Just a quick reminder about the invitation we have received to sing at the Swyzertag folk festival in July. This is a marvellous opportunity to take the Sussex singing tradition to mainland Europe and to meet fellow folkies to boot!
It's the weekend of the 4-6 July - here's the original post.
Adrian F
Welcome to our website for singers who want to learn and sing traditional and new South Downs folk songs, sung in the traditional way. "Put another barrel on, landlord, and pull a pint for me! The ale here in Sussex is the best we all agree!"
Thursday, 20 February 2014
Wednesday, 19 February 2014
Local Group Report – Lewes Tuesday 18th February 2014
At Lewes Tuesday on 18th
February we welcomed two very different new singers from opposite ends of the
folk spectrum. Cat Hogan from
Brighton is a younger singer who frequents various Brighton folk clubs and she heard
about us at the Brighton Pub Carols with the Napier Quire in December at the Park Crescent. Andy Miller from Lewes was having a quiet pint in the downstairs bar at the Royal Oak when he fell into conversation, firstly with Tina and then with Mac, and was persuaded to come upstairs and join our session. Although he had not sung in public for over 30 years, he knew several Copper songs from memory and had a wealth of knowledge of the local Lewes folk scene past and present. He has also worked at Harvey’s Brewery for 43 years so maybe has some new drinking songs for our repertoire…!
We warmed up with Sussex by the Sea then revisited and consolidated some numbers from January (Where Stormy Winds do Blow, Old Adam, Blacksmith, Life of a Man, Unquiet Grave, Rolling in the Dew, before turning to Thousands or More and Fathom the Bowl and ending as usual with Jolly Good Song).
A very enjoyable evening! We would love to welcome anyone else who would like to join us in Lewes next month.
Tina
We warmed up with Sussex by the Sea then revisited and consolidated some numbers from January (Where Stormy Winds do Blow, Old Adam, Blacksmith, Life of a Man, Unquiet Grave, Rolling in the Dew, before turning to Thousands or More and Fathom the Bowl and ending as usual with Jolly Good Song).
A very enjoyable evening! We would love to welcome anyone else who would like to join us in Lewes next month.
Tina
Tuesday, 11 February 2014
Belloc Day, Saturday 1st March
Hilaire Belloc Day is on Saturday 1 March, with an afternoon of eating, drinking, singing, walking and then more drinking and singing. Leave that out of your diary if you can!
Somewhere in the middle of all that, Chris Hare will be talking to the assembled multitude about Belloc's poetry. He won't be leading the walk this year though. Detailed arrangements for the day are on the special Belloc Day page.
Not an event to be missed, methinks
Should you wish to explore further, you might find Belloc's Wikipedia page to be of interest.
Adrian F
"At Beechwood Hall, where I do drink
Chris Hare would have my poor brain think
Of erstwhile times - and make the link
to the Downs in years gone by .....
We learned how Belloc liked to write
And in debate, he loved a fight
And how his faith, it shone so bright
Which nobody can deny, deny, deny, deny, deny, deny
If he does, he tells a lie."
Somewhere in the middle of all that, Chris Hare will be talking to the assembled multitude about Belloc's poetry. He won't be leading the walk this year though. Detailed arrangements for the day are on the special Belloc Day page.
Not an event to be missed, methinks
Should you wish to explore further, you might find Belloc's Wikipedia page to be of interest.
Adrian F
"At Beechwood Hall, where I do drink
Chris Hare would have my poor brain think
Of erstwhile times - and make the link
to the Downs in years gone by .....
We learned how Belloc liked to write
And in debate, he loved a fight
And how his faith, it shone so bright
Which nobody can deny, deny, deny, deny, deny, deny
If he does, he tells a lie."
Sunday, 9 February 2014
.... and more news
The singing at the Durrington Seed Swap went very well yesterday so Amaryllis writes .... catch her report on the Local Group News page ....
Adrian F
Adrian F
Local Group Report – Durrington Seed Swap 8th February 2014
The Seed Swap at Durrington went really well yesterday. I should imagine about 20 of us sang – including four men who did very well indeed with all our female voices! It was a very good, tasty and interesting day. I don't think anyone left empty-handed. Seeds to buy at such terrific prices, plants, trees, mushrooms and the food and the cakes!!!!!!!!
