Arundel Festival – 31st August 2015

Here are some photos from Amaryllis of us singing in the Market Square in Arundel, after our performance on the stage in Jubilee Gardens.

A.G.M. Notice

Wednesday October 7th 2015 at the Beechwood Hall Hotel in Worthing. To start at 7.00 p.m. to precede our singing session.

The AGM is not only a necessary formality but also a chance to celebrate and review the achievements of our second year as the independent “South Downs Folk Singers”, and to look ahead and make plans for our next year. As usual, the Meeting Minutes file, the Constitution and the Accounts will all be available to view – and there will be the annual Elections for our Committee.

At the meeting the current Committee will effectively resign to allow for the elections, and although they may stand again for re-election new and additional candidates are always welcome.

If you are interested in contributing your ideas and energies to the Committee and would like to be a candidate in the Elections please let us have your name, the name of another singer who is willing to nominate you, and another happy to second this.

You do not have to take on a specific role on the Committee to be a member of it – but just to say – there are vacancies for the following: Minutes Secretary and Publicity Officer, and if you can help out with either of these tasks that will be of great help to us all!

Also, we need to cover for the absence of our Treasurer during 2016. Our current Treasurer will be away for much of next year, but hopes to resume in the autumn of 2016. She will be around until December to handover to her understudy before she goes.

So, if you’re interested in joining the Committee please contact me as soon as possible via the SDFS email address (southdownsfolksingers@gmail.com).

Voting will be conducted at the AGM by a show of hands and carried on a simple majority of those present.

It may not be easy for all our singers to get to the AGM, even though it is at the most central of our regular singing venues, but it will be great to see as many of you there as possible – for the meeting first and to enjoy the singing afterwards.

See you at The Beechwood, 7.00pm, October 7th.

Henny (Chairperson)

'Secrets of the Heath', Petersfield, Sunday 6th September 2015

Update Friday 4th September:  Please note the song list has been revised.

Here are the details for singers participating at this event.

We will use the same song list as Arundel and singers should arrive by 12.45hrs. The programme for this event indicates our performance will take place 1.15-2.00pm in the 'Amphitheatre'.

Song List (revised 4th September)

1. Old Adam
2. Twankey Dillo
3. On Sussex Hills
4. Drink My Brave Boys
5. Green Grow The Laurel
6. Fathom The Bowl
7. Life Of A Man
8. Glorious Ale
9. Country Life
10. Come Write Me Down
11. Rosebuds In June
12. Gooches Beer
13. The Nightingale Song
14. Home Lads, Home
15. Thousands Or More
16. Half A Pint Of Burtons

Here is the organisers' map showing the location of the 'Amphitheatre', which is close to the 'Main Arena':

Please be aware: the organisers have produced this map 'upside down' - north is at the bottom, not at the top as it is on the map on the flier above. Use this link to see the location of the Amphitheatre on Google Maps (the right way up!), which will also allow you to obtain directions to Petersfield Heath and public transport options.

See the official website for this event, where you can download the full programme of events for the weekend.

2015 SDFS Events Programme Update

Here's an update from John C regarding the present situation (as at 30th August) with regard to the various main events we have committed to till the end of the year. NB The times given are the times of our various performances, not the times when singers will need to arrive.

Petersfield 'Secrets of the Heath': Sunday 6th September, 13.15-14.00hrs
15 have volunteered. We are in the amplified Amphitheatre in the middle of the site. Amaryllis has been asked to lead, a volunteer for song announcements would be appreciated.

South Downs Folk Festival: Sunday 27th September, 12.00-12.30hrs (note shorter slot)
17 have volunteered. Amplified main bandstand stage. Emily to lead, one-liners for song announcements due to the shorter set.

Slindon Apple Fair: Saturday 10th October, time to be confirmed at meeting next week
21 have volunteered. Amplified open-fronted marquee. Emily to lead, David with song announcements.

Chichester University Halloween Folklore Event: Saturday 31st October, 14.00-16.00hrs
11 have volunteered. This will be similar to the March Slindon Church event with us singing in between other contributions. There was some confusion by the organiser's change of date to early on the preceding Tuesday evening, but the event is now back on the Saturday. We don't have a lead or a song announcer, so unless there are more volunteers available for the confirmed date, I will probably have to cancel asap.

WADOAMuseum Christmas Market: Sunday 15th November, times tbc but 2 sets
11 have volunteered. As before this is an event where you will need a pass to enter freely to the site. Emily leading, song announcer to volunteer.

Winter Festival Haywards Heath: Saturday 28th November, 11.15-12.00hrs
13 have volunteered. The Orchard Shopping Precinct is providing us with an open fronted marquee for our two sets, and we will have the church hall with warmth and free beverages to use during the day. Lead and song announcer to be decided.

