We were all in very good voice at our monthly group meeting on Thursday evening. Fifteen singers came along to sing a dozen stirring folk songs in the music room of the Chichester Inn in West Street, Chichester. Facing each other around a collection of tables we warmed up by singing a lusty version of Twanky Dillow followed by a more sensitive rendition of The Constant Lovers. These were followed by Stormy Winds and Searching for Lambs, two songs from our Shepherding Suite. In preparation for the Beltane Festival event at Butser Iron Age Farm on Saturday 5th May we sang Hal-an-Tow and Sumer Is Icumen In, this latter a very ancient song composed in the Wessex dialect of Middle English. We sang this as a round but it sounded even more effective when half the group backed up the others by singing “Sing Cuckoo!” throughout as a rhythmic counterpoint to the melody.
After a break to chat and re-fill our glasses we sang Wassail the Silver Apple, but we all agreed that we need to find some slightly better harmonies for the choruses. We then practised the lovely Lark in the Morning and Kipling’s Bee Boy’s Song and followed these with two jolly May songs: Good morning Lords and Ladies it is the first of May and the May Day Carol. After this there was time for just two more songs, so we sang the West Sussex Drinking Song and finished up in time honoured tradition by singing John Tams’ Rolling Home. It was a pleasant evening of pastime and good company. If you like singing, you ought to join us for our next local group sing on Thursday 19th April at the Chichester Inn. You will be made most welcome!
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