Local Group Report – Chichester – Thursday 20th June 2019

‘Twelve good men and women and true’ met in the Chichester Arms to further the maintenance of the local folk-song tradition. Only two canines were registered as present on this occasion.

Alan was officiating and managed to keep order for most of the time.

In order to ensure that we would be at our best for the following Sunday’s performance at the Weald and Downland Museum we practised a number of songs from the gig-list. We concentrated on those numbers that it was felt were sometimes our Achilles heel such as The Song of the Sussex Downsman and The Beeboy’s Song. Then we attended to others in the list and a few more that were nominated as being of either some difficulty or that could be sung in gusto or with joyous enthusiasm.

A lively linguistic discussion was continued into the use of auxiliary verbs shall and will. When to use which as a simple future or a more determined action to be? A rather practical approach was proposed as a useful ‘cop-out’ when in doubt i.e. the use of I’ll or he’ll etc.

We had another bash at Our Captain Cried All Hands and tried another song that could be used as an alternative to Rolling Home before wending our ways homeward. This was Come Stranger Come Friend. This rather lovely but partly sad song was a favourite of the well-known East Sussex folk singer and accordion player Ron Spicer, and of his father George before him.

As the new number was still awaiting a state of perfection we left, as oft times before, to the roaring of Rolling home.

Editor’s note: For those concerned about the use of shall and will I suggest using the following links:
https://www.lexico.com/en/grammar/shall-or-will
https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/shall
https://www.englishclub.com/grammar/verbs-modals_shall-will.htm
https://www.grammar-monster.com/easily_confused/shall_will.htm