South Downs Folk Singers “Winter Revels” – our winter party!

Our next annual gathering to cheer us during the short days of winter will be at a new venue and slightly later in the year than previously held.

On Saturday 2nd February 2019 we will be meeting in the old Sussex barn attached to the English Martyrs Church in Goring (map link), on the corner of Goring Way and Compton Avenue. Postcode: BN12 4UE.

There is limited parking at the church, but no restrictions in the nearby residential roads. The venue is also near to the route and stops of the 700 Coastliner bus service and not far from Goring-by-Sea railway station.

The fun will begin at 7.30pm – but please note – due to an early evening service in the adjacent church please DO NOT ARRIVE BEFORE 7.00pm. Similarly, when leaving the party please be respectful of the surroundings and the quiet of the neighbouring area.

All South Downs Folk Singers, plus their family and friends, are very welcome to attend. Tickets are £2.50 each. Numbers are limited, so to avoid disappointment secure your place in advance by contacting Margo, via the South Downs Folk Singers email (or maybe see her at some local singing sessions).

Please bring food to share and your drinks of choice – and, as ever, your voices and a readiness to join in song!

Other contributions are also invited to add to the pleasure of the evening – your songs, readings, music and dance – any and all are welcome. (Please let Margo know if you’d like to contribute.)

One extra note this year – the Barn is a much-loved Grade II listed building, so special care must be taken not to damage the flint walls, wood pillars and beams or the flooring. We have been advised that shoes likely to mark the floor (especially high heels) are NOT welcome! (SDFS will be liable for the cost of any damage.) A reasonable request that we don’t expect will be hard to meet, or in any way limit the pleasure of the evening.

So we look forward to seeing you there – to salute the winter and look forward to the return of spring in 2019!

The Graffham Christmas Concert – Sunday 16th December 2018

Twenty-one singers turned out on a cold and wet December Sunday to present a special “Christmas Celebration in Word and Song” in St Giles Church, Graffham. It was a joyful event enjoyed by all and we have received high praise and thanks from the vicar, the Revd Vivien Turner, and from many of the 70-strong congregation. The traditional country style of the carols and readings was described as being “earthy” but succeeding in raising everyone’s spirits to the heavens and thereby encouraging some enthusiastic community singing! Thank you to everyone who participated.

Don’t forget that we will be meeting in the Chichester Inn in West Street, Chichester on Thursday night 20th December at 8.00pm. You are warmly encouraged to bring along instruments, your own favourite Christmas songs and poems, and be ready to perform your party pieces, as this will be less of a rehearsal and more of a Christmas Sing! See you there!

(The photo is courtesy of Ginny Barrett, a friend from the village)

Hove U3A, A big thank you!

Here's a thank-you note we received after the SDFS sang for the U3A AGM in Hove on 21st November 2018:

Dear Emily and John

Thank you so much both to you and all the singers for such a splendid journey through the world of South Downs songs at our AGM last Wednesday. I never did get to meet you personally John but I assume you were there! And Emily, you managed the whole proceedings with your usual charisma and professionalism.

I had very positive feedback from all our members afterwards and the 'join in' songs at the end worked really well and were much enjoyed by everybody. Several people were also showing an interest in joining the SDFS!

Please could you convey my thanks to all the singers as above. I know that our new Chair, Phil Robinson, has also written to say thank you but I wanted to add my own thanks as it was I who had originally contacted John about the possibility of this performance earlier in the year.

I'm sure we will be asking you back at some time in the future....

With all good wishes

Jackie F
Formerly Chair, now Vice-Chair, of Brunswick, West Hove & Portslade U3A

Local Group Report – Worthing – Wednesday 5th December 2018

The singing was launched from within the assembled crowd of 40 voices, to draw us together and open another evening of preparation for and celebration of this festive season. Deck the Halls warmed us up before we moved on to some of the songs planned for use at the Petworth event on 12th December. Pentonville, Falmer Carol, Sweet Chiming Bells and Masters of this Hall were all enjoyed before Emily led us through a new round, (although known to some) I heard a Bird Sing, which was lovely. After a break, more chat and some notices we resumed with a run through of Ideo, another carol which was liked by all and may be considered for use next year. This was followed by Angel Gabriel, Hark the Herald Angels and Holly and the Ivy. We finished with a couple of songs simply for us to hear and enjoy – Shepherds Arise performed by Brian, and We Should Not Curse the Winter from Dave and Sue. Thank you all. When closing the evening we confirmed our next meeting at Ye Olde House at Home will be on Wednesday 2nd January 2019. An excellent way to start the New year!

SDFS at 'Turning Tides' Ending Local Homelessness

Update 21st December 2018: Here is the set list, a repeat of our W&DLM set.

First Set:

1. The Angel Gabriel
2. Sussex Carol
3. Falmer Carol
4. The Holly and the Ivy
5. Sugar Wassail
6. Righteous Joseph
7. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
8. The Fields Lie Silent
9. Pentonville (While Shepherds Watched)

Second Set:

1. Masters in this Hall
2. Wassail! (Gloucestershire)
3. The Moon Shone Bright
4. The Holly Bears a Berry
5. Where Stormy Winds Do Blow
6. Coppers' Christmas Song
7. A Round for the Festive Season
8. Sweet Chiming Bells
9. Deck the Hall

Saturday 22nd December 2018 at 12.30pm
St Paul's Centre, Worthing

Emily has arranged for us to support this two-week St Clare's Community Hub initiative on this day of song and music by various performers.

We will be performing a seasonal song set from 12.30 - 1.15pm top and tailed by other performers, so please arrive about half an hour before we are on. If you have lanyards please wear them. As at Petworth dark trousers/skirts, coloured tops, tinsel/hats etc. at personal discretion.

The songs will be taken from the ones we have performed at recent performances.

Thirty singers have signed up so far.

Being the last Saturday before Christmas, parking in central Worthing will be at more of a premium than usual especially as the multi-storey car park area by the Station is being redeveloped (it used to be the cheapest for the day).

Unless you are coming in by public transport exclusively, parking outside the Residents' Parking Zones and catching the bus or walking in would probably be best.

There is a perhaps a possibility of singing elsewhere in the central shopping area afterwards, if there is a consensus on the day with those taking part, depending on the weather and personal inclination.

Emily will be singing general seasonal songs at The Coast Cafe, Splash Point from 7.00pm which you are welcome to join in with.

Further information about Turning Tides: website — Facebook — Twitter

John C

SDFS sing at the Weald and Downland Museum Christmas Market

A large number of us South Downs Folk Singers attended the Weald & Downland Living Museum recently where we entertained the crowds by singing a super selection of seasonal songs and winter carols. We sang with jollity and enthusiasm and were ably conducted as usual by Emily. Thank you to everyone who participated!

David G

Music Workshop: Singing the Songs of Henry Burstow

Saturday 26th January
Holy Innocents Church, Southwater

Singers may be interested in this singing workshop which will be led by Alex Hodgkinson, Director of Music at Christ’s Hospital, to celebrate the folk music of Horsham singer Henry Burstow, as arranged by Lucy Broadwood. Further details, including how to book, are available here.

Please note that SDFS are not involved in any way with the organisation of this event.

Music in St Giles Church

Looking at our three most recent posts, does St Giles have a fascination for singers? If you're making arrangements to go to St Giles Church, be sure to get the right one!

Christmas Concert in St Giles Church Graffham

Sunday 16th December 2018 at 5.00pm

Anne, Alan, Sue and David have been approached by Graffham's new lady vicar, the Reverend Vivien Turner, to put on a seasonal concert in St Giles Church Graffham at 5.00pm on Sunday 16th December and I am writing to you to ask if you would like to be involved (email southdownsfolksingers@gmail.com as usual to confirm). We have put together a draft programme for this event which you will find attached. It would be fabulous if you could contribute by joining the other singers on the night. The acoustics are good and of course there will be no background noise, so if 15+ volunteer Singers were available it would make this a really enjoyable evening.

Download the programme and songs:
Programme for Christmas Concert in St Giles church Graffham.pdf
SDFS Christmas Carols for Graffham Concert.pdf

Cotillion Perform 'A Sussex Christmas'

Saturday 15th December 2018 at 7.30pm
St Giles’ Church, Shermanbury (map)

Cotillion, well known to many of our singers, will be performing their 90-minute show "A Sussex Christmas" with many local and other folk songs and tunes, poetry and anecdotes around Advent through to Christmas and the New Year. Alan says if you haven't been to the fantastic Shermanbury Church you really should go.

