John Lowe Tribute Night  ðŸŽµThis page www.folklife.uk/stfc-john-lowe  
~  Updated Wednesday 3 June 2026.
Below are the photos on our club noticeboard.

At the Somers Traditional Folk Club, Worcester.
Please see our website www.somers-folk-club.org.uk, 
for full details of the club. 
This is a page on the Folklife site, https://www.folklife.uk
Originally the Somers Traditional Folk Club's "Broadsheet", Feb. 1983, this developed into the "Somers Folklife" organisation ~ and then into "Folklife West", a separate non-profit group of volunteers.
Folklife West. Chairman, Eric Payne; Secretary JK ('Sam') Simmons; Treasurer, Eleanor Simmons.

'An Evening in Memory of John'  on  15th May 2026 ðŸŽµ

Here is a list of John’s songs

Dear Folks,

Our special tribute evening for John Lowe on Friday, 15 May, was an excellent night.
40 people filled the hall for an evening of humorous, traditional, and other items, totalling 27 songs and poems (all booked in advance) .

Thank you to our visitors who came specially for this evening, and especially our long-distance visitors, Ray from Sidmouth with his moving poem about John, Trevor from Bristol (The Bard of Windmill Hill) who finished the first half with poems, and Bob Askew from Hampshire who started the second half with Pleasant and Delightful.
Thanks also to Karen for half-time snacks, to Eden for his photos, and to Sheila for finishing the night with the full Scots version of Auld Lang Syne as John did, plus appropriate costume, and with balloons ...

Here are the songs and poems that John sang or would have enjoyed:

1 Sam (MC) & Eleanor Simmons, Cân Yr Ysbrydion (Song of the Spectres)
2 Karen Nightingale with Francesca (Karen: kalimba, Sheila: bongos), The Lion Sleeps Tonight
3 Ray (Sidmouth), a moving poem about John
4 Derek Lovell, Brown-Eyed Girl
5 Roberta Lovell, Who Knows where the Time Goes
6 Bob Fox, Your Baby Has Gone Down The Plughole (in Latin & English)
7 Carole & Graham Davies, Tam Lin (Selected Verses)
8 Victoria Crivelli, Crazy Man Michael
9 Sue Smith, Jock O'Hazeldean
10 Bill Smith, Rattlin' Roarin' Willie
11 Lynn Clearwaters, Teddy Bears' Picnic
12 Sheila Sheringham, A Man's a Man for a' that
13 Eden Tanner, Billericay Barbecue
14 Richard Booth, Bedlam Boys
15 Trevor (Bristol), Poems (to finish 1st half)

16 Bob Askew (Hampshire), Pleasant & Delightful (to start 2nd half)
17 Jackie Lyness & John Bacon, After the Goldrush
18 Kay Brown, Bogey’s Bonny Belle
19 Marie-France Hicks, John Ball
20 Selwyn Lane, Mud, Mud, Glorious Mud
21 Jim Preston, Matilda
22 Julia Davies, Unicorns
23 Richard Hicks, Spanish Ladies
24 Jon Seagrove, Bert's A Plumber
25 Eden Tanner, Big Valerie Wilkins
26 Bill & Sue Smith, Swinton May Song
27 Sheila Sheringham, Auld Lang Syne (to finish)

We didn't sing John's own compositions which were unique to him. So, if you are Married to a Fish, make sure you take some Cheese Sandwiches if you go Cycling in the Nude . . .

Sam
"Please choose one or two of the songs or tunes which John played himself (virtually all of the list below) or a song or a couple of songs which you think John would like. "
  • Dark red - the songs list.     
  • Green - songs & tunes now chosen.    Performers will include some of John's long-distance friends who will travel to join us.

'An Evening in Memory of John'  on  15th May 2026 ðŸŽµ

Here is a list of John’s songs

Karen writes: "John enjoyed playing and singing a wide variety of songs and tunes, sometimes singing in other languages e.g. Welsh and Latin.  He sang his own and other people’s humorous songs, traditional songs, contemporary songs, music hall songs, fun songs like ‘Mud, Mud Glorious Mud’ and many other types of songs."  
  
"Below is a list of songs I have taken from John’s little ‘blu-tac’ crib cards, plus a few others which weren’t on the little cards but he sang or liked. Please excuse any errors, I couldn’t read a few of the letters on the cards. Ones in bold are some of the songs which I particularly remember, or can imagine John singing, but please chose any from this list." 

