Sullington Flower Festival 25th June

Thank you to all the Singers who took part from Gail and the Churchwardens, 52 tickets for the evening were sold in support of the church as part of a very successful three-day festival.

“We all thought the performance yesterday was superb.  The voices of the group are magnificent and I think the audience really enjoyed the evening.  I had a feeling the group enjoyed themselves too – I do hope so.

Thank you very, very much for facilitating the whole evening.”

Many thanks to David for leading us so joyously, the acoustics were great, the spoken pieces by members of the congregation apt, the weather enhanced the beautiful location and you all sang with gusto.

John C.

Confirmation of SDFS’ Plans to Sing at The “AldingBoom” Festival

Saturday 2nd July at the Aldingbourne Country Centre

We are pleased to say enough singers have volunteered for this event to go ahead, so arrangements for the SDFS to sing two sets on the “Woodland stage” at the Centre have been confirmed. Our singing times are now 1.00pm and 4.00pm – so we need to assemble there by 12.45 and 3.45pm at the latest please. Please find the song sets listed below.

Entry to the Festival is free to performers, so if you have let us know you are coming then your name will already be on a list for the gatekeepers to check you in when you arrive. (If you want to sing but haven’t let us know, you can still have your name added to a “late additions” list next week by contacting me via the SDFS email address, asap please.)

Also use the SDFS email address for any queries about the event in advance – but, if needed, use contact number: 07751 479383 on the day.

Looking forward to a good sing and a lovely day!
Henny

First set:

1. Country life
2. On Sussex Hills
3. West Sussex Drinking Song
4. The Nightingale
5. Life of a Man
6. Hard Times of Old England
7. Rosebuds in June
8. Pleasant and Delightful
9. Fathom the Bowl
10. Jolly Good Song

Second set:

1. Twankey Dillo
2. On Sussex Hills
3. Green Grow the Laurel
4. Ale Glorious Ale
5. Old Adam
6. West Sussex Drinking Song
7. Ebernoe Horn Fair
8. Rosebuds in June
9. Thousands or More
10. Sussex by the Sea
11. Jolly Good Song

Further notes (copied over from the Proposed Events page):

We have been invited to sing at the “AldingBOOM” one day music festival. The festival is a charity fundraising event organised each year by The Aldingbourne Trust, “L’Arche” and the Chichester Music Academy to celebrate music, performers of all abilities, their families and the Summer! A computer search using “Aldingboom” or “the Aldingbourne Trust” will access more information about the charities, the Centre and the festival. Here are a few links:

• Aldingbourne Country Centre
• The Aldingbourne Trust
• AldingBOOM on Facebook
• a report of the first AldingBOOM in 2014

There will be front of stage microphones set up for use if we need them, depending on conditions, and these will be managed for us by the festival staff. Emily has kindly offered to lead our singing on the day.

Dress code suggested – the blue and/or greens we usually go for but with maybe a splash of white cloud, wildflower pink or sunshine gold to reflect the summer countryside (with hopefully no grey skies evident on the day!).

The Festival is open from 11.00am until 7.00pm and the usual entry charge will be waived for performers. It sounds like it will be a lovely day in a lovely setting – and for a good cause.

Local Group Report – Lewes Tuesday 21st June 2016

Fifteen of us made an impressive noise in the John Harvey Tavern so that Fiona joined us at half time making 16! Mike and Margaret returned after joining us last month and this time brought their friend Ann, Sandria managed to come with a quiet, young French friend and also Angela is back from Austria.

Tina guided us through fifteen songs in a delightful jumble, mixing old with new, for a very enjoyable evening: Rolling in the Dew, The Woodcutter’s Song, A Smuggler’s Song, Come Write Me Down, O Good Ale, Run of The Downs, Pleasant and Delightful, Shepherd of The Downs, Jim the Carter Lad, Follow Me ‘ome, Three Maidens (with lots of giggles from new folk as they got the bird in the bush message), Constant Lovers (Musical Hall Style), Oak, Ash and Thorn, Farmer’s Toast, finishing with Rosebuds in June... but the group sang on with The Magpie, Jo’s lovely contribution of Steeleye Span’s Saucy Sailor and finally Thousands or More.

‘Songs, Poems & Pints’ with the South Downs Folk Singers

Saturday, 25th June 2016 commencing at 7.30pm in St Mary’s Church, Sullington

The songs below are now confirmed.

Country Life
The Turnip Hoer
Hard Times of Old England
On Sussex Hills

    Chris Cotton – The Rolling English Road (GK Chesterton)
    Jo Graves – Home Thoughts from Abroad (Browning)
    Heather Cotton – South Downs (Don Filiston)
    Chris Cotton – Trees (Joyce Kilmer)

Old Adam
Life of a Man
The Nightingale
Pleasant and Delightful

    Kay Channon – Snippets from ‘We Won’t be druv’ (EFDSS)
    Douglas Parkes – ? (Kipling)
    Heather Cotton – Diary of a Church Mouse (Betjeman)
    Kay Channon – More snippets from ‘We Won’t be druv’ (EFDSS)

INTERVAL

West Sussex Drinking Song
Rolling in the Dew
Green Grow the Laurel
Twankydillo

    Gail Kittle –
    Philippa Warner – The Ballard of Rum (Peter Wolveridge)
    Jo Graves – Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day (Shakespeare)
    Anne Owen – Blame the Vicar (Betjeman)

Fathom the Bowl
Rosebuds in June
Thousands or More

Timing is expected to be approximately 12 mins per set of songs; 10 mins per set of readings; 20 minute interval = 2 hours-ish

The readings will be from the lectern and David will be provided with the separate vicar’s microphone to announce songs and then be able to switch off during each song.

