Nineteen singers and three very well-behaved dogs came along to our monthly sing at the Chichester Inn. People were in noticeably high spirits and there were lots of jokes and banter, especially amongst the men. Dave G chaired the proceedings and attempted to lead everyone in a stimulating variety of songs, including songs about beer, sailors, shepherds and young lovers. We warmed our voices by singing lustily songs like Gooches Beer and O Good Ale and then went on to sing the Saucy Sailor and All Around My Hat before slowing down the tempo with Searching for Lambs and Shepherd of the Downs. Then as promised months earlier we tackled the elusive third verse of the Song of the Sussex Downsman. With the aid of the music score and Keith’s excellent musical advice we were finally able to sing the whole song reasonably confidently a couple of times. Result!
After a break to refill our glasses, Alan led the assembled company in two rounds: namely Now we wish you many happy returns and Summer’s Here. Stephen A got us all to sing Valiants All, which is a version of Let No Man Steal Your Thyme and had been collected over 100 years ago in the Midhurst Workhouse. This was followed by Chris singing The Devil and the Farmer’s Wife and we all joined in with the chorus of “Lero Lero Lillibullero, Lillibullero bullen a la”. We then sang the Turtle Dove and the Loyal Lover, two tender love songs that Emily has taught us recently at the Lucy Broadwood song workshops in Worthing and Rusper. Finally we picked up the tempo again with The Lark in the Morning and finished the session by singing The Sussex Wedding Song. Thanks to everyone for coming and lending their voices; it was an excellent evening which we all enjoyed immensely. We will meet next month at 8pm at the Chichester Inn on Thursday 15th August. Hope you can join us!
Welcome to our website for singers who want to learn and sing traditional and new South Downs folk songs, sung in the traditional way. "Put another barrel on, landlord, and pull a pint for me! The ale here in Sussex is the best we all agree!"
Saturday, 20 July 2019
Local Group Report – Lewes – Tuesday 16th July 2019
Fourteen regular singers were joined by Sally, another Jan and Jill who all live fairly locally and will probably return. Also Pauline and Dave on holiday from Staffordshire joined in for the first half and Sandria arrived during the second half.
We started with Pleasant and Delightful, Rosebuds in June and then The Sussex Wedding Song to embarrass our newly weds, Jane and Adrian, followed by Green Grow the Laurel and Hard Times of Old England before Tina guided us to our newer songs. We sang through The Birds on the Spray twice and Our Captain Cried “All Hands” was faultless on first, full attempt!
After a refreshment break, Tina suggested revisiting two of our war-related songs which are still in the repertoire but unlikely to crop up again in a set list – All Things Are Quite Silent and Follow Me ’Ome. We sang through two verses of Dave T’s Caburn Hill with both tunes harmonizing well – we hope to record a verse soon for the blog so that you can all hear it. Then The Fields Lie Silent, The Turtle Dove with its easy but effective harmony and When Spring Comes In concluded the newer songs. We persuaded Adrian to sing the verses of his East Sussex Drinking Song while we all joined in the rousing choruses. We are unlikely to change the reference to The Beechwood Hall Hotel because that was where we met the Southdown Folk Singers that we now know so well. The hoardings are still up around our old haunt – that is seven months now. We finished the evening with Thousands Or More.
We started with Pleasant and Delightful, Rosebuds in June and then The Sussex Wedding Song to embarrass our newly weds, Jane and Adrian, followed by Green Grow the Laurel and Hard Times of Old England before Tina guided us to our newer songs. We sang through The Birds on the Spray twice and Our Captain Cried “All Hands” was faultless on first, full attempt!
After a refreshment break, Tina suggested revisiting two of our war-related songs which are still in the repertoire but unlikely to crop up again in a set list – All Things Are Quite Silent and Follow Me ’Ome. We sang through two verses of Dave T’s Caburn Hill with both tunes harmonizing well – we hope to record a verse soon for the blog so that you can all hear it. Then The Fields Lie Silent, The Turtle Dove with its easy but effective harmony and When Spring Comes In concluded the newer songs. We persuaded Adrian to sing the verses of his East Sussex Drinking Song while we all joined in the rousing choruses. We are unlikely to change the reference to The Beechwood Hall Hotel because that was where we met the Southdown Folk Singers that we now know so well. The hoardings are still up around our old haunt – that is seven months now. We finished the evening with Thousands Or More.
Sunday, 7 July 2019
Local Group Report – Worthing – Wednesday 3rd July 2019
A warm evening at "Ye Olde House at Home" saw a gathering of 30 singers enjoying a diverse selection of songs to hear and try. After launching with Thousands or More we took time to revisit a couple of songs not sung for a while, The Fields Lie Silent and All Among the Barley, with agreement to polish these for use at events later in the year. Emily then introduced a change of mood and pace with the first of the two pieces chosen for the SDFS to contribute to the “Big Sing” at the Southdowns Folk Festival in September, not a South Downs but a Sami song or “Yoik” from Finland, Ole leloila. Once we had picked it up as a group we extended the fun by singing it in multiple parts, a challenge but making a wonderful noise! After the break Dave W. brought us back to the UK with his solo rendition of The Green Man, leading many to suggest we should have a Green Man song, possibly this version, in our repertoire. Alan and Anne sang The White Cockade again which everyone enjoyed, before we moved on to the second of the "Big Sing” choices, another round or catch, Sing You Now After Me. Although not chosen from or for our usual SDFS repertoire they are great to sing and we hope they will go well at the folk festival after some more work on them before September. Following these vocal challenges we were “weary labourers” so chose to sing Rolling Home to conclude our lively evening. Looking forward to more work, and fun, at our next gathering in August!
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