First Folk Song You Sang in Public

Subject: RE: First Folk Song You Sang in Public
From: Sailor Ron
Date: 18 Jan 11 - 11:59 AM

A. D. Day Dodgers
B. Ian Campbell Folk Group L.P.
C. Fleetwood Folk Club
D. 1969 Oct.
E. 21
F. 63
G. Very occasionally.

I thought I could sing! I was so awful I was banned from singing there for years [quite rightly]. I am a bit better now.

Subject: RE: First Folk Song You Sang in Public
From: Will Fly
Date: 18 Jan 11 - 11:13 AM

A) Song: "The Hobo's Lullaby" (Cisco Houston)

B) Source: A Pete Seeger album

C) Venue: A folk club in Leeds

D) Date: 1964

E) My age then: 20

F) My age now: 66

G) In repertoire? No, but I still know it!

Subject: RE: First Folk Song You Sang in Public
From: John P
Date: 18 Jan 11 - 09:53 AM

A) What was the first song you sung consciously in the name of Folk in a folk club, singaround, festival (or any other Designated Revival Folk context)?

I'm not a revivalist, nor do the places I usually play folk music have anything to do with reviving anything. Be that as it may:

A) Matty Groves

B) Fairport Convention

C) Camlann Medieval Fair

D) 1982

E) 28

F) 56

G) Not that version. I've done at least four different versions over the years, most recently the newly, beautifully composed "Matthew Green".

Subject: RE: First Folk Song You Sang in Public
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 18 Jan 11 - 08:59 AM

A: Treadmill song
B: Steeley Span recording on "Storm force 10" altered slightly after listening to other sources.
C: Bridgwater Folk Club
D: December 1982
E: 29
F: 57
G: Yes, infrequently, but now accompanied on D/G Anglo rather than unaccompanied.

Subject: RE: First Folk Song You Sang in Public
From: Paul Davenport
Date: 18 Jan 11 - 08:48 AM

A Tottenham Frolic
B Ed McCurdy
C Folk Union One - Bluebell Inn, Hull
D 18
E 60
F No - but it could be if the price was right.

Like Steve I remember it with some embarrassment. I got up to sing and asked Norman Cross if I could borrow his guitar. There were mutterings in the audience which I now realise were, "Crutch, crutch, crutch!" (Accompanied singing was only ok with a concertina.)

But it was the first place where I ever sang in harmony! Thanks to Steve and Pam Brown. The song was 'The Wedding Song' (Copper Family?) and Steve had to teach me the bass part note by note.

Subject: RE: First Folk Song You Sang in Public
From: GUEST,Desi C
Date: 18 Jan 11 - 07:33 AM

I well remember it as I was so nervous. The song was The Drover's Dream, originated from an Australia named Reedy River which came to England mid 50's and flopped. But it was recorded on The Ian Cambell Folk Group, sung by the late John Dunkerly the Banjoist and backed by their then fiddler Dave Swarbrick, I learned it from John Dunkerly in Birmingham. I performed it at The Old Bush Folk Club in Bradley nr Wolverhampton in 1982, and it was always a full house. I'd been an occasional Pub Singer, then started following The Ian cambell group. And it was my first folk Club performance, I was pure Acapella in those days. I was 31 at the time, nearly 60 now and yes it's very much still in my repertoire.
I now co host the Circle Folk Club in Coseley nr Bilston in The Black Country, every Wed open Mic, newcomers welcome. If you'd like to join our mailing list please drop me a line at [e-mail]

Subject: RE: First Folk Song You Sang in Public
From: Little Robyn
Date: 18 Jan 11 - 12:44 AM

A) Either 'Lady Mary' or 'The Virgin Mary Had a One Son'.

B) Both of them were from Joan Baez records.

C) Wellington Teacher's Training College. Teremoana did most of the singing, I played guitar and put in the harmony.

D) 1963

E) 17

F) 65

G) No.

Robyn

Subject: RE: First Folk Song You Sang in Public
From: Don Firth
Date: 17 Jan 11 - 11:35 PM

High Barbaree.

First heard sung by Walt Robertson, learned it from The Burl Ives Song Book.

On the performance stage at the Hec Edmondson Pavilion at the University of Washington during a citywide hobby fair. On stage with Walt Robertson and Bob Nelson.

Spring of 1953.

23.

I'll be 80 in June.

Yup. Still sing it.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: First Folk Song You Sang in Public
From: Janie
Date: 17 Jan 11 - 10:33 PM

Would have been one of the following:

The Fox
Shula ru
This Land Is Your Land
Crabs Walk Sideways (Smothers Brothers)

Was in an all girl folk quartet in high school. We performed exclusively for programs at local elementary schools, going from class to class. We had those 4 songs, and nothing else, nailed down tight.

Subject: RE: First Folk Song You Sang in Public
From: Gallus Moll
Date: 17 Jan 11 - 05:54 PM

oops! think the band was actually Fingal McCool - -? Could have been a blues-type band? - I'll need to ask - -get back to you soon!

Subject: RE: First Folk Song You Sang in Public
From: Gallus Moll
Date: 17 Jan 11 - 05:46 PM

Hi Tootler,

do you know / remember Iain and Margie Sinclair?

Also - Do you remember a band called Finn McCuill (probably more rock than folk - -?)

Just thought I'd ask - - -¬!

Subject: RE: First Folk Song You Sang in Public
From: Zany Mouse
Date: 17 Jan 11 - 05:04 PM

Apart from school and home ...