Tickets available at the door.

Whispering Woods in St Giles Church, Shoreham

Saturday 1st December 2018 at 7.30pm
St Giles Church, Upper Shoreham Road, Shoreham

Several of our singers also sing with Shoreham-based a cappella choir Whispering Woods. They will be performing songs and poems to commemorate the centenary of the end of WW1 and also selections from their repertoire of winter songs.

Tickets £6 including a glass of wine or soft drink, available on the door or from a choir member.

Local Group Report – Worthing – Wednesday 7th November 2018

Thirty-six South Downs Folk Singers gathered to enjoy some festive songs at “Y.O.H.A.H.” We caught up with news and plans (including the revised date for our winter social – now set for 2nd February, more details will be on the website soon) and then worked our way through some of the list of seasonal songs due to be used at the Weald and Downland Museum event on 25th November. Starting with The Angel Gabriel we moved on to the Falmer Carol (including its extra verses) and Pentonville, both with some splendid harmonies sung by the chaps. The Holly and the Ivy, Sugar Wassail and Hark the Herald Angels followed. After the break we paused the festive mood to mark this season of remembrance by singing My Boy Jack, before resuming preparations for the Weald and Downland with the Sussex Mummers’ Carol, Sweet Chiming Bells and then a speedy version of the Gloucestershire Wassail – after which we all agreed some increase in pace was in improvement, but maybe not as much as we’d done! At a calmer pace we had some fun with a couple of rounds, Hey Ho Winter Snow and Child of Light, before finishing with Deck the Hall.

A Seasonal Celebration For The Petworth Society

Update 9th November 2018: Minor updates for singers and audience, please read carefully below. For any singers wishing to perform, please note the 15th November deadline for confirming.

Wednesday 12th December, 7.30pm
Leconfield Hall, Petworth (map link)

This event will combine several of the various elements that have steadily developed either independently or out of our coming together as Singers.

Those members who will be playing instruments, Mumming or giving recitations are already rehearsing their contributions, and the rest of us have & can brush up our renditions of the seasonal songs selected at our remaining various monthly meetings including the extra one on the 14th November at YOHAH.

Entry to the event is free for those singers who will be performing (list of names) but non-singing members, friends and family will be asked to pay the Society/Public £5 entry fee which includes refreshments and the hire of the hall.

Due to available space we are limited on the number of singers actually performing to around 30.

Please email southdownsfolksingers@gmail.com by 15th November to confirm if you wish to perform on the night.

You will notice on the programme that Emily will again involve the audience in singing some catches.

Parking is free after 6.00pm in the main town car park (GU28 0AP), so arriving in good time around 7.00pm at the Hall to have any final briefing needed, and get seated, would be very helpful.

With your continuing enthusiasm it should be a great evening.

John C.

Download the Programme (which includes the set list)

W&DLM 'Christmas Market' Sunday 25th November

Again a packed event with over 150 stalls, so if the weather is reasonable it's worth making a day of it.

All the new 'Gateway' buildings are operational now.

As always Sunday is the busiest day with the whole of the overflow car park filled out to West Dean College by 1pm on a good day.

If you arrive early (around 10.00am) you may be able to park in the permanent parking area, or nearer to the entrance booths, and avoid being in the long traffic queues around the site. Use the dedicated members and stall holders queue for quick entry by showing your wristband.

See the organiser's website.

We have two sets, at 11.30am-12.00 noon at the Music Tent in the Market Square and 1.00-1.30pm on the decking outside the Gridshell, with Emily leading us. This will allow you the rest of the day to take in the market stalls and hopefully leave the site more easily.

Dress for cold variable weather and wear stout shoes, but please don whatever festive headgear you want for the occasion.

Please email me to confirm you are coming to allocate the wristbands: southdownsfolksingers@gmail.com

I will be at the practice in Worthing on the 14th November and should have with me by then the Singers' free passes for distribution. If you can't make it on the 14th please ask one of your meeting members (Chichester or Lewes) that are attending to obtain one for you.

If you are one of the above Singers, and in the interim you have discovered another commitment and cannot come to the Market, please email southdownsfolksingers@gmail.com so that I can reallocate the remaining wristbands to those Singers who may be still on the reserve list.

John C.


Provisional set lists

First Set:

1. The Angel Gabriel
2. Sussex Carol
3. Falmer Carol
4. The Holly and the Ivy
5. Sugar Wassail
6. Righteous Joseph
7. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
8. The Fields Lie Silent
9. Pentonville (While Shepherds Watched)

Second Set:

1. Masters in this Hall
2. Wassail! (Gloucestershire)
3. The Moon Shone Bright
4. The Holly Bears a Berry
5. Where Stormy Winds Do Blow
6. Coppers' Christmas Song
7. A Round for the Festive Season
8. Sweet Chiming Bells
9. Deck the Hall

Singing for the Arcade Knitters in Littlehampton

Update 14th December 2018: Unfortunately the planned social get-together after the singing cannot now take place, but please be assured the singing for the Arcade Knitters will still go ahead as previously arranged.

Update 5th December 2018: Here is the set list.

1. Sweet Bells
2. Sussex Carol
3. Sussex Mummers' Carol (Righteous Joseph)
4. The Holly And The Ivy
5. Deck The Hall
6. Here We Come A Wassailing
7. We Wish You A Merry Christmas

Saturday 15th December, afternoon event about 2.45pm

Parkside Evangelical Church, 1 St Floras Road, Littlehampton, BN17 6BD (map)

The Arcade Knitters have asked us to entertain them at their Christmas event.

They meet to knit together and are involved in a number of charity projects, e.g. making wool hats for those who lose hair following chemotherapy and knitting poppies for a display in Littlehampton parish church. Their weekly meeting is between 2.00 and 4.00pm and we would sing for perhaps 25 minutes around 2.45pm. Suitable festive refreshments will be provided and we are sure of a warm welcome.

We will choose songs from the ones we practise for the other Christmas events and I will post a final list nearer the time.

Please email southdownsfolksingers@gmail.com to let me know if you will be able to come. I do not think that Emily will be able to come, so would be grateful if one of our song leaders is able to do so. If not we will just do our best (and jolly fine that will be).

Michael

Local Group Report – Chichester – Thursday 18th October 2018

Last night’s Chichester session took place with 15 singers all told with Alan leading. After a few notices reminding singers of the upcoming events we made a start on some seasonal songs, as we only have two sessions at Chichester before the said events are upon us. We started off with the Sussex Carol and worked our way through The Coppers’ Christmas Song, The Falmer Carol with the addition of the extra verses, the Sans Day Carol, Pentonville which sounded great, and the Sugar Wassail. We reminded ourselves that The Moon Shone Bright is sung by the women with the men humming at the end of the verses. We also ran through The Sussex Mummers’ Carol and Sweet Chiming Bells followed by the new seasonal song Fields Lie Silent, which we all enjoyed. After our break Alan led us with a round of Stir Up We Beseech Thee, which after getting the timing right was good fun.  We finished the evening with a non-Christmassy Valiant’s All at Alan’s request as we hadn’t sung it for a while.

Local Group Report – Lewes – Tuesday 16th October 2018

Sixteen singers made quite a noise at The John Harvey Tavern. Two girls sang with us for the first half as they sipped their wine and three young men having finished a meal, sat at another table and sang along with the help of borrowed words. It seems that English was probably not their first language; what must they have thought of the strange words and grammar!

“I’d rather rest on my true love’s breast

Than any other where.”

And they only met in the first verse!

Tina managed to start us singing soon after 7.30pm with a rousing Fathom The Bowl before looking at another fifteen songs from our winter season songs together with several harmonies. Poor Froze Out Gardeners, Angel Gabriel, The Coppers’ Christmas Song, Shepherd of The Downs, The Fields Lie Silent Now, Searching For Lambs, Where Stormy Winds Do Blow and also our very own Caburn Hill which Dawn had climbed in the morning and new boy, Nick, that afternoon. After a break for refills and chat, we resumed with On Sussex Hills, The Seasons Turn, The Falmer Carol, “Pentonville”, Sussex Wedding Song, finishing with Pleasant And Delightful and Thousands Or More.

