'Ostara' - a solar festival, being one of two days in the year when day and night are of equal length. By Sunday, we'll be two days into spring and should you wish to celebrate the fact, the Ostara Music Festival in Worthing will help you do it!
It's free entry, it's THIS SUNDAY - take your voice along!
See the 'Other Events' page for details.
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!"
Friday, 21 March 2014
Wednesday, 19 March 2014
Local Group Report – Lewes Tuesday 18th March 2014
At Lewes Tuesday, on 18 March at the Royal Oak, we started with Sussex by the Sea, then covered staple performance items Life of a Man, Old Adam, On Sussex Hills and Rosebuds in June, as well as Thousands or More and Where Stormy Winds do Blow.
We also tackled a brand new song which has been suggested for 2014: The Ladies go Dancing at Whitsun. We all agreed this would be a perfect addition to the SDFS repertoire, having a beautiful, lilting waltz-tempo tune (very similar to the Coppers’ A Week Before Easter) and telling of a generation of young men lost to war, their loved ones left behind and a rural way of life changing forever. Well done to the Easebourne group for finding this gem!
During this song we were joined by a couple from East Chiltington who had heard about us from one of the local folk diaries and had come along to find out more. They sang along as we learned this item but were unable to stay after the break. We hope they will come along to a full session some time soon.
And of course not forgetting the usual ending Jolly Good Song with rousing shouts of “Golier!” (which may derive from the goliards who were mediaeval roving troubadour types).
In between songs, there was wide-ranging discussion of other musical interests including Cat’s small group who are performing in the Brighton Festival Fringe; Sandria talking about the campaign to save the Brighton Hippodrome as a performance venue (see here if you would like to sign the petition) and the Worthing Community Play The Just Cause where some of us are singing. If you are not singing, do come along to be part of the audience – but you will need tickets! There may also be a flash mob performance opportunity after the middle performance on 21 June: look out for further announcements.
Tina
We also tackled a brand new song which has been suggested for 2014: The Ladies go Dancing at Whitsun. We all agreed this would be a perfect addition to the SDFS repertoire, having a beautiful, lilting waltz-tempo tune (very similar to the Coppers’ A Week Before Easter) and telling of a generation of young men lost to war, their loved ones left behind and a rural way of life changing forever. Well done to the Easebourne group for finding this gem!
During this song we were joined by a couple from East Chiltington who had heard about us from one of the local folk diaries and had come along to find out more. They sang along as we learned this item but were unable to stay after the break. We hope they will come along to a full session some time soon.
And of course not forgetting the usual ending Jolly Good Song with rousing shouts of “Golier!” (which may derive from the goliards who were mediaeval roving troubadour types).
In between songs, there was wide-ranging discussion of other musical interests including Cat’s small group who are performing in the Brighton Festival Fringe; Sandria talking about the campaign to save the Brighton Hippodrome as a performance venue (see here if you would like to sign the petition) and the Worthing Community Play The Just Cause where some of us are singing. If you are not singing, do come along to be part of the audience – but you will need tickets! There may also be a flash mob performance opportunity after the middle performance on 21 June: look out for further announcements.
Tina
Saturday, 15 March 2014
Down by the Greenwood Side
This year's Brighton Festival
has a 60-minute opera which may be of interest. It tells the story of
Mrs Green, whose supernatural encounter after murdering her children
heralds a lifetime of sorrow, repentance and dread and is based, of course, on
the macabre 17th-century ballad The Cruel Mother.
It's being staged at the disused Harvey's depot in Lewes on Friday - Sunday, 9-11 May.
More details here.
Adrian F
It's being staged at the disused Harvey's depot in Lewes on Friday - Sunday, 9-11 May.
More details here.
Adrian F
Thursday, 13 March 2014
Lewes Tuesday
Next Tuesday is the third of the month so it's Lewes Tuesday! Do come if you can - whether or not you usually do and even if you are not currently an SDFS member - all are welcome!
Adrian F
Adrian F
Wednesday, 5 March 2014
Belloc Day
Last Saturday, several members of the Hilaire Belloc Society travelled down from London to The George and Dragon at Houghton to celebrate beautiful Sussex (and the man himself). We got off to a fine start when Chris Hare began the singing and eight of our number joined him to sing On Sussex Hills. Several people entertained us with a variety of songs from beyond the county boundary before we set out for a walk eastwards across the river and up towards Amberley Mount. The air was very clear, giving excellent views across the Weald. The sunshine was warm and the cloud formations uplifting as well as being reflected in the still flooded water-meadows. The primroses were out on the banks of High Twitten and the sunlight on Amberley Castle had us regretting that we hadn't taken our cameras!
All too soon, it was time to return to the pub for Chris's scheduled talk on the Sussex poems of Hilaire Belloc. Chris presented an excellent selection, beautifully explained and read, and displaying a great understanding of the the man and his works. By the time the singing got started again, most folk had left, so only five of us sang A Shepherd of The Downs and West Sussex Drinking Song before the minibus returned to Clapham, South London together with a Sussex County flag (blue with six gold martlets) presented to them by Jeff - from Clapham, West Sussex.
Margo Hollingdale
All too soon, it was time to return to the pub for Chris's scheduled talk on the Sussex poems of Hilaire Belloc. Chris presented an excellent selection, beautifully explained and read, and displaying a great understanding of the the man and his works. By the time the singing got started again, most folk had left, so only five of us sang A Shepherd of The Downs and West Sussex Drinking Song before the minibus returned to Clapham, South London together with a Sussex County flag (blue with six gold martlets) presented to them by Jeff - from Clapham, West Sussex.
Margo Hollingdale
Tuesday, 4 March 2014
Come and sing!
And now for something completely different ....
Come and sing!
See the Other Events page for more details!
Adrian F
Come and sing!
See the Other Events page for more details!
Adrian F
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