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