Several of us will be singing at the Brunswick, West Hove & Portslade U3A meeting on Wednesday 21st November at Ralli Hall from 2.30pm which Emily has kindly agreed to lead and we hope some of the Worthing group will be joining us.

Next month, the Napier Quire start their weekly rehearsals for the Brighton Pub Carols so Tina has arranged to move our SDFS practice nights to Wednesday 21st November, 7.30pm start, and Wednesday 19th December; that is the day after we would have been meeting. So it looks as if 21st November is a day/night to remember!

New SDFS Performance Opportunities

For the attention of all our singers – some new singing events for November and December have been added to our Diary Dates page.

Local Group Report – Worthing – Wednesday 3rd October 2018

Thanks to all those who attended and contributed to the AGM which preceded our singing. After a short break to revive ourselves the West Sussex Drinking Song got the singing started. Other requests followed – Jim the Carter Lad and Where Stormy Winds Do Blow – with repeated encouragement from Emily to exercise our memories and sing without printed words. Hares on the Mountain (yet to be adopted across all three of our local groups) was sung and fine tuned a little to improve the balance between male and female voices, and The Fields Lie Silent Now (the winter song brought to us last month by Alan and Emily) was tried again – another test for our memories! Steve from the Chichester group then prompted us to sing The Stedham Oysterman’s Song in its entirety – followed by another well-earned break. We resumed with Life of a Man before staring work on the autumnal All Among the Barley (another possible for our seasonal collection). After this we finished a busy evening with Thousands or More and Rolling Home.

Extra Singing Session on 14th November – to herald the winter season

Calling all South Downs Folk Singers who want to perform at the seasonal events we have planned for November and December….

Come and join us for some extra time at “Ye Olde House at Home” pub in Worthing on Wednesday 14th November, to brush-up our repertoire of winter songs.

It’ll be another merry evening of song and we hope to see you there at 7.30p.m. to be singing by 8.00!

Featuring One Of Our Singers...

Please Take Your Feet From Off Our Necks!
An Anthology of Women post WW1 and WW2

Sunday 14 October 5.30-7.30pm
Ropetackle Arts Centre
Tickets £8

The times are slowly changing on the rough and rocky road to equality for women. In Amaryllis Gunn’s new Anthology we hear the voices of the women, and men too, who from WWI & WW2 onwards have made us think, laugh, cry and helped us on our way.

Performed by Amaryllis Gunn, Libby Longhurst and Lucinda Cox.

Tickets from www.ropetacklecentre.co.uk Tel 01273 464440
or go to: www.shorehamwordfest.com

Local Group Report – Lewes – Tuesday 18th September 2018

We started singing at our new time of 7.30pm but I don’t think that is the reason only six women were there! A lot of people take their holidays once the children are back at school!

We spent a very busy time working on harmonies to songs, most of which we will present at Alfriston in October. Tina had prepared and written down 10 harmonies; many of them will work in lower and higher octaves. When we combined the harmonies with the original melody they sounded wonderful – so much better than in unison.

The list consisted of Brave Eleven, Littlehampton Collier Lads, Bee Boy’s Song, Amaryllis’s harmonies for My Boy Jack, Oak Ash And Thorn, and after the break Constant Lovers, They Won’t Let Us Go To Sea Anymore, Follow Me ’Ome, A Smuggler’s Song, Pleasant And Delightful and Thousands Or More.

We all thoroughly enjoy singing and the challenge of holding harmonies, so if you fancy a taste of John Harvey’s and some vocal therapy at a friendly inn, join us next month at The John Harvey Tavern on Tuesday 16th October.

Local Group Report – Chichester – Thursday 20th September 2018

Fifteen of us plus Stanley and Buster, our very well behaved dogs, found our way to Selham to the Three Moles public house on Thursday evening. In the past this was the singing venue for our SDFS West Sussex group and it felt nice to be back in the cosy confines of the public bar. There were also lots of the pub’s regulars in the bar and amazingly they stayed throughout most of the evening to listen to our songs and applaud our spirited singing! We decided to sing all the songs planned for our performances on Saturday at the South Downs Folk Festival in Bognor and a very good choice it was too, as they were all songs which we love and know by heart. So we were able to shut our song books and give it some real welly!

In the first half we sang On Sussex Hills, The Magpie, Pleasant & Delightful, West Sussex Drinking Song, Oak Ash & Thorn, Ale Glorious Ale and Thousands or More. In the second half we regaled the regulars with Gordon’s Three Moles Song, and followed this up with songs about bees, smugglers, turnip hoers and country life. Rosebuds in June sounded particularly sweet, as Storm Bronagh began to brew up outside the pub, and Life of a Man reminded us that the leaves were now really beginning to fall! Two verses of the Song of the Sussex Downsman were enthusiastically tackled before we finally ended the evening at 10.00 pm in time-honoured tradition by singing Rolling Home.

Thanks to all of you who came along to make this a very sociable and enjoyable evening. Next month we will be back once more in the Chichester Inn on Thursday 18th October. If you like a good sing, then do come and join us there. You’ll be made most welcome!

SDFS & Secret Shore Singers at the Southdowns Folk Festival, 2018

Update 24th September 2018 – here's a message to our singers from Emily L:

Dear all,

Thank you so much for your enthusiastic and delightful involvement in the Big Sing, it was a joy to share with you all!
In spite of the chill and the rain we filled the marquee with lovely sound and I had some really nice comments from audience members afterwards who felt glad they'd braved the weather to revel in the fun and the variety of songs.

Singing is a wonderful thing, but becomes something extra special when it is shared communally like that, a nourishing and ancient thing indeed.

Thanks to you Roger for all your effort and vision in bringing the festival in to being again this year.

Best wishes to you all,

Emily L

Roger Nash (Chairman – Southdowns Folk Festival) also sends his thanks for our strong support under adverse circumstances, and a firm request that we support them again in 2019.

Update 21st September 2018: The set list below for The Big Sing has been amended.

Saturday 22nd September 2018

This year one of the themes is celebrating the songs of the South Downs, incorporated into the overall 'Big Sing' community concept at the final performance of each day. All led by Emily with Mike announcing.

There are various performance timings during the day as follows (please be at the individual performance venues at least 15 minutes before stated start time).

Secret Shore Singers Set (the only one for the day) – outside (or inside if wet) William Hardwicke pub 12.00-12.45pm

1. John Kanaka
2. Sweet Ladies Of Plymouth
3. Littlehampton Colliers
4. They Won't Let Us Go To Sea Anymore
5. Roll The Old Chariot
6. Spanish Ladies
7. High Barbaree
8. Mingulay Boat Song
9. Rollin' Down To Old Maui
10. A Rovin'
11. Here's A Health
12. Leave Her Johnny

1st SDFS Set – Small Performance Marquee, High Street opposite Arcade (whatever the weather) 2pm for 20 minutes
Arrive 1.45pm, or earlier if people want to listen to the two choirs performing before us, beginning at 1.20pm – RAFA choir and Broomdasher.

1. On Sussex Hills
2. The Magpie
3. Pleasant and Delightful
4. Oak, Ash & Thorn
5. Ale Glorious Ale
6. Thousands or More

2nd SDFS Set – outside (or inside if wet) William Hardwicke pub 3.05-3.55pm
This slot is to be shared with The Full Shanty. Emily writes "I have asked that we could go second but haven't had confirmation of this yet. I'll let you know when I do soon as poss! If so then we could arrive at 3.20pm ready to sing at 3.30pm."

1. West Sussex Drinking Song
2. The Bee-Boy's Song
3. A Smuggler's Song
4. Country Life
5. Turnip Hoer
6. Rosebuds in June
7. Life of a Man

3rd Set – THE BIG SING!!
4pm at the Small Performance Marquee, High Street opposite the north end of the Arcade (or if wet in the Performance Marquee adjacent to the Regis Centre, opposite the south end of the Arcade)
This will be shared with RAFA, Broomdasher and The Full Shanty

1. All – Country Life
2. RAFA – Sailing
3. Full Shanty – Skipper Jan Rebek
4. Broomdasher – The Keeper
5. SDFS – Thousands or More
6. All – Song of the Sussex Downsman (first verse only)
7. RAFA – To Make You Feel My Love
8. Full Shanty – Haul Away Joe
9. Broomdasher – Broomdasher
10. SDFS – Pleasant and Delightful
11. All – John Kanaka (verses led by The Full Shanty)

We managed to have an eclectic mixture of outfits for the Arundel Festival with both groups of Singers, so blue/green/sand shades predominately if you can for both naval gazers and landlubbers combined.

