The Ballad Session or Song Circle

The Ballad Session or Song Circle at The Crow’s Nest came about a couple of years ago, when Anita Best, Linda Byrne and Eleanor Dawson started having informal get-togethers at each other’s houses to sing old-time songs. The three of them had grown up in communities where singing was a large part of community life, and loved to hear the old long ballads and songs. They invited their friends and soon word got around, making it clear that a larger venue would be needed to accommodate the growing numbers of folks interested in singing and learning some of the old songs in an informal way. Women brought their children, and soon the scattered man started coming.

Taking a page from Dale Jarvis’s book (he had started a monthly Storytelling Circle at The Crow’s Nest the previous year) they approached the management , who welcomed the opportunity to participate in another community event; the Ballad Session Song Circle took up residence in The Crow’s Nest. Everyone makes a donation to pay for the room so it is really a sort of private party.

Around half-past seven, people start to come and sit around the fire with their pints or their hot toddies. The three founders usually start things off, each playing host in her turn, so as to break the ice and help people feel comfortable. Everyone in the room is invited to take part by singing a song, or performing a recitation or monologue. Although there are no rules about instrumental accompaniment (the Song Circle is open to all kinds of performance), people generally do not bring instruments, wanting a break from the usual fare of tunes and professional musical performances in other places. There is no sound system and no boundaries, except those imposed by the singers upon themselves. As the night advances and the wine flows, the audience loosens up. Around 9:30, the school crowd and the less hardy start to go home, but the diehards stay on a bit later.

One of the best things about the Song Circle is that young people are allowed. If they are not 19 years old, or don’t have ID, they won’t be served alcohol, but they can sit with their soft drinks or coffee and participate if they want to. Many do. Twelve year-old Ellen Power from St. Bon’s usually has a song or two that she presents in her quiet, clear, very musical voice, and there’s also young Allan Ricketts from Torbay. MUN students, especially from folklore or Music 2021, often make their way down; Matthew Byrne and his brother Allan, are regulars. Young men who work offshore or in Norway on the oil rigs come in with their friends when they’re home and often pass along a song they got from their grandfather in Admiral’s Beach or Burin.

Sometimes well known Newfoundland and Labrador performers such as Pat Byrne, Fergus O’Byrne or Pamela Morgan will drop in. Among the “regulars”, Lewis and Chris can usually be counted on for a monologue or recitation, and Paul for a comical song. Doug often comes by to try out his latest parodies on an unsuspecting audience (“You ain’t nothing but a ground hog” was the latest one he sprang on us at the end of January). Sometimes a contingent of Eastern Healthcare workers will come in and sing Hank Williams songs. Sometimes Daniel Payne is in Town from the West Coast, or Tobias Pearson from Southeast Bight. Occasionally a visitor from the US or Ireland drops in for a pint and leaves us with a couple of ballads. You just don’t know who might be up for a song.

The Song Circle meets at The Crow’s Nest, just east of the War Memorial off Duckworth Street, around 8 o’clock on the last Thursday in every month. You don’t have to sing, but you are more than welcome to. Nobody minds if you forget some of the words (one fellow claimed that he knows hundreds of words to thousands of songs) or if you’d rather just sit and soak it all up

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	The Ballad Session or Song Circle by Anita Best The Broadside Vol 11. No. 1 July 2007

	The Ballad Session or Song Circle at The Crow’s Nest came about a couple of years ago, when Anita Best, Linda Byrne and Eleanor Dawson started having informal get-togethers at each other’s houses to sing old-time songs. The three of them had grown up in communities where singing was a large part of community life, and loved to hear the old long ballads and songs. They invited their friends and soon word got around, making it clear that a larger venue would be needed to accommodate the growing numbers of folks interested in singing and learning some of the old songs in an informal way. Women brought their children, and soon the scattered man started coming. Taking a page from Dale Jarvis’s book (he had started a monthly Storytelling Circle at The Crow’s Nest the previous year) they approached the management , who welcomed the opportunity to participate in another community event; the Ballad Session Song Circle took up residence in The Crow’s Nest. Everyone makes a donation to pay for the room so it is really a sort of private party. Around half-past seven, people start to come and sit around the fire with their pints or their hot toddies. The three founders usually start things off, each playing host in her turn, so as to break the ice and help people feel comfortable. Everyone in the room is invited to take part by singing a song, or performing a recitation or monologue. Although there are no rules about instrumental accompaniment (the Song Circle is open to all kinds of performance), people generally do not bring instruments, wanting a break from the usual fare of tunes and professional musical performances in other places. There is no sound system and no boundaries, except those imposed by the singers upon themselves. As the night advances and the wine flows, the audience loosens up. Around 9:30, the school crowd and the less hardy start to go home, but the diehards stay on a bit later. One of the best things about the Song Circle is that young people are allowed. If they are not 19 years old, or don’t have ID, they won’t be served alcohol, but they can sit with their soft drinks or coffee and participate if they want to. Many do. Twelve year-old Ellen Power from St. Bon’s usually has a song or two that she presents in her quiet, clear, very musical voice, and there’s also young Allan Ricketts from Torbay. MUN students, especially from folklore or Music 2021, often make their way down; Matthew Byrne and his brother Allan, are regulars. Young men who work offshore or in Norway on the oil rigs come in with their friends when they’re home and often pass along a song they got from their grandfather in Admiral’s Beach or Burin. Sometimes well known Newfoundland and Labrador performers such as Pat Byrne, Fergus O’Byrne or Pamela Morgan will drop in. Among the “regulars”, Lewis and Chris can usually be counted on for a monologue or recitation, and Paul for a comical song. Doug often comes by to try out his latest parodies on an unsuspecting audience (“You ain’t nothing but a ground hog” was the latest one he sprang on us at the end of January). Sometimes a contingent of Eastern Healthcare workers will come in and sing Hank Williams songs. Sometimes Daniel Payne is in Town from the West Coast, or Tobias Pearson from Southeast Bight. Occasionally a visitor from the US or Ireland drops in for a pint and leaves us with a couple of ballads. You just don’t know who might be up for a song. The Song Circle meets at The Crow’s Nest, just east of the War Memorial off Duckworth Street, around 8 o’clock on the last Thursday in every month. You don’t have to sing, but you are more than welcome to. Nobody minds if you forget some of the words (one fellow claimed that he knows hundreds of words to thousands of songs) or if you’d rather just sit and soak it all up (back to table of contents)