Key West – Late night at Finnegan’s Wake

Finnegan's Wake Pub

PYC South met at Finnegan’s Wake last night. Bill McKeever called us at dinner time and suggested we meet to hear an excellent singer at the pub that comes down every so often from NYC. She was trained in opera and has a resonant voice and as we found out, knows how to play to the audience.

PYC South - McKeevers and Ann Sherer

She sang all the traditional Irish pub songs but then asked for a volunteers from each table for another skit on stage. Philip, my son, volunteers from our table (both McKeever and myself demurred). We soon learned of the devious reason for the request for help and why it was scheduled towards the end of the evening. The song she chose consisted of a series of tongue twisters designed to elicit confusion between sift and s---, and flock and f--- and many other similar words. She wanted the skit to be held after the audience had a chance to sample the 40 beers they had on tap.

Philip with Fiona the singer

It would start with an easy lead in then switch over to the refrain which was the tongue twister. Out of the six “volunteers”(several coerced). I don’t remember all of them but one went:

Sarah, Sarah sailing on a foggy day, all day long she ducks the fog, all day long the fog she ducks…

Sarah, Sarah baking bread all day, all day long she sits and sifts, all day long she sifts and sits…

And, there were many other refrains that I don’t remember, the singer had a bunch. Finally we got back to the boat but it was rather late to do a blog, so with a much clearer head this morning, I’m sending it off…