There are four expensive Pay & Display short-stay car parks in central Boggers, available street parking on a Saturday is at a premium except north of Upper Bognor Road B2259,  behind the University site, or around Victoria Drive with a 10-minute walk in. The London Road long-stay car park (98 places) is the cheapest at £3.00 for 4 hours and above with a 5-minute walk in.

Please let me know if you are coming if you have not already signed up, at southdownsfolksingers@gmail.com

Further details of all Festival events are on the organiser's website.

John C.

“South Downs Folk Singers” – AGM Notice

Our AGM this year will be on Wednesday 3rd October 2018 at our Worthing venue “Ye Olde House at Home”. It will start promptly at 7.00pm to precede our usual monthly singing session there. (Singing will follow at about 8.00pm.)

At the meeting the Committee Minutes file, the Constitution and the Accounts will be available to view, and we will hold the annual elections for the Committee. Voting will be conducted at the AGM by a show of hands and carried on a simple majority of those present.

If you’re interested in standing for election to the Committee, please contact me as soon as possible via the SDFS email address (southdownsfolksingers@gmail.com) with your name and, if available, the names of the singers proposing and seconding you as a candidate. If seeking a particular role or office, please specify.

Also, if there are items you would like to raise for discussion at the meeting please let me know and they can be added to the Agenda.

I look forward to seeing you there, and to singing with you afterwards – Henny (Chairperson)

The South Downs Folk Singers sing at the Fernhurst Furnace Open Day

On Saturday 15th September 2018 sixteen of us sang lustily to entertain visitors and exhibitors alike at the Fernhurst Furnace Open Weekend. At this very enjoyable country fair we stepped back in time to an age when the Weald was home to important iron works, which manufactured cannons for the King’s Navy. As well as musket, cannon and longbow demonstrations and owl and hawk flying, there were many local artisans demonstrating the skills of the time: pole lathe turning, charcoal burning, spinning, blacksmithing and walking stick making. For over an hour in the morning we strolled like wandering minstrels singing songs all over the site, stopping to buy cakes and pies and glasses of beer. We sang Twanky Dillow to the blacksmiths, the Woodcutter’s Song to the woodmen, and several drinking songs to the brewers in the Greyhound Brewery tent. Then over lunch when everyone gathered to partake of the lamb roast (and the vegetarian homity pies) we sang a complete set of traditional Sussex songs which was very well received. In fact the organisers have written to us to say “Everyone thought you were magical and we thank you very much for your attendance, including Buster the spaniel!” Thanks must go to Dave who introduced the songs, Alan who conducted us and to all the singers who joined us and sang so well. I’m sure that we would all love to sing at this event again next year.

PS. Someone left a songbook behind at the site. If you have lost your songbook, let us know and we’ll try to get it back to you!

Downloading Files on Apple Computers

Here's a note for anybody with an Apple computer, following some advice received from Brian D, one of our singers. Thank you Brian.

Apparently, if you're using an Apple computer then when using many of the links on this website to download files you will get a blank window, from which you may conclude that the download has failed. Brian writes for such users: "This is a common artefact caused by incompatibility between Apple and Microsoft download procedures, but in fact the files will still arrive in the Apple Downloads folder. If you go to the Apple Finder window and double click the Downloads folder the files will be there."

I have to say that I do not own and have never used any Apple devices (Apple Mac computers, laptops, iPhones, iPads, etc), which means I am unable to test the operation of this website on these. So any advice from those of you who do have Apple devices is welcome, please send this to southdownsfolksingers@gmail.com

Keith D (the guy who keeps this website running)

Local Group Report – Worthing – Wednesday 5th September 2018

A genial but busy session began with reminder notices about the SDFS AGM in October and event plans for September. We started our singing with Thousands or More and some other old favourites: Rolling in the Dew, Old Adam, and The Turnip Hoer. Emily explained plans for our contribution to the BIg Sing at the Southdowns Folk Festival later this month, which includes joining in on the choruses of John Kanaka. This is not part of our usual folk repertoire so new to some, but fun was had in singing it through. Also in preparation for the SFF we sang the first verse of Song of the Sussex Downsman with the promise that although this is all that is needed for the Big Sing we will be learning the rest of the song in the future. With learning in mind Emily patiently helped us through the first verse of a new song The Fields Lie Silent to sing it without written words, before completing the song with the rest in print. A lovely song, liked by all. West Sussex Drinking Song and Ale Glorious Ale took us to a latish break before resuming with The Bee-Boy's Song, and again The Fields Lie Silent. Some more requests concluded the evening: Pleasant and Delightful, The Ladies Go Dancing At Whitsun and Ebernoe Horn Fair. (P.S. Our next meeting at YOHAH will be on Wednesday 3rd October, commencing at 7.00pm for the AGM to be completed before our singing starts.)

The Three Moles Song

Here's a song written by Gordon S of our Chichester group, which comes from the time (not so long ago) when the Chichester Group met regularly in The Three Moles at Selham. Here are the files provided by Gordon:
ThreeMolesLyrics.pdf
ThreeMolesTune.pdf
ThreeMoles.mid

For anyone who is unable to play the midi file, here's an mp3 file:
ThreeMoles.mp3

SDFS at Hurst Festival's 'Super Sunday'

Update 24th September 2018: Steve Whitehead has sent his thanks for our rousing support during their village day.

Update 9th September 2018: We have received an email from the event organisers with files attached giving further information about parking and what will be happening on the day. Use the links below to download these files.

Hurst2018 email.txt – the email we received
Hurst2018 Parking Super Sunday.docx – shows the map referred to in the email
Hurst2018 Super Sunday Leaflet.pdf – leaflet showing a summary of the day's events; shows when and where people will expect to see us singing.

Anyone planning to arrive early for easier parking and then wondering what to do before the Super Sunday events shown on the leaflet begin may like to know that the Hurstpierpoint Open Studios will be open from 11.00am. Also the walk with Mid-Sussex Ramblers (3 miles) will leave Trinity Road Car Park at 10.30am, finishing at midday.

Update 6th September 2018: The set lists have been added.

Sunday 16th September 2018

Join in with the whole village to celebrate the start of this year’s Festival.

It is taking over the High Street with a fun-filled programme of entertainment to surprise and delight including ourselves.

It will include the annual vintage vehicle transport parade led by a marching band commencing at 12.30pm, other dance and singing groups, combat archery, street entertainers, other interactive activities, morris dancers and the Harris old-time amusements throughout the day.

Street parking is in the estate roads to the north of the High Street, so best to be there by midday to ensure a place.

We are singing outside the New Inn starting between 1.30-2.00pm and 3.30pm in or outside the Village Garden Marquee. If the weather proves variable we will sing undercover.

Please check back here for set lists. Set lists appear below.

Please email me at southdownsfolksingers@gmail.com to volunteer.

Further details of the Hurst Festival are on the organiser's website.

John C.

Set 1:

1. West Sussex Drinking Song F
2. Oak, Ash & Thorn E
3. The Nightingale A
4. The Bee-Boy’s Song E – A
5. Hard Times Of Old England F
6. Ale, Glorious Ale E
7. All Things Are Quite Silent B
8. Peasant & Delightful A
9. Rosebuds In June B
10. The Turnip Hoer B
11. Jolly Good Song

Set 2:

1. On Sussex Hills A
2. A Smuggler’s Song C#
3. Twanky Dillo G
4. Life Of A Man B
5. Country Life Eb – Ab
6. The Magpie B
7. Rolling In The Dew F#
8. Fathom The Bowl D#
9. Thousands Or More A
10. Sussex By The Sea Ab

Song Lists for Fernhurst Furnace Day 2018

Update 13th September 2018: We will meet at 10.30am onwards as below, but most of our singing may now be in the quiet period at lunchtime (12.45-1.30pm) which will give us a better chance of being heard. Wear something comfortable – blue, cream, green and brown, with a cap or straw hat perhaps – but no blue jeans please!

