This past Thursday our monthly folk club (Blackmore in Exhile, Rose and Crown, Writtle, Essex) was visited by a young musician from Cornwall.

He evidently was visiting friends who were in the pub proper downstairs and heard the club singing upstairs in the function room. He stood at the door for 1 or 2 songs after the mid session break, then asked is this a folk club? He went on to say that he was in a folk group from Cornwall, and could he sing one song.

The organiser and most of us welcomed him. He borrowed a guitar and proceeded to play and sing Irish Rover, encouraging the fiddler in our group to accompany. It was great. Then he asked "Can I do another?" Again most agreed. He launched into the Black Velvet Band. His enthusiasm was wonderful.

All the while he performed next to the doorway and did not enter the room proper. He then handed the guitar back after applause, said thanks and left. Felt a bit weird after the fact, as though he had highjacked the session for his bit and then was not interested to stay and listen to others. Then I figured he needed to join his friends downstairs again. Still it was strange.

Don't know if this was ill-mannered or not? I do wish he had told us more about himself, his name, whereabouts in Cornwall he was from, etc.

Who was that mystery singer?