Local Group Report – Lewes – Tuesday 19th February 2019

Several apologies from long-standing singers who have had to travel to all corners of the world, but our numbers were boosted by three new singers who have returned to The John Harvey Tavern to share our repertoire and enhance the sound that drifts through the pub. Tina had prepared a flexible running order so that we were able to air a wide variety of songs as we head into spring and summer, not all of which we sing regularly at venues.

The Constant Lovers, Oh, Good Ale, The Bee Boy’s Song, Green Grow the Laurel, Ha’nacker Mill, The Brave Eleven, Hares on the Mountain, Life of a Man, Rosebuds in June, Jim The Carter Lad, Twanky Dillo, Sussex by the Sea, Old Adam, The Magpie, The Nightingale, Song of The Sussex Downsman, A Smuggler’s Song, Littlehampton Collier Lads, They Won’t Let Us Go To Sea Any More, Pleasant and Delightful, the Woodcutter’s Song and Thousands Or More!

The newcomers are quick learners and managed to keep up with the introduction of this medley of songs. It won’t be long until they know the lot without word sheets like the rest of us (wish we could)!

Local Group Report – Worthing – Wednesday 6th February 2019

The songs intended for use at the "Worthing Seed Swap" event on 9th February shaped our evening at Ye Olde House at Home. We revisited Country Life, the adapted ‘compost' version of The Turnip Hoer, Poor Froze Out Gardeners, Oak, Ash and Thorn, The Brisk Young Ploughboy (without the second verse) and The Farmer’s Toast – before taking a well earned break. The planned song set was then concluded with The Bee Boy’s Song, On Sussex Hills, Rosebuds in June and last but not least, The Woodcutter’s Song. This left enough time for Alan to revisit the song Our Captain Cried All Hands which he had introduced us to at our January session. After renewed discussion about the tune and its similarity to the hymn To Be a Pilgrim, we made a start on learning it under Alan’s careful direction – with more to come at next month’s meeting.

Cotillion Performing in Ditchling

Cotillion is performing its folk show 'The Last Trip Home' at 7.30pm, Saturday 2nd March, in the Unitarian Chapel (The Old Meeting House), Ditchling (map link – note the entrance is in The Twitten). This 90-minute show is a mixture of songs, tunes, poetry and anecdotes concerning the change from the use of horses and oxen to engine power. Tickets at the door.

Worthing Sow and Grow Event – Saturday 9th February 2019

There must have been at least 30 of us who attended Transition Town Worthing’s “Seed Swap and Spring Fair” event at Oak Grove College on Saturday. As well as looking around the various stalls and displays and partaking of delicious refreshments in the Rosie Cafe, we really enjoyed singing two sets of songs in the foyer. Stationed on the staircase we raised the roof with our singing and entertained not only the audience standing round but also the crowds who could hear us in the Main Hall. The songs, which included Country Life, the Worthing Grower, Poor Froze out Gardeners and the Bee-Boy’s Song, all had a close connection to Gardening and Farming and were introduced by Dave G. We were expertly conducted by Alan who gave us our starting notes and kept us all in time. Many thanks to all who came to support this jolly annual event.

Winter Revels – Saturday 2nd February 2019

The snow kept clear of Goring-by-Sea, so 51 of us arrived at Jupp’s Barn for our best Winter Celebration yet. The new venue is perfect for us and the heating system really works. Thank you to everyone who came and joined in with the food and fun. The tables were overflowing with delicious offerings. After the bring and share feast, we were entertained by lots of singers; so thank you to Richard B, Julie O, Dave W, and a select group of Whispering Woods, to our wordsmith, Amaryllis, and to Leigh for sharing the photograph of her Great-great grandfather who lived at Jupp’s Farm and most probably worked in the barn and then sat and sang outside with the others when harvest was home. Dave and Sue, Alan and Anne and Keith accompanied their various songs on guitars, whistles, mandolin and melodeon before providing some dance tunes so that Emily could “teach” the majority of us some country dance steps. The evening came to an end all too soon but then we have to remember that some of the group had travelled from further up the Arun and Adur valleys and from Petersfield in the West to Saltdean in the East and wanted to be home before midnight.

Local Group Report – Chichester – Thursday 17th January 2019

Thirteen singers and Stanley the dog made it out in the dark and cold on Thursday night to The Chichester Inn in West Street, Chichester, to enjoy a lively social evening with a few drinks and some very good songs. After the notices about forthcoming events, we set about singing a fine collection of agricultural and horticultural songs in preparation for the Worthing Seed Swap event on Saturday 9th February. We warmed up with Country Life and the Turnip Hoer and then went on to sing Poor Froze-out Gardeners, Oak Ash & Thorn, Brisk Young Ploughboy and the Farmer's Toast. We also sang On Sussex Hills, the Bee Boy’s Song and Sussex by the Sea. After a short interval we aired Rosebuds in June and the Woodcutter’s Song and eventually finished up having a good go at singing two new songs, which Dave introduced to the assembled company, namely the popular In an English Country Garden and Richard Thompson’s rousing We’ll sing Hallelujah at the Turning of the Year. Thank you to everyone who came. Our next sing will be on Thursday 21st February at the Chichester Inn. We hope that lots of you will join us then!