Saturday 15th September 2018

We will sing as wandering minstrels intermittently from about 11.00am till 12.30pm, then a break for lunch, with more singing from 1.30pm till 3.00pm. Meet just after the entrance on the left at 10.30am.

More information on the Fernhurst Furnace website.

Set 1

1. Country Life
2. Ale, Glorious Ale
3. A Smuggler’s Song
4. Brisk Young Ploughboy
5. Fathom the Bowl
6. Hard Times of Old England
7. Jim the Carter Lad
8. Oak, Ash & Thorn
9. On Sussex Hills
10. Rolling in the Dew
11. Pleasant and Delightful

Set 2

1. West Sussex Drinking Song
2. The Turnip Hoer
3. The Magpie
4. The Lark in the Morning
5. The Nightingale
6. The Farmer’s Toast
7. Twanky Dillow
8. Life of a Man
9. The Woodcutter’s Song
10. Sussex by the Sea
11. Thousands or More

The Fields Lie Silent update

There have been a few small changes to the lyrics of this song, which can be downloaded from this post.

Local Group Report – Lewes – Tuesday 21st August 2018

One of the best ways to spend a summer evening is sitting in a pub (or its garden) with a glass of something long and cool in the company of folk who just love to sing. Two new female voices joined us because their Lewes choir is on holiday and they needed to exercise their vocal chords – hopefully, we filled the gap and they will return next month. Jonathan came back for a third session, so there were 14 of us. We must be improving because a couple from Essex and another diner stayed for the whole of the first half and borrowed word sheets so that they could join in.

We warmed up with Fathom The Bowl and The Turmut Hoer, before looking at songs that a small group will sing at Mac’s Alfriston Folk Club in October. The two sets will consist of Kipling songs and sea songs, so we sang Follow Me ’Ome, Constant Lovers, Oak Ash And Thorn and Pleasant And Delightful, before a refill break and then Brave Eleven, Littlehampton Collier Lads, My Boy Jack, Bee Boy’s Song, A Smuggler’s Song and They Won’t Let Us Go To Sea Anymore. Tina had prepared harmonies for ten of the songs, mostly a lower drone line which could be sung by either low or higher voices. Our songs sounded much richer with the variety added.

We agreed that next month we will aim to arrive at The John Harvey Tavern earlier and try and start singing by 7.30pm so that we don’t overrun past 10pm. Probably wishful planning, but we’ll try anything to get more singing time! We finished with Thousands or More.

Local Group Report – Chichester – Thursday 16th August 2018

Twenty three of us plus our good canine friends Buster and Stanley enjoyed a very jolly sing at the Chichester Inn on Thursday evening. We warmed up by singing Oak Ash & Thorn, the Bee-Boys Song and Pleasant and Delightful and then went on in the first half to sing many old favourites, including The Smugglers Song, On Sussex Hills, all four verses of the West Sussex Drinking Song, The Turnip Hoer and The Magpie. We were certainly singing very well as a choir and having a lot of fun too.

In the second half we tackled some new and less familiar songs, starting with Gordon’s humorous The Three Moles; Alan taught us to sing the beautiful winter song The Fields Lie Silent and Dave introduced us to a new song entitled One for the Rook which tells how the old ploughmen used to have to sow four seeds in order to ensure that at least one “lived to grow”. We finished the evening by bravely singing two verses of the Song of the Sussex Downsman and Keith managed to guide us through the tricky bits and keep us all on track. I really hope we eventually manage to learn this lovely song and sing it out.

Thanks to all of you who came to make this a very successful evening. Please be aware that next month we will meet on Thursday 20th September, but at The Three Moles Inn in Selham, near Graffham. See you there!

SDFS at 'The 1918 Lloyd George Garden Party', Danny House, Hurstpierpoint

Update 3rd September 2018: Richard B has emailed John to thank us for our singing yesterday.

Dear John,

I wanted to thank you and all the South Downs Folk Singers for being here yesterday and adding so much to the unique occasion. We all loved it and thank you very much indeed.

Hope to see you all again soon.

Best wishes,

Richard

Update 27th August 2018: The timetable for the unveilling of the Lloyd George statue has been added.

Sunday 2nd September 2018
The afternoon's festivities celebrate Danny's association with the signing of the Armistice.

For those of you who like dressing up and formal dancing this is an added element to supporting this event which is part of the 'Hurst Festival' of which our further participation on the 16th September at the Hurstpierpoint 'Super Sunday' village day is also a component (details to follow).

You don't need to be in period costume or join in the dancing as it is ticketed and open to the general public. The usual blue & green apparel elements if possible, if you're not in costume. Seeing there is a 'Hot Rhythm' Orchestra, the tunes might migrate into the period up to WW2.

Arrive by 2.00pm with parking on site and entry by named list for the Singers taking part. Please email me on southdownsfolksingers@gmail.com by 29th August if you are coming.

We will sing, at appropriate intervals, songs from the Bateman's song sets (details to be confirmed and added) during the breaks in the dance programme and at other times, adjacent to or in the smaller refreshment marquees (depending on weather) and away from the large dance marquee where the Orchestras will not be amplified.

A statue of Lloyd George is to be unveiled at 2.40pm with the following timetable. Those Singers who did the extra practise evening with Emily and Amaryllis before Bateman's will sing MBJ.

Commencing 2.40pm:
My Boy Jack
Poem written and read by Danny resident Morgan Kenny
Thought and prayers by Rev’d Jane Willis
Speech and unveiling by Colin Prickett
LGB brass band play a hornpipe and any volunteers all try and dance the hornpipe like LLoyd George!

"Looking forward to seeing you all again. Richard Burrows."

John C.

The Fields Lie Silent: A New Song For Us

Update 23rd August 2018: A few small changes have been made to the lyrics. Use the link below to the pdf file to download these.
Q: How do I know I'm looking at the new version?
A: At the bottom of the lyrics page you will see "revised 23rd August 2018".

Here's a new song from Alan, The Fields Lie Silent, written by Colin Gates.

Use the links below to download mp3 and pdf files.

Recording with melody and harmony: Fields Lie Silent.mp3

Recording with melody only: Fields Lie Silent melody.mp3

Recording with harmony only: Fields Lie Silent harmony.mp3

Lyrics: Fields Lie Silent.pdf

Score - melody only: Fields_Lie_Silent score.pdf

Score - melody and harmony: Fields_Lie_Silent w harmony score.pdf

Local Group Report – Worthing – Wednesday 1st August 2018

We almost reached a record 50 with 48 singers gathering at YOHAH for this month’s session. Nattering and notices kicked off proceedings and a shortlist of the songs we are due to use at Bateman’s was agreed for the evening’s Sing. So, with the volume turned up by the number of voices present, we sang through and polished The Bee Boy’s Song, All Things are Quite Silent, Follow Me ’Ome and Home Lads, Home. A small group then presented My Boy Jack, as planned at last month’s session, which was duly approved. A refreshment break (with a longer queue than usual at the bar!) took up some time before we resumed with work on a medley of wartime songs that could be added to our performance on Sunday (tbc on the day). None strictly South Downs songs but doubtless known, sung and made their own by all who became comrades in the Great War. A verse or chorus each from Keep the Home Fires Burning, It’s a Long Way to Tipperary and Pack up your Troubles were sung through and then shared between us to weave them together into the medley. We finished our singing with a rousing Thousands or More before the gathered crowd dispersed, with thanks again to Emily and all.

SDFS & Secret Shore Singers At Arundel Festival Sunday 19th August 2018

Flying Turmuts and Ahoy Landlubbers!

As Arundel was the original port, not Littlehampton, in combination we will be representing both aspects of its past in our song sets.

The SSS commence our contribution to the day at 1.00pm outside The Swan P.H. for perhaps 35 minutes as we have until 2.00pm before the Silver Band set up.

The SDFS  will do a short 'warm up' session in Tarrant Street outside the Nineveh Chapel as last year from around 2.35 till 2.50pm, and then decamp to the Town Square to do the 3.00 to 3.30pm song set.

The SSS will then sing a set outside The Swan again from 4.30pm for say 35 minutes.

Given the experience of the Littlehampton Waterfront Festival, provisions are being requested to relocate sets inside The Swan and possibly also the Norfolk Arms Hotel in the event of inclement conditions.

