Chichester Local Group Report - Thursday March 20th 2025

15 singers came along to a corner of the Chichester Inn for the March SDFS get together.

 

The object of the evening was to continue to rehearse material that was going to be sung at the Chichester Fringe event this coming June.  Alan outlined that the start song was that old favourite that the group perform really well – "Country Life".  He also suggested to general agreement that the group could add emphasis to the chorus by punching the air in every chorus.  So, with that in mind the first song was launched, rowdily sung and given full actions!  "Sugar Wassail" followed in keeping with the seasonal progress of the planned Fringe programme with some tips on counting to ensure that the gaps in the song are clearly defined.  Dave G gave a splendid wassail recitation at the end and it was agreed that implements to make a noise as per the Wassailing tradition could be brought along.  

"On Sussex Hills" sung in the usual robust fashion was followed by "The Bee Boys Song", after which Amaryllis led her small “harmony” section into some lovely harmonies and completed the song with a great rendition of a traditional beehive wassail text from 19C Amberley.  A very competent "One for the Rook" came next followed by "When Spring Comes In".  The latter – appropriate as the first day of Spring was actually upon us, was partially tried again at a slightly faster pace which improved it, with a note to remember to keep up the pace at the start of each new verse.  Men and Women sang appropriate verses of the next song "Searching for Lambs" following the familiar discussions about varying words!  Alan recapped all parts to "Rambling Comber" which seemed to go pretty well as the first attempt at singing all three parts together.  A busy first half was rounded off with our version of "Summer Is A-Coming In" with agreement to leave out the chorus at the end and finish by repeating the last line slowly.

 

The second session of the evening, started out with a hearty rendition of "Hal and Tow" including all to clap once in the chorus which also formed the start of the song, rather than the verse.  "Ladies Go Dancing at Whitsun" was sung by ladies with some accompaniment by the men, followed by the well known "Rosebuds in June" which was sung extremely competently and led on to the "Lammas Carol" which again went well with a small review of some of the notes in a couple of lines.  "Farmers Toast" – with a reminder that we were performing the “shortened” version came next which worked well.  A resounding performance of "Turmut Hoer" was next before Dave G’s lovely version with guitar accompaniment of "Dark December" to which the group joined in the chorus with harmonies beginning to be introduced.  

"The Fields Lie Silent was the penultimate offering before a rousing "Thousands or More" encore, brought to an end a very successful evening. The group having performed really well across the eighteen songs tried this evening.

 

Anne Sartain

"South Downs Folk Singers" at the Chichester Fringe - Sunday June 1st 2025

The "South Downs Folk Singers" are pleased to announce...... 

A group of us will be singing at the Chichester Canal Basin Cafe at 7.00pm on Sunday June 1st  - as part of the Chichester Fringe 2025!

The Chichester Fringe programme of events has just been launched and tickets are on sale NOW

For full details of our appearance - and to secure yourself a ticket - please go to the Fringe's own website:  www.chichesterfringe.co.uk 

Please share this exciting news with family and friends, and..... DON'T DELAY,  BOOK TODAY!! 

The Cuckoo

"The Cuckoo", a song first used by us during our early days in the 'South Downs Songs' project and already listed on our Songs and Recordings page, now has a fourth verse (author unknown). 

We have been in the habit of singing the first verse again to conclude the song - but now instead we have this end of season departure verse as a conclusion to compliment the herald of springtime in the first. 

Have a look - and enjoy a sing!

(You can find the updated lyrics on our Songs and Recordings page by clicking on this page link.)

Worthing Local Group Report - Thursday March 6th 2025

25 of us met at the Barn for this month's session.  Unfortunately Emily was needed at home so couldn't join us but sent good wishes to all in her absence.  Alan and Amaryllis kindly agreed to lead us through a goodly mix of songs and they took turns to introduce them and guide us.  Henny began the evening by giving Em's apologies and sharing some notices, including additional details and reminders about this year's programme of SDFS public events (already on our Blog Diary page), with an invitation to singers to volunteer to sing at them.  (The first of these will be singing at Petworth House again, on April 12th as part of their Spring Festival; Amaryllis will be leading and will soon prepare two sets of songs to sing at 12.00 noon then 2.00pm.) 

