Get involved, why don't you!

The South Downs Folk Singers are going from strength to strength!  We are being invited to sing at festivals and fairs, having great fun at local sessions across the area and generally singin' up a storm!  Want to get more involved?  In October, we will be meeting to put a simple committee structure in place to make sure that even more fun can be had in the future!

Interested?  We could certainly use your help - see the 'Help required' tab .....

CD - Live at the Burpham Sessions

Further to Adrian R's note, don't forget that we will be selling the CDs ourselves at sessions and at gigs - a snip at £10!

Adrian F

SONGS ON THE BLOG

A message from Adrian Revill ......

Hello folks

In order to better promote the CD, I've removed all the original recordings from Soundcloud.

The link below will take you to a set of excerpts of some of the best songs and this will soon be on the South Downs Society website where CDs can be ordered.

http://soundcloud.com/adrian-revill-recordings/sets/south-downs-songs-live-at-the/

Best wishes

Adrian

Wowing Them at the WDOAM - 24 July 2013

Volunteers Dinner at the WDOAM
Wednesday 24 July

A big 'Thank you' to all the singers who took part last night.

Charlie Thwaites, Chief Warden & Volunteers Manager (the lovely blonde lady in the primrose dress, keeping everything in order) again greatly appreciated our participation, as did the volunteers who sang along with us from the provided song sheets.

The hog roast was great, as were the artisan ice cornets which followed, washed down with beer, wine, soft drinks and other beverages. Dave Garrard again led us with gusto, combined with excellent intros to the songs.

The Museum will always be part of our calendar, in recognition of the free support they have given us following the first experimental day workshop held there by Em, Chris & Ann.

John Crane

NEWS FROM THE EASEBOURNE GROUP

Dont forget to check out the 'Local Groups News' page!

WARNINGCAMP Saturday 20th JULY

Nine of us arrived at the private party in Warningcamp, near Arundel, to sing to the bride and groom and all the guests. We were made to feel very welcome and plied with champagne and Arundel Ale and lovely things to eat before singing to a very appreciative audience. The songs we sung were Fathom the Bowl, the Sussex Wedding Song, On Sussex Hills, the West Sussex Drinking Song, Rolling in the Dew, Thousands or More followed by Jolly Good Song and also included a brilliant rendering of Sussex by the Sea, which had been specially requested by our hosts. All are agreed that we should add this song to the SDFS repertoire in the near future!

Much laughter was had when the cows in the adjoining meadow trotted over to the fence to come and listen to the singing! Thanks to Dave & Sue, Ann and Alan, Stephen, Shirley, Jan, Angela and Judy for supporting this event, which again proved that singing together is a great way to forge friendships and have a good time!

Golier!

David Garrard

Private Party, Warningcamp - 20 July 2013

Local Group Report – Easebourne Thursday 18th July 2013

Due to the fact that the White Horse at Easebourne was packed with polo players gathering for the annual Cowdray Park Gold Cup matches, Shirley Blott, our esteemed leader, kindly invited us to retire to her nearby garden to hold our monthly sing there. A dozen of us sat around her patio table in the cool of the evening and sang our hearts out. We practised all the songs for the Warningcamp party and the Volunteers Dinner before finishing off at 10.00 pm with John Tam's Rolling Home. A big thank you to Shirley and husband Clive for providing refreshments and making their lovely garden available for us to sing in. It was a very sociable occasion and very much appreciated.

JULY NEWS

TuesdayJuly 16th  

Lewes local session at the Royal Oak, Lewes (7.30pm)

Thursday July 18th  

Easebourne local session at the White Horse, Easebourne (8pm)

Wednesday,July 24th WAD Volunteers Hog Roast

For those who know they are going

Here's the setlist for those attending the WDOAM Hogroast on Wednesday 24 July:
On Sussex Hills
Shepherd of the Downs
Drink old England Dry
Old Adam
Life of a Man
West Sussex Drinking Song
Ebernoe Horn Fair
Thousands or More
Rolling in the Dew
Jolly Good Song

So get practising!!

ARUNDEL FESTIVAL, SUNDAY 25th AUGUST

Jubilee Stage, 16.30-17.00hrs.

We have also been asked by Sharon the organiser if we would like to sing at some time between 13.00 & 16.00 near the Swan Pub in the center of Arundel or similar venue (TBC depending on responses).
Hence this email to see how many of you volunteering for the late afternoon performance would like to also take part in the above, so I can confirm or decline the offer.
Details about parking etc. will be on the blog from the beginning of August.
Many thanks, John Crane 

Don't forget to check out the 'diary dates' page for other singing opportunities!

PRIVATE PARTY ON 20TH JULY

Private Party at Warningcamp

Tina Gard has seen the SDFS perform and would love it if a few of us could attend her party at her home in Warningcamp and do a short 30 min set.  We would need to arrive about 2.30 pm, to sing around 3.30 - 4pm.  (There don't need to be many of us.)

There is a marquee to sing in and there will be a drink and something to eat for the singers.

This event is on 20th July but Tina needs to know by this weekend as to whether it can go ahead.

Dave Garrard is organizing this so please contact him in the next day or two at the latest so that he can make the arrangements.  If you would like to participate, bear in mind that it may not be possible to do so if Dave does not know in time!garrard.david@sky.com

NEWS FROM AMBERLEY

More than thirty enthusiastic South Downs Folk Singers attended Amberley Chalk Pits Museum's first ever Arts and Music Festival on Saturday 29th June. The occasion was a very pleasant one and made all the more enjoyable by the lovely warm sunny weather. Throughout the day various music groups, morris men and solo artists played, sang and danced in various locations throughout the site. Towards the end of the afternoon SDFS luminary Ann Feloy and her son Sam performed their special songs about shepherds' smocks, woolworking, blacksmiths and Horsham gingerbread to rapturous applause in Humphrey's Barn. This was followed by the South Downs Folk Singers singing their songs in the open air to a large and appreciative audience.

Songs we sang included On Sussex Hills, the West Sussex Drinking Song, Twanky Dillo, the Sussex Wedding Song, Rosebuds in June and Jolly Good Song. Shortly after this we joined the parade of singers and dancers which made its way up to the White Pit arena for the Grand Finale.

Alan Wheeler, whose excellent folk group Shipwrecked had performed earlier in the festival, was prevailed upon to lead the singing of Simon & Garfunkel's 59th Street Bridge Song (Feeling Groovy) and Chris Hare and Ann Feloy performed their rendition of Ewan McColl's Paddy works on the Railway with everyone joining in with the choruses and doing the actions (corduroy britches, pulling the switches, dodging the hitches!).

I think it fair to say that a great time was had by one and all! Our sincere thanks must go to the Museum for putting on such a successful event and to Ruth Dewdney and her team of organisers for inviting us to participate.

Here's to us doing it all again in 2014!

Dave Garrard our Roving SDFS reporter!