Another Christmas Season Event

On our "Miscellaneous" page you'll find details of a "Shepherds Arise" event in Sompting on December 15th - take a look!

Worthing Local Group Report - Thursday November 7th 2024

The autumn moving into winter, and looking ahead to festive events in November and December, shaped this month's song choices at the Barn.  24 singers gathered and we opened the evening with the "Wood Cutters Song" followed by "Poor Froze Gardeners".  "Sugar Wassail" warmed things up for more festive songs. Emily reminded us of its rousing pace and she rehearsed with us the one or two lines that should flow together without any pause.  "Now Christmas Is Come" was next on the list - a song collected by Lucy Broadwood, and first tried by us this time last year.  It needed little effort to revive and sing it well at a fairly brisk pace.  A much older song "The Boar's Head Carol" made a stately entrance with its heraldic tones and latin choruses; some high and low harmonies were introduced but will need more work. 

Amaryllis proposed the gentle carol, "Silent Night", which was sung and liked by many, although known not to be a South Downs song in its origins.  Recollections from Angela B confirmed it to be an Austrian song and she shared childhood memories of her Austrian family's festive traditions on Christmas Eve, conjured whenever she hears the song.   Then before the break Amaryllis led us through the new song she has recently introduced: "Friendly Beasts", using a tune she has written and words from an ancient carol.  Attempts amongst us to be a donkey, a sheep, a cow or a dove to open the verses, was a little problematic but the calypso mood carried us along nonetheless!  

In the break, wristbands for the singers due to sing at the Weald and Downland Museum's Advent Market (and reminders about the park and ride bus times) were distributed, and the session contributions were collected as usual, amongst the many sociable conversations.  A little belatedly we resumed singing - with Alan suggesting we try again another song we'd started last Christmas - "When It's Christmas Time".  After that "Ideo" was a popular choice.  But "The Ditchling Carol" was less easily managed and although the chorus was reasonably well achieved, the melody faltered on the verses.  So it was agreed to leave this until the next Extra Seasonal Songs session planned for November 14th when there would be more time to try it again.   It was generally agreed this old Sussex song will need more work to do it justice, and it may not be ready for public performance this year.  By contrast "The Field Mouse Carol" moved us on - and after some repetition to secure the melody and pace it made for an enjoyable and cheery sing.

We returned to some old favourites to close the session: "Sweet Chiming Bells" and "Pentonville".  Both are versions of  'While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night' - and they still do, across the South Downs landscape all year - not just for Christmas!

H.

Take Another Look .....

 There's a new post on our Miscellaneous Page  - about "Sussex Traditions" - have a look and see!

Our Singing at Brighton Unitarian Church - on Friday 8 November - 12.30pm

(From the event organiser's notice posted on the Brighton Unitarian Church's Facebook Page)

This Friday (8 November) we are delighted to welcome the South Downs Folk Singers to the church for our regular fundraising lunchtime concert. 

Doors open at 12 noon with tea/coffee and biscuits served in the church hall on a pay-as-you-feel donation basis. The concert is 12.30-1.15pm - suggested donation £5 on the door - cash or card. Your donations help us to keep the doors open and the lights (and heating!) on in our beautiful Grade II listed building.

The SDFS grew out of a South Downs Society project to promote the heritage and culture of the South Downs, both old and new. Since 2013 around 50 members have met monthly in Chichester, Lewes and Worthing and the groups come together to sing at festivals and other events across the area. 

The SDFS is not a formal choir but a joyful group who sing traditional South Downs songs unaccompanied, as they may very well have been sung in homes, places of work and recreation in the past. Audience participation is welcome so please join in if you wish, particularly in the choruses!

New singers are always welcome at SDFS – contact southdownsfolksingers21@gmail.com or see the SDFS website https://southdownsfolksingers21.blogspot.com/ for more information.

As Seasons Turn ......

After singing at a variety of lovely events during the summer and into autumn (most recently at the Harvest Supper in Yapton and then at the Weald and Downland Living Museum's  "Hedgerows and Harvest" weekend) we now look forward to the shorter and colder days of winter - and to the new opportunities these bring to sing, enjoy and share our seasonal and festive songs.

Very soon, on Friday November 8th some of our singers, led by our Lewes group lead Tina, will be performing at a lunchtime 'concert' in the Brighton Unitarian Church starting at 12.30pm  (Doors open at 12.00 noon.)

Then on Sunday November 24th , with Amaryllis from our Worthing group directing, we will be singing two sets (12.00 and 2.00pm) at the Weald and Downland Living Museum again, this time at their Advent Market. 

Just a week later on Saturday November 30th, Alan from our Chichester group will be leading us in the courtyard at Petworth House during their first weekend of pre-Christmas open days and festivities.  We will be singing two sets there too, again at 12.00 and 2.00pm.  

(Please check the National Trust and the W.&.D.L.M.'s own websites for full details of entry times and other arrangements for these events).   