A) Billy The Kid
B) Can't remember, but I was seriously into "Sing Out" etc. at the time.
C) Barnsley Folk Cub
D) 1968 - ish
E) 16 ish
F) You can work this out I'm sure! Ok, 58.
G) No. Taste has change a lot since then.

Subject: RE: First Folk Song You Sang in Public
From: GUEST,Tinker in Chicago
Date: 17 Jan 11 - 04:57 PM

A) "Abilene" (the Bob Gibson/John Loudermilk one)
B) A Brothers Four album. Don't remember which.
C) High school student council meeting
D) February of 1963
E) 15
F) 63
G) Nope, and it hasn't been for decades.

Subject: RE: First Folk Song You Sang in Public
From: Phil Edwards
Date: 17 Jan 11 - 04:37 PM

A) Saucy Sailor
B) Steeleye Span, _Below the Salt_
C) A benefit gig where I'd talked my way into a support slot
D) 1984
E) 24
F) 50
G) No, although I could sing it if asked

Subject: RE: First Folk Song You Sang in Public
From: Andy Jackson
Date: 17 Jan 11 - 04:04 PM

A) Just as the Tide was a Flowing

B) Marrowbones (Gardiner collected song book)

C) Anchor Middle Bar, Sidmouth

D) Approx 1980

E) 31

F) 61

G) Oh yes!

Subject: RE: First Folk Song You Sang in Public
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 17 Jan 11 - 04:03 PM

Probably, "All My Trials" in 1966. Got in from Joan Baez recording, local folk club, Liverpool, 19 yrs old. No!

Subject: RE: First Folk Song You Sang in Public
From: Dave MacKenzie
Date: 17 Jan 11 - 03:48 PM

A) Worried Man Blues
B) Mainly Jerry Silverman's 'Folk Blues'
C) School Folk Club
D) 1964
E) 16
F) 62
G) Yes

Subject: RE: First Folk Song You Sang in Public
From: Tootler
Date: 17 Jan 11 - 03:46 PM

A) Wreck of the Reuben James
B) Book of Woody Guthrie Songs
C) Thurso Folk Club
D) 1965
E) 21
F) 66
G) No. I can still remember the chorus and the tune (which is Wildwood Flower) including the variation for the chorus but the verses have been long forgotten.

I did think of re-learning it, but someone sings it fairly regularly at a local folk club. He just sings the straight Wildwood Flower tune for the chorus which frustrates me no end.

I used to sing in a duo with a friend who also played guitar. At the end of our time in Thurso we both went our separate ways to continue our respective University courses. I stopped going to Folk Clubs after Thurso and didn't start again until six years ago (or thereabouts)

Subject: RE: First Folk Song You Sang in Public
From: Gurney
Date: 17 Jan 11 - 03:35 PM

A Can't remember. Was English trad.
B One of Cyril Tawney's collection of songbooks, but I'd heard it before
C The Barbican Grecian Club, Plymouth. A gaming club, but CT had a FC there.
D About 1970?
E 29?
F Older!
G No

Subject: RE: First Folk Song You Sang in Public
From: GUEST,DonMeixner
Date: 17 Jan 11 - 03:29 PM

Can't Help But Wonder Where I'm Bound
From Tom Paxton's second Electra LP
Burnett Park Zoo in Syracuse NY
Senior Skip Day picnic 1969
18
60
Sure is. I played it then on the Autoharp, I didn't pick up a guitar for 4 more years and that was the first song I learned on the guitar as well.

Don

Subject: RE: First Folk Song You Sang in Public
From: Penny S.
Date: 17 Jan 11 - 03:25 PM

Mind you, the first folk song, though not consciously as a folk song or in a folk context, was "The Minstrel Boy", sung in a music lesson at a private school in Folkestone, at the age of 8 or 9, a capella because I could not tell the music teacher what key it was in. I learned it from the "Daily Express" Community Song Book and my mother's piano playing.

Penny

Subject: RE: First Folk Song You Sang in Public
From: Penny S.
Date: 17 Jan 11 - 03:22 PM

A Probably Waly Waly
B Learned off a Kathleen Ferrier record
C St Osyth's College of Education Folk Club at Clacton
D c 1966
E 20
F Work it out
G Yes, with extra verses, though not often sung as others do it

Penny

Subject: RE: First Folk Song You Sang in Public
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 17 Jan 11 - 03:02 PM

A Sally Brown
B Remembered from school
C Folk Union One, Bluebell, Hull
D c1965
E 18
F 63
G Not actively although I could sing it if asked.

I remember it clearly because it was quite embarrassing. Isobel Sutherland was the guest and I was very nervous, consequently the pitch was increased on each verse until I was singing castrato. Undeterred I jumped straight back in the following week with other newly learnt songs.

Subject: First Folk Song You Sang in Public
From: GUEST,Suibhne Astray
Date: 17 Jan 11 - 02:53 PM

Significantly different to the other thread, this asks of Mudcatters:

A) What was the first song you sung consciously in the name of Folk in a folk club, singaround, festival (or any other Designated Revival Folk context)?

B) What was the source?

C) Where was it?

D) When was it?

E) How old were you?

F) How old are you now?

G) Is it still in your repertoir?

To kick off - mine was Lucy Wan sourced from Byker Hill by Martin Carthy in a singaround at The Bay Hotel Cullercoats (or possibly The Grey Horse Shiremoor) circa 1976 / 1977 when I was fifteen. I am now 49 and the song remains in my repertoir albeit in several variants, but I can still sing the Carthy version if pushed (& drunk enough).

Over to you...