For the Attention Of any “South Downs Folk Singers” interested in contributing to our public performances this summer...

An EXTRA SINGING SESSION  has been booked for 7.30pm at The Beechwood Hall Hotel in Worthing on Wednesday 27th April.

Singers from all three of our local groups are invited to share in this extra time to prepare for our early summer events.

( P.S. – Another extra session to ’top-up’ is proposed for late July – date to be confirmed in due course.)

Hope to see you there,
Henny

Local Group Report – Easebourne Thursday 17th March 2016

Seven of us made it out to the Three Moles in Selham to be greeted by our hosts and asked to wear funny hats in honour of Saint Patrick! We returned the favour by drinking Guinness and singing a medley of snippets of all the Irish songs that we knew. Then we settled down to a pleasant evening, practising many of our new songs. After Drink Old England Dry and Ale Glorious Ale we tackled a couple of Rudyard Kipling songs – Oak Ash & Thorn and Follow me ‘Ome – and then sang The Magpie, Ha’nacker Mill, The Turnip Hoer, The Woodcutter’s Song, They won’t let us go to sea anymore and Sussex By The Sea. We finished as usual with Rolling Home. As usual there were a lot of jokes and laughter and some cheery banter with a local farmer who was fascinated by our Magpie song! We look forward to seeing more of you at our next sing on Thursday 21st April.

Local Group Report – Lewes Tuesday 15th March 2016

Twelve singers gathered at The John Harvey Tavern and sang loudly through 16 songs from the repertoire, with a good mix of those we don't sing so often and the "new songs" for this year which are shaping up nicely. Thank you, Tina for your expert guidance. We finished another satisfying evening with the East Sussex Drinking Song and Thousands or More.

S.D.F.S. at the “Worthing Rotary Hobbies and Leisure Exhibition”

Thanks to the efforts of one of our singers, Angela S, the South Downs Folk Singers were present at this Exhibition on Saturday 5th March.  Our banner hung resplendent in the foyer of Worthing Assembly Hall to catch the eye of all comers, and a small band of Singers took turns throughout the day to be on hand to distribute flyers and provide information. 

We also ventured to display our wares by joining our voices in two impromptu performances.  In total we did 6 songs, which went well and were, as ever, fun to sing!

So thank you Angela S, Margo, Steve, Liz, and Angela and Phil B for your help and singing at this event, and we look forward to welcoming some new singers to our local groups as a result!

Henny

Update 30th March: A photo and a brief report of our unscheduled singing at this event can be seen on page 48 and page 50 of the current edition of “The Worthing Journal" (Issue 64, April 2016).  (Go to The Worthing Journal website for a list of outlets that sell the magazine.)

Local Group Report – Wednesday at the Beechwood, 2nd March 2016

We warmed up with Emily leading us singing Country Life and On Sussex Hills, before spending some time on The Woodcutter's Song, The Turnip Hoer and The Magpie. After a break our final song with Emily was Pleasant and Delightful. David G then continued with Oak, Ash and Thorn (a new song for most of us and not yet one of our 'official' songs), West Sussex Drinking Song and Rolling Home. Thanks to Emily and David for leading us and to everybody else who came along to sing – so many of us that we barely managed to squeeze into our usual room at the Beechwood.