Uppark House: December
The kind N.T. request to take part in the 19thC themed event in December at Uppark House has been provisionally deferred to December 2016 due to Singers' other commitments, much as we deferred our visit to 'Bateman's' by a year with such good results. There is also the possibility of contributing to an event at Hinton Ampner next year as well.

Update for Arundel Festival, Monday 31st August 2015

Here's the latest news from John for meeting before we sing:

If the weather is wet as predicted then we will not have a warm up down Mill Road but will congregate in the foyer of the Arundel Museum at 12.00hrs, as it is just adjacent to the performance venue. If the heavy rain has cleared then we will meet at the original site for a couple of songs.

The original details for our singing are here.

Harmony Workshop Recordings

Those who went to our recent harmony workshop held in the Beechwood Hall Hotel in Worthing (and perhaps some others who didn't go) may like to refer to recordings of the songs. These are available for download as mp3 files here. Thanks to Julie T for recording these and also of course to Emily for presenting the workshop.

If your interest is in the men's bass parts, please contact Tina via southdownsfolksingers@gmail.com for more recordings.

Coastal Fair and Beach Clean Event on Saturday 19th September

Our participation at this event has been proposed by Barbara S and you can read more about this on the Proposed Events page. If you would like to support this event, please respond as requested on that page.

This is our first proposed event to go on the Proposed Events page, following the procedure described in this post.

SDFS at Arundel Festival, Monday 31st August 2015

Update Sunday 30th August:

If the weather is wet as predicted then we will not have a warm up down Mill Road but will congregate in the foyer of the Arundel Museum at 12.00hrs, as it is just adjacent to the performance venue. If the heavy rain has cleared then we will meet at the original site for a couple of songs.

[These original instructions are now superseded by the notice above. To enable us to have a few songs 'Warm Up' prior to appearing on the River Stage and avoid standing outside on a very crowded pavement for any length of time, we will meet at 11.30 hrs a bit further down Mill Road from the Castle Gates, on the wide grass verge adjacent to the Pitch & Putt. If the weather forecast is poor check the website the previous day to see if arrangements have altered, but we will stick to the arrangement if at all possible and be ready to enter the holding area of the stage at 12.00hrs.]

Dave G will introduce each song briefly, and we will decide before we go on stage which songs can be dropped because of time considerations. I have confirmed that the actual slot is 12.15 to 13.00 hrs.

Parking will be even tighter on Bank Holiday Monday. As usual I will be parking on the other side of the A27 off Ford Road, up Torton Hill Road which is a leisurely 10 minute stroll to our meeting place via the footpath under the A27 road bridge, and then through to Tarrant Street.

My mobile on the day is 07902 475620, look forward to seeing you there.

John C

Song List

1. Twankey Dillo
2. On Sussex Hills
3. Green Grow The Laurel
4. Hard Times Of Old England
5. Fathom The Bowl
6. Gooches Beer
7. Eileen Aroon
8. Life Of A Man
9. West Sussex Drinking Song
10. Old Adam
11. Glorious Ale
12. Country Life
13. Rosebuds In June
14. The Nightingale Song
15. Thousands Or More
16. Sussex By The Sea
17. Half A Pint Of Burtons

John Lamb and Gaynor Gilbert at Lewes Saturday Folk Club

John Lamb and Gaynor Gilbert are being featured on 22nd August at the Lewes Saturday Folk Club (their Saturdays in August are always Come All Ye sessions).

For more information see this Facebook page.

Bateman's – 2nd August 2015

Here's a comment on the day from Emily (originally posted on this page):

What a lovely day! Singing in such a beautiful place under a warm sun and a blue sky. We sang through a fairly long set with undiminished feeling and gusto much to the delight of the gathered listeners. Jonny tells me we could be heard clear as bells down by the mill! It was great to hear all three groups singing together, a rich sound indeed, especially with a few more harmonies emerging, practiced or spontaneous!
Many thanks to John for arranging our participation in the day, so great to be able to sing there and to have the chance to look all around the delightful garden and the house, one of the many riches of being a part of the SDFS!
And thanks to you all for your wonderful voices, moving, delightful and rousing in equal measure. I look forward to next time!
Emily

Angela B

John C

John C

John C

Keith D

Margo

Margo

Margo

Margo

My Boy Jack

Kipling's poem My Boy Jack is often thought to be about the loss of his son, but there is some debate about this.

In one of the rooms at Bateman's these notes (click on the image to see it enlarged) are displayed about extracts from Kipling's writing read by Ralph Fiennes. Number 7 reads:

"My Boy Jack, Kipling's heart-breaking poem often mistakenly assumed to be about the loss of his son, who was always known as John. Nevertheless the emotion reflected must stem from his grief."

This page on the Kipling Society website throws further light on this. Scroll down the page to the section headed "The ‘Jack’/John confusion" to read more.

A couple of very old recordings on YouTube of My Boy Jack set to music may be of interest:

sung by Clara Butt
sung by Louise Kirkby-Lunn