We ended up doing both sets in the main hall and it worked just fine. We had, especially for the second set, Leigh's granddaughter Jesse, dancing and smiling constantly – just what was needed to get the group to smile! She was a delight and a joy and should be hired for all our future gigs! Lorna told us that an elderly chap with a stick wondered what we were all doing! Our guess was that he was deaf and just saw a motley group of people with their mouths opening and closing in unison!!
It was great to have so many lovely singers turning up and making it a very special afternoon.
Amaryllis
We ended up doing both sets in the main hall and it worked just fine. We had, especially for the second set, Leigh's granddaughter Jesse, dancing and smiling constantly – just what was needed to get the group to smile! She was a delight and a joy and should be hired for all our future gigs! Lorna told us that an elderly chap with a stick wondered what we were all doing! Our guess was that he was deaf and just saw a motley group of people with their mouths opening and closing in unison!!
It was great to have so many lovely singers turning up and making it a very special afternoon.
Amaryllis
Saturday, 8 February 2014
Seed Swap Event - 8 Feb 2014
The Transition Town Seed Swap took place on 8th February at Oak Grove College in Durrington, Worthing.
All photos below are courtesy of Peter Bohannon.
All photos below are courtesy of Peter Bohannon.
Tuesday, 4 February 2014
News ....
Read about the SDFS making a return visit to the Lewes Saturday Folk Club last Saturday on the Local Group News page.
And don't forget that tomorrow is Wednesday at the Beechwood (is it me or does it come round really quickly??)
Adrian F
And don't forget that tomorrow is Wednesday at the Beechwood (is it me or does it come round really quickly??)
Adrian F
MailChimp is here!
As from today, we'll be using
the MailChimp e-mailing tool to send the occasional e-mail. Most of
the time, though, all the news and information will only be here on the
blog so your inbox will not be swamped with SDFS messages.
The first 'test' e-mail will go out tonight at 8pm - let me know if you do not receive it* or have any comments.
Adrian F
*If you do not receive this first e-mail, please let me know as it is possible you may not actually be on the mailing list.
And don't forget to check your spam folder in case it ends up in there: mark
southdownsfolksingers@gmail.com as a 'safe sender'.
The first 'test' e-mail will go out tonight at 8pm - let me know if you do not receive it* or have any comments.
Adrian F
*If you do not receive this first e-mail, please let me know as it is possible you may not actually be on the mailing list.
And don't forget to check your spam folder in case it ends up in there: mark
southdownsfolksingers@gmail.com as a 'safe sender'.
Sunday, 2 February 2014
Local Group Report – Lewes Saturday Folk Club 1st February 2014
Seven singers made a return visit to the Elephant & Castle to take part in their Saturday Folk Club's Come-All-Ye session on the theme of “Birds”.
As a South Downs Folk Singers group, in the first half we contributed Cuckoo, Nightingale and Three Maidens (Bird in a Bush).
Being somewhat depleted by illness (Adrian sadly being absent with a bad back and Margo suffering with a cold during the evening) we decided to “go independent” (as the excellent compere put it) for the second half during which Gaynor, John K and John L contributed solo numbers. (My chosen solo had sadly already been sung in the first half and I had no back up piece.)
The evening overall consisted of a wide variety of poems, storytelling, songs and instrumentals including larks, crows, owls, thrushes, vultures, drunken maidens (!) and many other birds presented by several of the club’s stalwarts and a few newer, shyer participants, bringing together a memorable mixture of old favourites and lesser known pieces.
Tina
As a South Downs Folk Singers group, in the first half we contributed Cuckoo, Nightingale and Three Maidens (Bird in a Bush).
Being somewhat depleted by illness (Adrian sadly being absent with a bad back and Margo suffering with a cold during the evening) we decided to “go independent” (as the excellent compere put it) for the second half during which Gaynor, John K and John L contributed solo numbers. (My chosen solo had sadly already been sung in the first half and I had no back up piece.)
The evening overall consisted of a wide variety of poems, storytelling, songs and instrumentals including larks, crows, owls, thrushes, vultures, drunken maidens (!) and many other birds presented by several of the club’s stalwarts and a few newer, shyer participants, bringing together a memorable mixture of old favourites and lesser known pieces.
Tina
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