Our singing at this session began with Alan leading with "When Spring Comes In" - a suitable celebration of the recent up-turn in our weather and the joys of spring arriving at last!  Amaryllis took her first turn with "Life of a Man" reminding us in a different way of our life cycle and seasons' changing.  We headed for the hills after that, with Alan "Searching for Lambs" and Amaryllis with "Hares on the Mountain".  We sang the latter together, men and women, with the repeat line in each verse sung softly like an echo.  Continuing the spring theme we looked towards May with "Hal an Tow" - and Alan encouraged a united and positive single hand clap to punctuate the pause in the first line of the chorus (i.e. Hal an tow, (clap) jolly rumbalo) - which seemed to work well and added to the vibrancy of the song. 

Continuing with our tandem leads we sang "Lark in the Morning" - after a discussion about which lyrics to use. We ultimately chose the one based on the Coppers' version without chorus intervals. (This is on the 'Other Songs to Try' page of the SDFS Blog, but will soon to be added to the main 'Songs...' page).  Next came "Ladies Go Dancing at Whitsun" with a reminder to ensure use of the extra lift in the notes of 'go' in the last line when just women's voices end the song. 

We sang "The Cuckoo" with a light bright touch, led by Amaryllis, remembering to pace the timing to hold the note a little at the end of the third line in each verse, and also to give emphasis in the last line of each verse on 'summer', 'bring'  and 'maiden'.  We sang it with a repeat of the first verse to conclude the song on a more cheery note - but Angela S then shared with us some alternative lines she has which might serve better - "And when her time is come her voice we don't hear, and where she goes we do not know until another year'.  (These will soon be added to the song on the Blog.) 

After a break with various drinks and chats, we continued with a mix of songs suggested by Alan or Amaryllis or by general request.  Starting with "Summer is Acommin' In Again", and "My Downland Remembered", before Alan suggested "The Rambling Comber" including its low and high harmonies which are now beginning to bed in.  "One for the Rook", now a firm favourite, was prefaced by details shared by Steve and Henny of their recent contact with Paul (an associate and friend of the song's writer, Mike Barber), who has endorsed our use of the song saying that he and Mike's family are pleased to know his songs are being used, this being a fitting epitaph to Mike who died a few weeks ago.  With this in mind we sang the song with our usual pleasure and gusto.  

As the clock ticked on, two more requests followed to conclude the evening - "Rosebuds in June" and last but not least the "Parting Song".

Many thanks to Alan and Amaryllis for their generous efforts - and to all the singers who turned up in the face of winter colds and other bugs, multiple works or diversions on the roads just now, and all the other demands in their busy lives -  to support another jolly good sing at the Barn!    See you in April !   

"Shine Radio", Petersfield - Interview with and about the "South Downs Folk Singers"

Please use the link below to find and enjoy the interview with three of our singers (Sue, Stephen and Viv) from our Chichester Local Group, recently broadcast on "Shine Radio" in Petersfield.  

Thank you to all of them for their fine performance on our behalf and to Mike Waddington from "Shine Radio" for providing the link. 

 Folk singing for joy and remembrance | Petersfield's Shine Radio

 

Lewes Local Group Report - Monday February 17th 2025

Half term, along with work, illness and a bereavement, kept the numbers down to 9 today, men outnumbering women for once (6:3) but the latter were experienced singers and harmonisers who more than held their own. Between talk of dogs, cough sweets and road works, we managed 18 songs from our spring, summer and outdoorsy list.  

  

A rousing “Country Life” was followed by Irish interloper “Eileen Aroon” (given honorary Sussex residence thanks to it, allegedly, being a Hilaire Belloc favourite). The Copper family’s “The Birds on the Spray” and “When Spring Comes In” both involved pleasant harmonies and led Tina to wish we were recording the session. Ken said he would oblige when next here in April. The more recent creation “Oldland Mill” led to another, “Oak Tree Song” before “The Nightingale’’ ended the first half, though there was some discussion as some of the lyrics suggesting ‘ale’ rather than ‘pale beer’ would have to be drunk in India - India Pale Ale was invented for that very purpose as ale spoiled on the trip! Who said folk songs had to be factual anyway. 

  

 After the short drink and toilet break “Pleasant and Delightful” kicked us off and was followed by the oldest song in the set: “Love and the Ball”, concerning the local sport of stoolball, based on a poem by Robert Herrick, a 17^th century lyric poet and Anglican cleric and set to music by Alan Wheeler. “My Downland Remembered”, another of Alan’s adaptations of an existing poem, tells of a man transported to Australia for the theft of unwinnowed oats (what would have been the sentence if the grain he pinched had sprouted?). “Fathom the Bowl”, “Sussex Wedding Song” and “On Sussex Hills” generated more harmonies. After “Searching for Lambs” we dreamed of “Rosebuds in June” and “Green Grow the Laurel”. Kipling’s “Bee-Boy’s Song” took us to a rousing Copper send-off with “Thousands or More”. 