Please gather for each respective set at least 15 minutes before the start time.

As there will be a mix of both groups of singers, come dressed as you feel appropriate, and there may also be acolytes from Emily's Family Singing Workshop in the parish church the previous day between 10.00am and 12.00 noon on a couple of songs.

I'll be street parking on the Ford Road side of the town on Torton Hill as usual and walking in under the A27 bridge and via The Slipe and Tarrant Street which takes about 10 minutes as parking is at a premium unless you arrive early in the town.

Please email John for the SDFS if you are coming and Emily for the SSS and copy John in to help co-ordination.

Contact mobile for the day is J.C. 07542 167828


SSS Song Sets are the same as for the LWF:

Set 1

1. John Kanaka
2. Sweet Ladies of Plymouth
3. Littlehampton Colliers
4. Pleasant and Delightful
5. Leave Her Jonny (men on verses)
6. Here's a Health

Set 2

1. Roll the Old Chariot
2. High Barbaree
3. Roll Alabama
4. Rollin' Down To Old Maui
5. Mingulay Boat song

Set 3

1. Haul Away Joe
2. Our Jack Comes Home
3. Spanish Ladies
4. They Won't Let Us Go To Sea Anymore
5. A Rovin'

And SDFS will be a selection from the Bateman's two sets.
As always fingers crossed for good weather.

John C

New Song Workshops For The Autumn

From Chris Hare we have news of a series of free song workshops to be held in Worthing and Rusper (near Horsham), starting in the autumn. The songs taught will be a mix of those written by Hilaire Belloc and those collected by Lucy Broadwood. As with the previous Songs of the South Downs, and Secret Shore courses, the workshops will combine teaching of the songs with short talks about the life and works of Hilaire Belloc and Lucy Broadwood.

Full details are on the Belloc, Broadwood and Beyond website and also this flyer (pdf file download).

You may also like to visit the Hilaire Belloc Society website.

Local Group Report – Chichester – Thursday 19th July 2018

Fifteen singers and two very well-behaved dogs pitched up to our monthly sing at the Chichester Inn on Thursday evening. Our voices blended beautifully and we enjoyed singing through many of the songs on the set list for our concert at Bateman’s next month. This 17th-century house in Burwash, East Sussex was once the home of Rudyard Kipling and this year is celebrating the centenary of the end of the First World War. So we sang songs pertaining to Kipling and military service, notably Oak, Ash & Thorn, Follow Me ’Ome, All Things are Quite Silent, Home Lads Home, The Ladies go Dancing at Whitsun, The Nightingale and Ha’nacker Mill.

After a break to refill our glasses, Gordon taught us to sing his very amusing self-penned song The Three Moles, Anne and Alan gave us a lovely winter song entitled The Fields Lie Silent Now which has a very nice chorus, and Dave (acting on recent suggestions that we perhaps need a couple more Great War songs in our armoury) led the group in singing an easy medley of Keep the Home Fires Burning / Long Way to Tipperary / Pack up Your Troubles and a rousing version of Hanging on the Old Barbed Wire, all of which went down really well, especially when we split into parts and tried singing the three medley songs all at the same time! We finished the evening by singing Sussex by the Sea and then some of the ladies broke into We’ll Meet Again as we packed up. Well we will indeed meet again next month at 8pm at the Chichester Inn on Thursday 16th August. Hope you can join us!

Local Group Report – Lewes – Tuesday 17th July 2018

For various summer-related reasons, only eleven of us arrived at The John Harvey Tavern. Jan had brought her friend Maggie, who recognised several of our songs, and Adrian and Jane managed to come over from Seaford. With only two male voices, we made a goodly sound. Tina had brought the set list for Bateman’s which was hot off the SDFS website, so we sang through all twenty one songs on the list (including My Boy Jack) and for good measure, East Sussex Drinking Song and Thousands or More – mind you, we didn’t clear away our glasses until 10.45!

Bateman’s: WW1 Final Defeat of Germany / Armistice Remembrance

Sunday 5th August 2018

As we did last year there will be two song sets, one before lunch and one in the afternoon, led by Emily. Please be on site by 11.00am.

If precipitation is forecast a gazebo will be put up in the Mulberry Garden outside the Cafe to shelter us.

We have been offered free teas and coffees and an ice cream this year.

Please wear an item of blue, green, cream apparel if possible and a B.L. poppy if you still have one.

The number of Singers participating is limited to 30 this year on a first-come first-served basis, with a reserve list if necessary. Free entry is by this list. Email me to volunteer: southdownsfolksingers@gmail.com

Please car share if possible and let me know the car's registration number (unless you have already provided this for me at an event earlier in the year), to enable free parking. If you are a National Trust member then you will already have a parking sticker.

Fingers crossed for good weather again.

John C

First Set:

1. Oak, Ash & Thorn E
2. The Nightingale A
3. All Things Are Quite Silent B
4. Pleasant & Delightful A
5. Dancing At Whitsun B
6. The Bee-Boy’s Song G
7. Follow Me ’Ome B-G#
8. Ale, Glorious Ale E
9. Rosebuds In June B
10. Country Life Eb-Ab
11. Jolly Good Song

Second Set:

1. West/East Sussex Drinking Song F
2. The Magpie B
3. Home Lads, Home B
4. On Sussex Hills A
5. Life Of A Man B
6. My Boy Jack C
7. Hard Times Of Old England F
8. Ha’nacker Mill E
9. A Smuggler’s Song C#
10. Sussex By The Sea Ab
11. Jolly Good Song

Local Group Report – Worthing – Wednesday 4th July 2018

By popular vote our songs this month focussed mainly on the theme of the event we are due to do at Batemans in August. On an already hot summer evening we warmed up with Thousands or More before turning our attention to working on the wartime songs in our repertoire – Follow Me 'Ome; Ha'nacker Mill; The Ladies Go Dancing at Whitsun; All Things Are Quite Silent and Home, Lads, Home. After the break we discussed My Boy Jack and ways in which we could use it at Bateman's, but since it was not known by many of the singers present this was deferred to a separate session for a smaller group to prepare and perform within the set on the day. We continued with some other requests for other songs in need of a polish – Where Stormy Winds Do Blow and Old Adam. So with some enjoyable singing and quenching of thirsts in good company, our evening was done.

'Rural Life' Historic Gardens Weekend, Weald & Downland Living Museum

The post with details for this event has now been updated with performance times and set lists.

Local Group Report – Chichester – Thursday 21st June 2018

On the evening of a balmy Midsummer Solstice 14 singers plus Stanley the dog came to the Chichester Inn and we sat round in a circle and filled the bar with merry song. We were joined by two welcome newcomers, Cathy and Gemma, who lent their voices keenly to our more popular traditional songs and were content to attempt the less well-known songs that we practised. We are always happy to welcome new singers to our group and are able to give you the song words so that you can join in with our singing. Many of the songs that we sang are on the set list for our concert at the Foresters Arms in Graffham on Wednesday 27th June at 7.00 pm. We started with Stormy Winds and went on to sing the Farmer’s Toast and A Smuggler’s Song. These were followed by the West Sussex Drinking Song, Rolling in the Dew, Fathom the Bowl and Poor Froze-out Gardeners. The singing sounded really beautiful, although this time we missed not having Amaryllis and her group of talented harmony singers to add that extra sparkle! The last two songs before the break were the Turnip Hoer and the Bee Boy’s Song.

In the second half we practised a new song To Be A Farmer’s Boy, which could easily become another gem in our repertoire, as it has a very well-known chorus. Then we sang the first two verses of Arthur Beckett’s Song of the Sussex Downsman and were grateful to Keith and Alwyn for guiding us through the trickier bits of the scansion and melody. Stephen regaled us with an interesting song he has researched called The Marler’s Song and Chris, when urged to contribute, gave us The D-Day Dodgers and we all joined in with the refrain. Finally there was just enough time to finish with Rolling Home. Our thanks to everyone who came along to sing. We hope to see you next Wednesday at Graffham, but if not then our next session at the Chichester Inn will be on Thursday 19th July.

SDFS at Graffham

Everyone is really looking forward to singing at the Foresters Arms on Wednesday 27th June.
Don't miss it!
It will be a grand evening.

