The Pigeon On The Gate - Melodeon Players From East Anglia

(July 2008) 59 tracks: Pigeon on the Gate * Dennington Polka * Harvest Home * The Entertainer * Stepdance * I Must Go and Leave My Nancy * We’ll Ask Him Round for Tea * St Mary’s Waltz * St Patrick’s Day * Seaman’s Polka * Picking a Chicken With Me * She’s My Lady Love * Pigeon on the Gate * Song Tune * Hornpipe * Home to Donegal * The Keel Row * Dennington Polka * Yarmouth Hornpipe * Alf Peachey’s Polka * Pigeon on the Gate * Wheels * Alf Peachey’s Jig * The Rakes of Mallo * Charlie Rookyard’s Polka * Polka * Untitled * Kiss me Goodnight, Sergeant Major * Stepdance * Mabel’s Waltz * Tiger Smith’s Jig * Pigeon on the Gate * I’ll be Your Sweetheart * Under the Bridges of Paris * Oh Joe the Boat is Going Over * The Merry Widow * Play To Me, Gypsy * Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White * Two Little Girls In Blue * Primrose Polka * Waltz * The Happy Wanderer * Waltzing Over The Water * We’ll Meet Again Under The Roses * Cliffe Hornpipe * Soldier’s Dream * Golden Slippers * Bristol Hornpipe * Seaman’s Polka * Dennington Polka * College Hornpipe * Sweet Smiling Face * Stepdance * Stepdance * Four Hand Reel * Cornriggs * Pigeon On The Gate * Scotland The Brave * The Faithful Sailor Boy * Larry O’Gaffe * Putting On The Style * Jenny Lind * Barndance * Schottische * Schottische * John Brown’s Body * Waltz * Hornpipe * Castle Gardens * Sailor’s Hornpipe * Yarmouth Hornpipe * Long Dance Jig * Schottische * Tommy, Make Room For Your Uncle * Stepdance * Heel And Toe Polka * Jack Davies’ Stepdance * Jimmy Crane’s Stepdance * Jingle Bells * Sailor’s Hornpipe * Butcher’s Boy * Stepdance * Walt * Stepdance Medley * Polka * Waltz * Hornpipe * The Gates Of Edinburgh * Yarmouth Hornpipe * Over The Waves * It’s A Long Way To Tipperary * Schottische * Blaze Away * Garryowen * St Patrick’s Day * Sailor Cut Down In His Prime * Hornpipe * Old Waltz * Comrades * Hornpipe Medley * Waltz For The Veleta * Oh Joe The Boat Is Going Over * Phil The Fluter’s Ball * Bluebell Polka * Jig Medley * Four Hand Reel * Heel And Toe Polka * Hornpipe Medley * Jig Medley * Jingle Bells Polka * Stepdance Medley.

Double CD, on the Veteran label.

28 melodeon players from all over East Anglia, playing a typical selection of polkas, schottisches, jigs, waltzes and stepdance hornpipes.

These are field recordings made in quiet kitchens and noisy pubs where you might hear a stepdancer making good use of this music, particularly when the tune being played is the steppers favourite, known in Norfolk as ‘The Yarmouth Hornpipe’ and in ‘Suffolk as ‘The Pigeon on the Gate’.

Featuring FRED LIST (Framlingham), BEN YOUNGS (Ipswich), GEORGE WOOLNOUGH (Saxmundham), CHARLIE PLANT (Framlingham), PETER PLANT (Framlingham), GEOFF MAYES (Hepworth), FRED PEARCE (Blaxhall), CLIFFORD ARBON (Monewden), CYRIL BARBER (Felsham), CECIL PEARL (Claydon), BERT MAYES (Monk Soham), FONT WHATLING (Worlingworth), JEN NEWSON (Easton), OSCAR WOODS (Benhall), GEORGE GREEN (Little Downham), MR POTTER (Weston Colville), MONTY CHAPMAN (Weston Colville), CHARLIE CUTMORE (Belchamp St Paul), HARRY DE CAUX (Baniston, Dunmow), SONNY BARBER (Briningham), HARRY COX (Catfield), CHARLIE BULLER (Erpingham), GEORGE CRASKE (Sustead), JOHN WOODROW (Ingham), BILLY PATTERSON (Chedgrave), BOB DAVIES (Cromer) and PERCY BROWN (Aylsham).