Local Group Report – Lewes – Tuesday 15th January 2019

We had a very good start to the New Year with 16 of us in the lovely beamed and carpeted room upstairs in The John Harvey Tavern. Tina led us through a good balance of songs which we took at a fairly slow pace as we have at least four new members now. As there are over 70 songs in the SDFS repertoire, catching up is hard and thirsty work. We started with The Turmut Hoer and then gave a last airing of Apple Tree Wassail, Sugar Wassail and Wassail, Wassail All Over The Town (Gloucester) continuing with Ale, Glorious Ale, before spending a little longer on our own Caburn Hill with two melodies working well together. The Lark in The Morning, Shepherd of The Downs and Seasons Turn brought us to a break for refills. Then it was back to singing On Sussex Hills, Rolling In The Dew, Searching For Lambs (which is nothing of the sort), Brisk Young Ploughboy, Sussex Wedding Song, Gooches Beer, Run of The Downs, East Sussex Drinking Song, Brighton Camp and Thousands Or More. A very satisfying evening.

Our next Lewes session is on Tuesday 19th February, so do join us if you are over in East Sussex.

Brighton Pub Carols went very well again this year with lots of money raised for several Charities. On their Facebook page you can see and hear what you missed.

Worthing Seed Swap and Spring Fair

Update 3rd February 2019: here is a link to download the programme for this event.

Update 20th January 2019: 15 Singers have now volunteered for the event and I will supply their names to the organiser at the end of January, with any changes in the interim, for free entry at the door. If there are any changes in circumstances please communicate these to me via southdownsfolksingers@gmail.com

Singing will be on the Foyer staircase as before, in between talks. There will be two sets of five songs each at 1.40pm and 2.40pm led by Alan and Dave.

The song sets will be as follows:

Set 1

1. Country Life
2. The Turnip Hoer
3. Poor Froze out Gardeners
4. Oak, Ash & Thorn
5. Brisk Young Ploughboy

Set 2

1. The Farmer's Toast
2. The Bee Boy's Song
3. On Sussex Hills
4. Rosebuds in June
5. The Woodcutter's Song (or) In an English Country Garden

Practice has/will take place at the remaining prior monthly meetings.

John C.

Saturday 9th February 2019, 12:30 – 16:30
Oak Grove College, The Boulevard, Worthing, BN13 1JX

Dear all,

As in previous years, we have been asked to support this event with a 35 minute song set after lunch.

A number of Singers will be attending the all-day Belloc/Broadwood workshop with Emily and Chris Hare at Broadwater, so I need to determine whether we will have enough participants at the Seed Swap before I confirm to Pauline that we will be there.

Alan W has kindly offered to lead the singing instead of Emily and 10 Singers have already signed up for it, so if you can come please let me know asap by email southdownsfolksingers@gmail.com

Many thanks,

John

Wassail At Weald & Downland Living Museum, Saturday 19th January 2019

Emily will be leading a small group of Singers in 'catches' at the Museum  and is awaiting confirmation from Lucy of the exact timing, but it will be in the morning as the Wassail in the orchard adjacent to BayLeaf is in the afternoon.

Provisionally therefore if you wish to join her and the six Singers so far who have volunteered to rendezvous at North Cray in the Market Square at 11.00am, we could add some of our seasonal and wassailing songs to the occasion, and then if you are not too cold, join in during the wassail in the afternoon.

To achieve free entry please email me at southdownsfolksingers@gmail.com if you want to come and I will pass your names onto Emily for this purpose.

Please also wear your SDFS lanyards to also help with identification at the entrance.

John C

Local Group Report – Lewes – Wednesday 19th December 2018

We again met on the Wednesday this month to fit around Brighton Pub Carols rehearsals and performances*.

Nine of our own singers combined with two ex-Navy men and two young women who had probably come out hoping for a quiet drink, but were handed wordsheets and joined in heartily with us.

We sang Country Life, Farmer’s Toast, Fathom The Bowl, Ha’nacker Mill, Hard Times of Old England, Poor Froze-Out Gardeners, Where Stormy Winds Do Blow, Angel Gabriel, Apple Tree Wassailing Song, Christmas Now Is Drawing Near At Hand, Coppers’ Christmas Song, Falmer Carol, Here We Come A-Wassailing, Masters In This Hall, Sugar Wassail, Sussex Mummers’ Carol, Sweet Chiming Bells, Wassail Wassail All Over The Town, While Shepherds Watched (to the folkie tune “Pentonville”), Fields Lie Silent and Pleasant and Delightful, before finishing with Thousands Or More.

We weren’t trying for a record, but with no harmonies to learn this month and no completely new songs the time just flew past and before we knew it we had sung 22!

Back to the usual third Tuesday from now, so next session will be Tuesday 15th January. All old, new or returning singers welcome, see you there!

* See the Brighton Pub Carols Facebook page for details and if you want to join in the fun there next year, carols and pubs are a tremendously enjoyable combination! Rehearsals are every Tuesday in November and then five performances at four different pubs and the Hanover Community Centre on Tuesdays or weekends during December.