Local Group Report – Lewes – Tuesday 19th June 2018

Sixteen, enough to make four parts of four and sing through summer songs, new and old, with a few that may come up in the Bateman’s song list and the occasional request! Country Life, West Sussex Drinking Song, All Things Are Quite Silent, Follow Me ’Ome, Home Lads Home, Run of The Downs (we wish we had a better tune), The Bee Boy’s Song, The Magpie, The Nightingale and A Smuggler’s Song before the break. Then Littlehampton Collier Lads, Lark in the Morning, Song of the Sussex Downsman, Fathom the Bowl, Rosebuds in June, Pleasant and Delightful, Rolling In The Dew, The Farmer’s Toast and finishing with Thousands or More.

Local Group Report – Worthing – Wednesday 6th June 2018

After some chat about future events and calls for volunteers to enlist for these, we sang through a selection of songs from the setlist planned for our next outing to the Weald and Downland Museum on 10th June – Country Life; The Bee Boy's Song; Brisk Young Ploughboy; Oak, Ash and Thorn; Life of a Man and A Smuggler's Song.  Emily then introduced us to Reynard the Fox, a song she has just begun to learn from the Lucy Broadwood collection.  We followed her in trying out the first verse of this and we look forward to more at future sessions.  After the break we successfully repeated this verse and went on to remind ourselves of the what we’d learned from the Song of the Sussex Downsman a while ago.  Requests followed for Twankydillo and then Hares on the Mountain. The May Day Carol and Hal an Tow were similarly revisited, with the suggestion that these be added to our official repertoire for use again in Maytime performances next year. With seasonal songs in mind our evening finished with Alan and others who knew it singing Seasons of the Year – and very lovely it was too, thank you Alan and all.

SDFS sing at Weald & Downland Living Museum

On Sunday 19th June over a score of us merry South Downs Folk Singers performed at the Morris Day of Dance at the Weald & Downland Living Museum at Singleton. It was a lovely sunny summer’s day and Morris sides came from near and far to demonstrate their colourful brand of traditional dancing. We were invited to entertain between dances with three sets of songs from Sussex and the South Downs and our enthusiastic singing was very well received by a large crowd of people well versed in the folk tradition. Our lusty songs about country life, smugglers, ploughboys and turnip hoers could be heard loud and clear in the Market Square and around the park where groups of tired dancers sat and rested and joined in with the choruses. Our thanks as ever to Emily for leading the singing and for encouraging us to give a great performance!

A Sussex Calendar with Cotillion

Anne's and Alan's folk group 'Cotillion' will be performing a folk show 'A Sussex Calendar'
at Newtimber Church (map link)
on Saturday 23rd June, arrive at 7pm.

It takes us through the seasons with local songs, tunes, poems etc.

Tickets £10 to include refreshments.

Contact Lucy Dalrymple, Church Warden on 01273 881877 for further info and tickets.

South Downs Folk Singers sing at Horsham English Festival

On Sunday 13th May twenty-five stalwart singers visited the Horsham English Festival and entertained the good people of Horsham with an excellent selection of Sussex songs. Introduced by Dave and conducted with great aplomb by Alan, we sang songs of magpies, bees, soldiers, smugglers, sailors and turnip hoers and finished the 45 minute set with a rousing rendition of Sussex by the Sea. We were complimented on our performance by the townsfolk, many of whom joined in with the choruses. The afternoon was organised by Horsham Folk Club and a collection was made in aid of the Samaritans. Well done to everyone who participated!

South Downs Folk Singers sing at Butser Ancient Farm

Following a very successful concert of songs celebrating country life and the arrival of May, which we performed in the ancient long house at Butser Ancient Farm on 5th May as part of the annual Beltain Festival, here is a sepia photograph of some of the singers who took part. We dressed up to reflect the dress style of rural folk at the beginning of the 19th century.

SDFS at the 'Rural Life' Historic Gardens Weekend, Weald & Downland Living Museum

Update 28th June 2018: The performance times and set lists have been added below.

Sunday 1st July 2018

Organiser's website

Here's a chance to both sing and find out how to keep the fly off your turmuts organically!!!

Details for the weekend are here and we will be the only wandering minstrels on the Sunday.

You will need to let me know via email by the 24th June if you want to sing on the day so that your name can be put on the list for free entry, as I won't be at the YOHAH, Worthing Meeting on the 5th June.

Many thanks,
John C


SDFS performance times

11.00am, 11.30am and 12.00 noon near the millpond (C9 on the site plan)
2.00pm at Bayleaf Farmhouse (B1)
2.45pm near the millpond (C9)

Please gather at 10.45am near the millpond in readiness for our first set.

The songs we’ll be singing are:

Set 1 11.00am near the millpond:

1. Country Life Eb
2. Rosebuds In June B
3. The Nightingale A
4. The Magpie B
5. Oak, Ash & Thorn E

Set 2 11.30am near the millpond:

1. West Sussex Drinking Song F
2. Life Of A Man B
3. A Smuggler’s Song C#
4. Thousands Or More A
5. On Sussex Hills A
6. The Turnip Hoer B

Set 3 12.00 noon near the millpond:

1. Twanky Dillo G
2. Pleasant & Delightful A
3. Ale, Glorious Ale E
4. The Bee-Boy’s Song G
5. Brisk Young Ploughboy C

Set 4 2.00pm at Bayleaf Farmhouse:

1. The Farmer’s Toast A
2. Rosebuds In June B
3. Hard Times Of Old England F
4. Green Grow The Laurel G
5. Ale, Glorious Ale E

Set 5 2.45pm near the millpond:

1. Old Adam D
2. The Bee-Boy’s Song G
3. Rolling In The Dew F# - B
4. Jim The Carter Lad C#
5. The Turnip Hoer B
6. Jolly Good Song

For more information about what is happening on the day, read this document (pdf file). SDFS are mentioned at the very end of this. You may be interested to know that at 11.00am (when we will be singing) and again at 1.30pm a '10-minute taster talk' will be given on Alehouse culture and songs in Winkhurst Tudor kitchen (B2).

SDFS at the Foresters Arms, Graffham

Wednesday 27th June 2018
7.00pm – 9.30pm

We have been invited to perform an evening of folk songs in the garden of the Foresters Arms in Graffham (GU28 0QA) on Wednesday 27th June as part of this year's Graffham Arts Festival. As is our custom we will be singing a rousing selection of songs that reflect life in the Sussex countryside across the centuries. It would be lovely if as many of our singers as possible could come along on this date and enjoy a few songs and a drink out of doors on a balmy midsummer’s evening. (Under cover if wet.)

We shall gather at 7.00pm and eventually sing two sets:

First Set 7.30pm till 8.10pm:

1. Country Life [Eb]
2. West Sussex Drinking Song [E]
3. Oak, Ash & Thorn [E]
4. The Magpie [B]
5. The Bee-Boy’s Song [G - C]
6. Ale, Glorious Ale [E]
7. The Turnip Hoer [B]
8. A Smuggler’s Song [C#]
9. Pleasant and Delightful [A]
10. Thousands or More [A]
11. Jolly Good Song

Second Set 8.30pm till 9.10pm:

1. On Sussex Hills [A]
2. Fathom the Bowl [D# - G#]
3. The Nightingale [A]
4. Rosebuds in June [B - E]
5. Rolling in the Dew [G]
6. Where Stormy Winds Do Blow [A -D]
7. The Farmer’s Toast [A - D]
8. Twanky Dillow [G#]
9. Sussex by the Sea [G#]
10. Rolling Home [A - D]

Please sign up as usual by e-mailing your name to John C at southdownsfolksingers@gmail.com if you wish to attend this event.

There will be extra parking available by the Recreation Ground (follow the signs and take the turning on the left by the war memorial just beyond the pub).

David G

Local Group Report – Lewes – Tuesday 15th May 2018

Angela and Margo couldn’t get over to Lewes but there were 17 around the tables, including Adrian and Jane who have moved to Seaford and three new voices, Jonathan, Emily and Sarah.

Tina managed to lead the group through Pleasant and Delightful, The Nightingale, A Smuggler’s Song, Oak, Ash and Thorn, The Magpie, The Bee Boy’s Song, Lark In The Morning, Dave’s Caburn Hill, Searching For Lambs, Hares On The Mountain, West Sussex Drinking Song, Brisk Young Ploughboy, Old Adam, The Turnip Hoer, Malcolm’s Compassion and finish with Thousands Or More.