"A list of tunes is also available if anyone would like to play a tune."
"Please choose one or two of the songs or tunes which John played himself (virtually all of the list below) or a song or a couple of songs which you think John would like. "
  • Dark red - the songs list.     
  • Green - songs & tunes now chosen.    Performers will include some of John's long-distance friends who will travel to join us.
(sheet 1)
Name of Song       -->      Name of person to sing
Adieu to Old England   
After the Goldrush  ~ Jackie Lyness & John Bacon
Andrew Rose   
Auld Lang Syne (all the verses!) ~ Sheila Sheringham    TO FINISH
Bachen Bach O Dincer   
Ye Banks and Braes (Robert Burns)   
Banks of Newfoundland   
Banks of Sweet Primroses   
Banks of the Nile   
BAPA   
Bard’s Reformation   
Bedlam Boys ~ Richard Booth
Beeswing   
Bert’s a Plumber (by Les Barker) ~ Jon Seagrove
Blue Skies   
Boatman   
Bogey’s Bonny Belle ~ Kay
Bold Doherty   
Bonnie Earl of Moray   
Bonny Woodhall   
Brigg Fair   
Brown-eyed Girl ~ Derek Lovell
Bushes and Briars   
Y Bwthyn Bach Fy Nain   
Caledonia  (the Cape Breton song about lodging with Donald Norman, who had a daughter who made good tea)    
(sheet 2)
Name of Song --> Name of person to sing
Calenda Maia (12c. troubadour French)   
A chat with your mother    
Chraobh Nan Ubhal (Scottish Gaelic)   
Christmas Song (Copper Family)   
Circle is Unbroken (Seasons they change)   
The Circle is unbroken   
Come whoam to the Childer and Me   
Copper Kettle   
Craigie Hill   
Crazy Man Michael  ~ Victoria Crivelli
Courting is a Pleasure   
Daisy Bell   
Dancing at Whitsun   
Dancing in the Moonlight   
Dawn Treader   
Diamantina Drover   
Dirty Old Town   
Disabled Seaman   
Don’t Slay that Potato   
Down where the Drunkards Roll   
Ee by Gum but I’m Cowd   
My Eldorado   
Ellan Vannin Tragedy   
Farewell Angelina   
Farewell, Farewell   
Farewell to Whisky   
Felton Lonnin   
Fever   
Five Horsemen   
Flower of Magherally   
Fortune Turns the Wheel   
Fred Astaire   
Gae Bring me a Pint of Wine   
George’s Son   
Girl from Ipanema   
Girl from the Hiring Fair   
Goodnight and Joy       
(sheet 3)   
Name of Song --> Name of person to sing 
Green Grow the Rashes, O (Rabbie Burns)
Guantanamera   
Hare’s Lament   
He Came from the Mountains  
High Germany   
Holmfirth Anthem   
(It was) Only a bunch of Violets/A bunch of violets blue   
Jock O’Hazeldean ~ Sue Smith
Joe Peel   
Jogging up to Claudy   
John Ball - Marie-France Hicks
John Barleycorn   
Lilli Marlene   
Lisa Lan   
Lola   
Lovin’ You   
Lovely Joan   
Caoineodh Mac Criomman (Can’t find on YouTube)   
A Man’s a Man for A that   
Maro Mamestrez    
Master Riley   
Midnight on the Water   
Mingulay Boat Song   
Nelly O’Bubs O’T’Crowtrees   
Old Parkin Raine the Fiddler   
One in a Million   
One more cup of Coffee   
Our Sarah’s got a Chap   
Parting Glass
Pleasant and Delightful -  Bob Askew from Hampshire,  TO START 2ND HALF
Polly on the Shore   
Puff the Magic Dragon   
Rattlin Roarin Willie ~ Bill Smith
Ripple     
(4) Name of Song --> Name of person to sing
Rise up Jock   
Rocky Road to Dublin   
Rounding the Horn   
Searching for Lambs   
Singers Request   
Singing in the Rain   
Space Girl   
Spanish Lady   
Starry Night   
Summertime   
Spencer the Rover   
(We Shepherds) Stormy Winds   
Swinton May Song ~ Bill and Sue Smith as a 2nd song
Teddy Bears Picnic - Lynn Clearwater
Toddlin Whoam   
Tsamiko   
Two Ravens   
Ukulele Lady   
Unicorns - Julia
Unicornis Captivator   
Use of Wings   
The Great Valerio   
Western Breeze ~ Eric & Eileen Payne (on another evening)
Westling Winds (Robert Burns)   
What did the Wife of the Soldier get   
When an Old Cricketer   
When Yellow's on the Broom   
Whisky in the Jar   
Who Knows where the Time goes  ~ Roberta Lovell
Wild Mountain Thyme  
Eekin Mia Yapottoyna   
7 Yellow Gypsies   
You Rambling boys of Pleasure    
Can Yr Ysbrydion - Sam & Eleanor Simmons ~ to start
(5) Name of Song --> Name of person to sing 
(5) is for additional songs, either John's, or others chosen by singers 
Cheese Sandwiches 
Cycling in the Nude
The Life of a Fishwife
The Mountains of Mourne
Dear Matilda
The Lion Sleeps Tonight ~ Karen
Mud, Mud, Glorious Mud ~ Selwyn Lane
Princess Royal (tune) ~ Jim Preston
Your Baby Has Gone Down The Plughole ~ Bob Fox
Tam-Lin (Selected Verses) ~ Graham & Carole Davies
A poem about John ~ written and read by Ray
Johnny Buckah (aka Old Johnny Bugger) ~ Rob Slater
A poem ~ written & read by Trevor The Bard of Windmill Hill from Bristol - end 1st half
Spanish Ladies ~ Richard Hicks
‘A man’s a man for al’ that’ ~ Sheila Sheringham 
The Vegetable Song ~ John Bacon

Ends. See top of page for information about the evening.
Please ignore below which is a standard footer for all Folklife pages, not Somers info.
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