, David, Roger, Mick and Jane have been associated with the City Folk Club since those chilly, dismal days in a damp, dark basement of a failing social club.
You remember David, our original genial host, don't you?
In a pre-sabbatical life he appeared thus:

I have a plan ...

BeHeld performed a marathon set lasting 40 minutes. (Nobody went to sleep!)


We were treated to several of David's self-penned numbers, imaginatively re-arranged since we last heard them.

We beheld ...
BeHeld!

 

They were particularly good, and they did it all for charity.

Many thanks to everyone who came along to support our club and this event:
Angela for sharing MC responsibilities, Lynda for suggesting the idea, (and counting money,) Jane for liaising with the band and her Parkinson's colleagues, those colleagues and representatives of Parkinson's UK,  BeHeld and everyone who sang and/or played from the floor ... and, most importantly, to everyone who so generously contributed to this worthwhile charity.

The bottom line was a magnificent £330! 

Then we all went home in confidence that we'll all meet again when the weather improves.

Worry not: it's back to the square table next week!

Reminder ...

Now, don't forget next Friday, 28th:

Beheld
will perform at The City Folk in support of our charitable enterprise on behalf of local branches of
Parkinson's UK.

Please come along and support this effort.

Doors open 7.30pm.

Music, singing and fun will begin promptly at 8.00

                                                                    ...  or very soon thereafter!

If you are hoping for a floor-spot, you need to be early.

 

Bring money, preferably of the foldable variety!

Being Friday the 21st of September, 2012 ...

So, what can I safely publish about this evening?

 

Some songs alluded to lots of sheep, including one lamb that got lost in the woods ...

 

 

   There was one hanging …

A reference to slavery …
 

An item of traditional clothing from the West of Ireland ...



No paint, nor powder ...

One case of gender confusion …

 

"Honest, Captain, I'm on the pill!"

 

A free train-ride …

 

Something about a strange, secretly-guarded  phenomenon in the western region of the North Atlantic …

I think it's time we left!

 

Quite a few offerings were about love, or loss thereof ...

 

We finished with a song in praise of a fermentable cereal …
 



Old and young thy praise have sung ...

 

 

Somebody asked, "So, what IS a folk song ...?"

Here's one:



... and the extraordinarily meaningful chorus goes thus ...

Dyedley doodley, dyedley doodley, dyedley doodley, doodle-dy-dum.

... and so forth.
Now you may breathe!

Being Friday the 14th Day of September, 2012 ...

THE SQUARE TABLE ASSEMBLY

 

There exists a gathering, somewhere in the debatable land of the Atrebates where friends ritually meet, on a weekly basis, around a hallowed arrangement of tables to discuss the weightier topics of life as portrayed in music of the ages.
 

Proceedings involve no immodest disrobing, no human sacrifice, neither licentiousness nor fornication

… and a virgin is hard to find.

The ritual has no function beyond harmless self-indulgence.
Meetings are characterised by lively debate about such important matters as the meaning of life, the validity of death-bed repentance, the significance of the Higgs-Bosun particle, and this very pertinent question ...
"Should there be a cost for innocent pleasure in the company of consenting adults?"

 

Hail, Cogidubnus Rex!
 ...Oh, do put some clothes on,
Your Majesty!

However ...
There are those greedy authoritarians who occupy seats in great mansions in the Metropolis of Iniquity, many leagues to the North, who seek to impose taxes and raise revenue by selling licences for the activities of such congregations.

For that reason the gathering has found it necessary to adopt a level of obscurity in documenting what actually happens.

 

Here are some pictorial clues:

 

All along the green turf ...

 

"And tell my mother ..." 



Should I be doing this at my age?

Now bring in those mince pies!

Homeward bound ...

 

Of course, all that has nothing whatsoever to do with The City Folk Club.

Being Friday the 7th of September, 2012 ...

A small turn-out this evening, but we engaged our usual musical enthusiasm.

 

Jake turned up with a couple of sort-of-ukuleles.

One that he made himself was rather handsome, based on a recycled violin body:

 

We were pleased to welcome Stuart and Jan all the way from Horsham. Stuart was rather good and entertained us with stories to introduce his self-penned material. He was the second person in the room to use a long word: parenthesis! 

In summary, the musical performances referred to the following:

• Only one confirmed death.
• A few bits of love.
• Two marriages, one of which was reluctant.
• An inadvertent conception by the daughter of an old rustic shepherd.
• A terribly strange relationship with a parrot in the garret.
• Sixteen sexual encounters in a South-Wales port.
• Two Buddhist monks and a fair damsel.

Well, all that demonstrates the essence and diversity of folk music, doesn’t it?

 

Having had such fun, rather wearily, we all went home and implored our mothers: “Lay my head upon your breast.”

“Don’t talk dirty!” replied mother.

 

Behold this advance notice ...

For Friday 28^th September

 

Members of the band

BeHeld

have kindly agreed to be ‘show-cased'.

This constitutes a charitable exercise in aid of
Parkinson’s UK

Our usual contribution pot will be available for you to make generous donations to this worthwhile charity.
The entire proceeds from the evening will be donated.

 

Prompt start at 8.00pm, (doors open from 7.30pm.)

We will have the usual singaround during the first half at the MC’s discretion.

After the free-association interval BeHeld will perform a full set for our entertainment.

 

If you want to know about the work of Parkinson's UK, click here.
If you want to know more about BeHeld, be there!

Another Day, Another Club ...

On Tuesday evening, (being the 4th day of August, in the year of our Lord 2012, after the 8th turn of the hour-glass,) several of us were welcomed to attend The Chichester Folk Song Club to hear Keith Kendrick and Sylvia Needham.
They performed two sets of stonking songs. Here they are performing elsewhere:

This is one for the community song-book ...

OK, that's not as good as Keith and Sylvia's rendition, but you'll get the idea.

Here's the first verse and chorus:

Oh, have you heard the news, me Johnny:
One more day.
We're homeward bound tomorrow:
One more day.
Only one more day, me Johnny,
One more day.
Oh, rock and row [roll] me over.*
One more day.

For the rest you can make up the verses as you go along.
Otherwise it's all chorus!

* So: who really invented rock and roll?
Answers in less than 2000 words should be sent to www [dot] nobody-in- particular [dot] com.
Submissions will be assessed for original research, appropriate references, constuctive thought and discussion, correct grammar and spelling, and, particularly, for the writer's capacity for generating extreme boredom for the reader.
The winner will be awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Totally Useless Information.

Being Friday the 31st of August, 2012 ...

 

Angela presided as various pearls of wisdom, (interspersed by considerable nonsense,) were shared.
Notably:

• We were advised that an internet forum for players of a particular free-reed instrument can be found at my lady on the net.
• Berry educated us regarding the significance of a Blue Moon.
• Dogsbody lost his composure on hearing the lyric something's lost and something's gained in living every day.
• Mave went off her crumpet!!!
• Ken informed us that a toohey is a bird:

philomena corniculatus

As far as musical offerings are concerned, departures, separations and divorce far out-weighed the customary death-count.

 



"I'm leaving - now!"
announced this Russian Princess.