  

Pleasant company. Good beer. Great harmonies. A treat. 

  

Ken 

  

And Another Post on the Misc. Page ....

A rather belated post - offering a link to a podcast from the Findon Valley Wassail held on January 4th, where a few of us sang and our own Alan W was interviewed - do have a look and a listen!  

A New Post has landed on the Miscellaneous Page

With Spring just around the corner - booking has now started for a "Wassail" concert planned for December!  Check our Misc. Page for more details.....

Chichester Local Group Report - Thursday February 20th 2025

15 singers came along to a corner of the Chichester Inn for the February gathering and managed to hold their own with a good singing practice despite a joyful young party at the neighbouring tables!

Alan started the evening with a reading from “A Dictionary of the Sussex Dialect” by W E Parish (1875), describing the singing of folk songs by Sussex folk and the local songs in non-too complimentary terms.  It was generally agreed that the SDFS must do it’s best to disprove these comments.  

"Hal and Tow" was the first song tried, starting with a chorus, using the more recently added first verse and with helpful clapping at the appropriate points and a view that this should be sung reasonably briskly for best effect.  "Bee Boys" followed with advice from Dave G that a smile whilst singing the word “bees”, helped keep everyone in tune and together.  Harmonies were a feature of the next song – "Rambling Comber" which should in the end comprise three parts but in this instance the tune plus a base harmony showed great promise.  "Turmut Hoer" sung with gusto, led on to Dave G performing a very lovely version of Graeme Miles song "Dark December" (n.b. not on the SDFS Blog), with guitar accompaniment.  The group quickly learned the chorus and added their voices to good effect.  Everyone agreed that this would make a great contrast to the unaccompanied songs planned for the Chichester Fringe event.  The first half of the evening finished with an especially shortened version of "Farmer’s Toast" which had been specially adapted to fit in with the Fringe event programme.  It was also decided to repeat the last line to give a good finish.

After a well-earned break, the second half opened with "Lammas Carol" plus some interesting bits of background to Lammas.  The ladies in the group then attempted "Ladies Go Dancing" with a helpful reduction in starting note to A the second time around.  The men aided and abetted with a “hum” in the usual places.  A 'through the year' version of "Summer Is a-Coming in Again" came next, followed by male and female alternate singing in "Searching for Lambs".  A lusty rendition of "One for the Rook" completed the evening's planned programme and was followed by requests, comprising; "Rose Buds in June", "When Spring Comes In" and finally the old favourite finishing song, "Rolling Home".  

That plus a rather cheeky birthday song from Les in celebration of Alan’s forthcoming birthday, provided a good rounding off to a busy and enjoyable evening of singing in Chichester.

Anne S

Worthing Local Group Report - Thursday February 6th 2025

Our February session got off to a lively start as Emily launched us with some of the songs from our original song books - and encouraged that we sing these without reference to the lyric sheets in everyone's folders (with some allowance for singers not with us back in the day who may be less familiar with what had been learned then by ear).  Most were in any case known to us all from more recent use and, with paper prompts or without, we sang our way through them with gusto - "Country Life", "Sussex Hills", and "Ale Glorious Ale" - all produced a rich sound and set us up well for more.  

The "Bee Boys Song" and "One for the Rook" followed, before Alan suggested we continue focus on the changing seasons and the promise of spring and summer ahead - so next came "When Spring Comes In", "Searching for Lambs" and "Summer is A'Comin' in Again".  Before the break Emily reminded us a spring time round Alan had brought to us - "The Summer is Near"(which is on the rounds and catches page of the SDFS Blog) - known to some by its first line Rambling Rolling Downs.   

Our second half began with Alan and Emily revisiting a song still fairly new to us, "The Rambling Comber" - with Alan guiding a small group to learn the low harmony part.  High harmonies were also tried a little - and all parts deserve more attention at future sessions to perfect this lovely song.  More harmonies accompanied the "Oak Tree Song" which enriched an already beautiful song.  more requests followed with "My Downland Remembered", "Green Grows the Laurels" and last but not least, back to another old favourite (again without relying on our word sheets!) - "Fathom the Bowl".

Thanks to everyone - and see you at our next Barn session on March 6th.