Horses at War

We sang for a full 50 minutes outside in the sun at the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum Horses at War event on Saturday 6th June and our songs were very well received by an appreciative audience. In my humble opinion, we sang the best we have ever sung out of doors, thanks largely to the spirited conducting by our musical director Emily Longhurst and also the beautiful singing of Amaryllis Gunn and her quartet, ably backed by the rest of the group. But as you can see from the smiles in the photos, the big reward for us is to meet and sing and be happy together. First outing for the new SDFS banner too!

Let's have more of these events please!

Golier!

David G

Sussex U3A Network (S.U.N.) Celebration of 'Sussex and the South Downs' project

Further to the e-mail sent out last Wednesday (11th June) Tina has now put together a dedicated page for the S.U.N. event on 12th July, with setlist and what-to-wear info!  This is a real chance to get ourselves a little more known in the east so have a look at the page and make it a date!

Adrian F

VENUE CHANGE - Easebourne sessions, 19 June and 17 July

If you are planning to go to the Easebourne session this month and in July, please note that they will be held at

The Three Moles
Selham
West Sussex
GU28 0PN

The Three Moles is small traditional pub about a mile south of the A272 between Petworth and Midhurst.  Turn off the A272 opposite the Halfway Bridge Inn and follow the road south for 1 1/2 km (1 mile).  There is a hump back bridge soon after the entrance to WL West's wood yard so take care!

The sessions should return to the White Horse at Easebourne in August - but keep an eye on the blog for up-to-date information.

Shirley

Come and join in!

Are you coming to the monthly sessions?  There are three song sessions every month, at Lewes, Worthing and Midhurst - so there's bound to be one near you!  Unless you're reading this in Cumbria, of course.  Come along and stretch your lungs, meet some great people and wrap your larynx around the wonderful folksong of the South Downs.

We ask for a modest contribution of around £2 per session - but it's voluntary so if you need to keep something back for the bus fare home, that's ok.

See you soon!

Adrian F

Horses at War

It went very well, my sources tell me.

What did you think?  If you were one of the singers yesterday, write and tell me what you thought and I'll put something on the blog.

If you are not (yet!) one of the South Downs Folk Singers but watched us sing, why not write and say what you thought of us?  Did you enjoy our songs and our singing?  Are we any good?  Would you recommend us to a friend?!

Adrian F

Comments

Thanks to "Anonymous" x 3 for your comments in the last 24 hours - it's great to have some involvement and feedback.

But please put your name to your comment so that a more meaningful exchange can take place: any thread (if one develops) is tricky to follow if all contributors are called "Anonymous" !!

Keep 'em coming!

Adrian F

New SDFS blog header!

So .... do you like the new header to the blog?  Designed by a Jolly Nice Lady called Clare Mullineux, it replaces the well-used and well-loved original design introduced by the South Downs Songs Project all those years ago.  It will also be used on a new banner for us to display at events, leaving our enraptured audience in no doubt as to who we are!

Stationery and publicity will also carry the new design.

Adrian F

SDFS Dress Code (yes, really!)

Should we adopt a particular style of dress or uniform when we sing at events?

It would enable us to build up an image - something that would be recognizable from event to event, helped by our new banner.  The issue has been raised before, with some people adamantly against it and others going so far as to print shirts with logos.  I think consistency is important here (ie we'd all have to wear it - at all events) - but also a rationale.  Why would we do this if we perform at, say, just six events a year plus a similar number of local events?  John Lamb and the team have a 'uniform appearance' planned for the German trip - but no uniform as such.  Indeed, is uniformity in general compatible with our professed background - namely casual singing for pleasure in the pub for ourselves and anyone else who cares to listen?

The committee discussed this at the May meeting and would now like your views.  What's it to be?  Dungarees with SDFS standard issue pieces of straw for our worn out hats?  Or a smart lincoln green polo shirt with a neat embroidered SDFS logo above the left breast?

Let us hear what you think - you can use the 'Comment' facility below (click on 'comments').

Adrian F

Keep on checking!

It's a very good idea to check in often with Folksinging Central - ie this weblog!  Here you will find all the news about the SDFS, what we are doing and where we are doing it, updated frequently for your delight and delictation!

If you are singing at a main (ie whole group) event (as opposed to a normal monthly session) please let John C know if you are coming.  (If it's a local event, please let the local admin person know.)  This is important for logistical reasons (parking, passes / permits, general numbers - will there be enough of us etc).  Contact details are, unsurprisingly, on the Contact Us page.

If you need or can offer transport, please also let John or the local person know.  We can then make sure that everyone can get there and back.

Adrian F

Local Group Report – Lewes Tuesdays 15th April and 20th May 2014

– and looking forward to 17th June ....
A few of our regulars were away on holiday or taking part at other events such as the Brighton Festival but we were pleased to be joined by returning singers Rona Couper from Hove, Penny Steel from Brighton and a new singer Frances Ocean – also from Brighton.

We mainly rehearsed the songs for the Horses at War event (see here for the report and photos from this enjoyable and well-received performance).  Several of the newer songs for 2014 were started and we also sang some old favourites, in particular The Moon Shone Bright, a request from Penny who just likes it, hadn't heard it for a while and and thinks it a shame that such lovely old carols are only aired in the latter part of the year.

At the next session on 17th June we will reprise eight of the Horses at War songs for the Sussex University of the 3rd Age Network event at the University of Brighton on 12th July (details here).  If you would like to sing in this event please e-mail me at southdownsfolksingers@gmail.com.  Do come along to the Royal Oak session next week – you will be very welcome!  If you can't make it, there will also be runthrough sessions in Worthing and Easebourne (see Diary Dates).  The lyrics for these songs will be on the blog shortly so you will be able to learn / brush up your words between sessions. 

I look forward to seeing you soon.

Tina