Local Group Report – Worthing – Wednesday 2nd May 2018

The arrival of May was duly celebrated in song during our gathering this month. We warmed up with Country Life before enjoying the seasonal songs chosen for our performance events this month: Hal An Tow, The May Day Carol, Summer is A-Comin In and It is the First of May / Good Morning Lords and Ladies. The Bee Boy’s Song, Lark in the Morning and Brisk Young Ploughboy followed with a break included. Still with an eye on our set lists for the Butser and Horsham events a few of our more established songs were requested and sung: A Smugglers Song, Sussex by the Sea and Life of a Man. The last request made was for Searching for Lambs, about which some discussion ensued on whether or not to change “doth” to “do” and “step” to “tread” – no changes were made and our evening closed with this lovely song.

SDFS at the Morris Day Of Dance, Weald & Downland Living Museum

Update 9th June 2018: The set list has been added below. Apologies for the delay in providing this.

Sunday 10 June 2018
10.30am - 6.00pm

Organiser's website

Come along for a day to celebrate this traditional form of English folk dance, its music and song.

We (SDFS) have also agreed to join the programme. PLEASE LET ME KNOW BY THE 1ST JUNE IF YOU WANT TO PARTICIPATE so that I can put your name on the list as a Singer for free entrance on the day.

A whole host of sides will perform at the Museum to show the wide range of dances and music in the Morris tradition, and prove that it doesn’t just involve bells and handkerchiefs!

Confirmed morris sides participating include:

• Knockhundred Shuttles
• Sompting Village Morris, with Morris Minors
• Fleur de Lys Morris Dancers
• Minden Rose
• Deorfrith Morris
• Victory Morris
• TRADS with Gail Duff

There will be displays of maypole and country dancing with plenty of opportunities to join in.

John C.

First set starting at 11.45am in the Market Square:

1. Country Life
2. Rosebuds In June
3. The Nightingale
4. The Magpie
5. Oak, Ash And Thorn

Second set 1.00pm in the Market Square:

1. West Sussex Drinking Song
2. Life Of A Man
3. A Smuggler's Song
4. Thousands Or More
5. Sussex Hills
6. Turnip Hoer

Third set 2.40pm in the Market Square:

1. Twanky Dillo
2. Pleasant And Delightful
3. Ale, Glorious Ale
4. The Bee Boy's Song
5. Brisk Young Ploughboy
6. Country Life

SDFS at the English Festival, Horsham

Update 1st May 2018: The set list has been added below. Car parking passes are available to singers on the day to be issued this Wednesday (2nd May) at YOHAH on submission of the car's registration (apologies for the late notice but this concession only came through today, despite being mooted more than a month ago). Car sharing would help as spaces are limited (not specified).

Sunday 13th May 2018

For the second year running we will be supporting the Horsham Folk Club's musical day on behalf of the Samaritans, at the Bandstand in the Carfax.

It will be a 40-45 minute song set commencing at 2.00pm.

Final details will be posted here as they become available.

Organiser's flyer download (pdf file)

Song List

1. West Sussex Drinking Song E
2. Pleasant & Delightful A
3. The Magpie B
4. Oak, Ash & Thorn E
5. The Bee-Boy’s Song G
6. Ale, Glorious Ale E
7. The Turnip Hoer B
8. A Smuggler’s Song C#
9. The Nightingale A
10. Brisk Young Ploughboy C
11. Sussex Drinking Song A
12. Life of a Man B
13. Thousands or More A
14. Country Life Eb–Ab
15. Sussex by the Sea A
16. Jolly Good Song

The Last Trip Home with Cotillion

A celebration of the working horse and ox in folk song and verse

with Cotillion (Anne, Alan, Linda and Bonnie).

Saturday 28th April 2018 at 7.30pm in St Giles’ Church, Shermanbury (map)

Tickets £10 include refreshments, available at Village Care, Henfield,

or on the night at the door,
or from Richard Putnam 01273 493154.

Local Group Report – Chichester – Thursday 19th April 2018

Fifteen singers plus Stanley the dog came to the Chichester Inn on Thursday night and even the landlord agreed that we were in very fine voice as we sang through the two sets of songs planned for Saturday evening at Butser Ancient Farm on the 5th May. We were reminded that it was Primrose Day, which marks the death of Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli on 19th April, 1881. “And all England, so they say, yearly blooms on Primrose Day.” We were more concerned however with preparing to “sing in the May”, so we started with Sumer Is Icumen In and Hal-an-Tow and then went on to sing about Country life, Downland trees and Sussex creatures, including Magpies, Bees and Larks. After a short interval at 9 o’clock, we had a go at Searching for Lambs just because the tune is so beautiful. We all agreed that it should be sung with the men singing the protagonist’s verses and the women singing the responses from the maid who from home had strayed.

In the second half we enjoyed singing Good morning Lords and Ladies it is the first of May, Pleasant and Delightful, Ale Glorious Ale and The Nightingale, before turning our attentions to rural tradesmen such as turnip hoers, brisk young ploughboys and farriers. We finished up singing Thousands or More at which the ladies commented that the men were “wallowing” in the refrain. So this prompted a quick chorus of The Hippopotamus Song in which we could wallow to our heart’s content!

Hope to see you all at the Chichester Inn on Thursday 17th May when once again we will have fun singing the old and not so old songs that connect us with our beautiful county of Sussex!

Local Group Report – Worthing – Wednesday 4th April 2018

Our April session attracted a goodly crowd of songsters. With enjoyment and future performances in mind, and with Emily’s patient guidance, we worked on a couple of the songs we are still learning (The Bee Boy’s Song and Lark in the Morning), and then two more also on the setlist designed for the Butser Farm event in May (Hal an Tow, with Alan doing an excellent solo on the verses, and the May Day Carol). After the break we returned to more familiar material and sang our way through most of the songs planned for use at the Weald and Downland Museum’s Spring event on 15th April (Old Adam, Green Grow the Laurel, Ebernoe Horn Fair, The Brisk Young Ploughboy, The Farmer’s Toast and Rosebuds in June). Just for us we finished with Rolling Home, a song not from the South Downs but now beloved by many, to conclude our sessions. We look forward to welcoming the merry month of May and all comers again at our next sing at Ye Olde House at Home on 2nd May. See you there!

SDFS at the Weald & Downland Living Museum, Sunday 15th April 2018

Update 8th April 2018: The set lists have been added below. Emily will be leading us with announcements by Mike. Entry for Singers will be by name on the list at 'The Gateway' / Museum Shop. Final date to be included on the list is 11th April.

This will be the first in a series of Rural Life Weekends, focusing on how people of the past would have lived at this time of the year.

This is a new departure for us with the Museum, to be phased between other site activities, with shorter song sets, but more of them during the day. If it proves successful then we may participate in further events of this nature.

These will commence at 11.00am, 12.30pm and 2.00pm with the possibility of 3.30pm if weather conditions and numbers of visitors on the day make it worthwhile. Performances will be around the Market Square or indoors adjacent if the weather is variable.

The songs will be from our usual cannon for this time of year. Final details will be posted as they become available.

Please email John on southdownsfolksingers@gmail.com if you are volunteering for the event.

Further information on the organiser's website.

Song Set 1:

1. West Sussex Drinking Song (E)
2. The Magpie (C)
3. The Nightingale (A)
4. Hard Times Of Old England (F)
5. Green Grow The Laurel (A)
6. Fathom The Bowl (D)

Song Set 2:

1. Country Life (Eb)
2. A Smuggler’s Song (C#)
3. Pleasant & Delightful (G)
4. Brisk Young Ploughboy (C)
5. Rosebuds In June (B)
6. The Turnip Hoer (C)

Song Set 3:

1. Twanky Dillo (G)
2. Oak, Ash & Thorn (E)
3. Rolling In The Dew (F)
4. On Sussex Hills (A)
5. Ebernoe Horn Fair (G)
6. Jim The Carter Lad (B)

Song Set 4:

1. The Farmer’s Toast (A)
2. Old Adam (E)
3. Rosebuds In June (B)
4. Thousands Or More (A)
5. Life Of A Man (B)
6. Sussex By The Sea (A)
7. Jolly Good Song