We will be situated in the chancel in the choir stalls, with additional chairs to sit on and then stand for the song sets.

Suggested apparel would include anything green, blue or cream.

Drinks and nibbles will be provided in the interval.

Please arrive by 7.00pm at the latest and park either in the farmyard or beyond the Church as directed.

If you wish to come earlier in the afternoon to view the other elements of the Festival and perhaps bring a picnic supper you will be directed to the main field for parking.

Contact mobile for the evening is John C. – 07542 167828

All singers wishing to participate should email John as we need to inform the event organisers how many of us there will be.

Local Group Report – Easebourne Thursday 16th June 2016

Twelve of us met at the Three Moles in Selham on Thursday evening and we were joined by Jacquie and David down here on holiday from Lancashire. They thoroughly enjoyed our singing, joining in with many of the songs. Jacquie herself gave us a lovely rendition of a Watersons song called The North Country Maid. It was a really jolly evening and we practised all the songs for the Sullington event on 25th June plus Freeborn Man of the Travelling People, Oak, Ash & Thorn and Rolling Home. The beer was good too – especially a particularly nice ruby ale called Sovereign brewed in honour of the Queen’s 90th birthday. The next Selham Sing will be on Thursday 21st July. Why not make a date to join us then?  You’ll be very welcome!

Sing at The Three Moles, Selham, Thursday 16th June

Here's a reminder for all our singers who can make it to come along and sing in our regular session at the Three Moles, Selham, 8.00pm on Thursday 16th June. If you're not one of our singers but would like to join in, you're very welcome to come along too – no need to contact us in advance, just turn up!

A New Invitation for the South Downs Folk Singers to Sing...

At the Aldingbourne Country Centre, near Chichester, on Saturday 2nd July

We have been invited to sing on the “Woodland Stage” at the “AldingBOOM” one day music festival. We have been offered two 20-30 minute slots to perform at 12.30pm and again at 3.00pm.

The festival is a charity fundraising event organised each year by The Aldingbourne Trust, “L’Arche” and the Chichester Music Academy to celebrate music, performers with or without disabilities, their families and the Summer!

It sounds like it will be a lovely day and 2nd July is not far off now, so if you want to come along and sing at this festival please reply to me (Henny) via the SDFS email address (southdownsfolksingers@gmail.com) as soon as possible so that we can confirm singer numbers and attendance with the organisers in good time. Looking forward to seeing you there!

Henny     (For more details please refer to our “Proposed Events” page.)

Sussex Day, Worthing, Sunday 12th June 2016

Update 10th June:
We commence singing at 1.50pm. It is suggested that we all assemble outside the Guildbourne Centre at 12 noon and then find a spot elsewhere in the vicinity but out of earshot of the performance stage, to do a 'Flash Mob' type event as a warm up for the stage performance.

The Borough Council's car park behind the Town Hall and Assembly Hall off Stoke Abbott Road appears to be free on Sunday on checking their website.

Further details are as in the original post below. Here is the song list:

1. Country Life
2. On Sussex Hills
3. The Turnip Hoer
4. Pleasant and Delightful
5. Life of a Man
6. West Sussex Drinking Song
7. The Nightingale
8. Rosebuds in June
9. Thousands or More
10. Sussex by the Sea
11. Jolly Good Song

Original post published 11th April:

It seems such a short time ago that we launched our CD in the Gridshell at WDOAM on Sussex Day 2013 (see YouTube video).

We have been asked to sing with other groups in support of Safe in Sussex and Superstar Arts on a covered, amplified stage outside the Guildbourne Centre, at the junction of South Street and Warwick Street in Worthing town centre.

It will be a 30 minute set around lunch time (TBC), and refreshments will be provided by the organisers. If the weather is good we could find ourselves another spot and sing another set afterwards.

We have approached several organisations in Worthing in the last three years to take part in main events in the centre of the town without result, so we have Colin B to thank for this invite.

Please let me know if you can make it, song list to follow.

John C

Local Group Report – Beechwood, Wednesday 1st June 2016

It was a well attended and lively evening had by all at the Beechwood session. We warmed up with the Woodcutter's Song and the Turnip Hoer, and then between pints and chat we learned and sang through A Smuggler’s Song and Oak, Ash and Thorn, both of which sounded great and were much enjoyed. They will be good additions to the repertoire and hopefully ready for Bateman’s. Then we sang The Magpie and Pleasant and Delightful, which are ripening nicely, The Magpie being the trickier of the two but beautiful when we get it right!

Thanks to all for coming along, good company and good singing can't be beat!

Emily