Plans for taking our songs out and about in 2025 are already underway - and first on our new  calendar is the Wassail Celebration at "The Vine" pub in Tarring Village in Worthing, where we will again be supporting the Sompting Morris with our wassailing songs on Sunday January 5th.  Their torchlight procession down Tarring High Street will start at 8.00pm - and we'll be greeting them and their followers with our singing in the pub garden as they return for the wassail ceremony there.    

Not forgetting of course, throughout the year - our three local group sessions continue each month - in Lewes, Chichester and Worthing.  Please find full details of these on other pages of this Blog (the "Diary Dates" page, the "Welcome" and "New Singers" pages) - and for a taste of what happens at our local sessions, take a look at the Local Group Reports on our "Latest News" page.  

Plenty of reading to do - and plenty of songs to be sung!      If you'd like to join us - or to invite us to sing for you at an event - just get in touch : southdownsfolksingers21@gmail.com 

Lewes Local Group Report - Monday October 21st 2024

We gathered on a somewhat soggy evening at the Lewes Arms, where the welcome was warm, and the only slight drawback was the crepuscular lighting in the upstairs room. We were five lasses, three lads and the old codger what wrote this record, with other apologies received for illness, other musical commitments, holiday and moving house. To assist early departures, we agreed to sing straight through without our customary refreshment break. After a brisk round of introductions - in which we established that Lewes and its neighbourhood were well represented and there was further praise for the Lewes Priory by Candlelight event - we began a session that referred to the seasons, the remembrance of war, Christmas and Wassailing.

First up was “Lammas Carol” by Alan Wheeler from our Chichester group. Although the harvest turn of the year has long passed by all versions of the calendar, one singer mentioned the considerable number of windfall apples she had gathered this year as an instance of Gaia’s ‘endless gifts.’  We then moved on to “Michaelmas” the festival song, which has words by Amaryllis Gunn from our Worthing group (recently revised) and follows “Poor Froze-Out Gardeners” for its tune, and there was discussion of what exactly a capon is (a fattened castrated cock!). 

Moving quickly on to the wintry Downs, we sang old favourite “Where Stormy Winds do Blow” with gusto. Appropriately for Trafalgar Day, “All Things are Quite Silent” recalls the Napoleonic navy press-gang from a wife’s viewpoint and we sing the version from Shirley Collins (there was some discussion of her recent appearance on Desert Island Discs). The sad musical version of “Home Lads Home”, published as a poem in 1916, sounds as if it ought to have been in the score for Morpurgo’s War Horse, but does not appear to be there.  Tina reminded us to take a pause as each of the shire artillery horses is named in turn. 

Our Christmas practice started with the relatively new (1811) and unfamiliar (except to those of who know it from Brighton Pub Carols) “Ditchling Carol” (“Be Merry All”).  The combination of merriment and poor relief in the lyrics suggested that it could have sung by Dickens’s Ghost of Christmas Present. Another of our new festive songs, the “Field Mice Carol” is definitely fictional in that its lyrics are from Kenneth Grahame’s Wind in the Willows, where young wassailers entertain Mole and Ratty at Mole End.  Between these new carols, we practised the “Boar’s Head Carol”, first introduced last year, with its Latin lines (which prompted some discussion about pronunciations and exam results). We commenced preparations for the Stanmer Wassail on 12^th January with the “Apple Tree Wassailing Song”, omitting the spoken address to the apple tree that can accompany this encouragement towards apples blossoming. The subsequent “Sugar Wassail” is partly to the tune of “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” and it was suggested by our leader that some harmony experimentation might be attempted on the refrain.

Drawing the evening to a close, we returned to another firm favourite: “Seasons Turn”, for which we carefully preserve not only the poetic words of the local songwriter Sylvia Watts, but also the stress for every season that “this is the one I love best”.   In George Spicer’s “Come Stranger, Come Friend” Tina said that she had high and low chorus harmonies for us to practise on a future occasion. We concluded as we often do with the Copper Family’s “Thousands or More”, which continued to serve as an earworm as we departed into the night, the rainclouds having given way to the Moon and Venus.  

Nick 

Take a Look......

A new item has been posted on our Miscellaneous Page today  - why not take a look ......

Chichester Local Group Report - Thursday October 17th 2024

11 singers, joined the evening for the October Chi SDFS meet up.   
 
A few rousing tunes on instruments opened this month’s meeting – Simon of the Chichester Fringe was likely to attend this meeting and a demonstration of variety of performance was required.  Alan indicated that whilst Simon was in attendance, the group would sing “tried and trusted” material to create best impressions!
 
In the meantime and whilst waiting, the group launched into a rehearsal of some Wintery songs to prepare for forthcoming gigs.  "The Woodcutter’s Song" went well and was set as a definite for performing out.  "The Fields Lie Silent" followed – noted not to start slowing down mid-song!   "Poor Froze Out Gardeners" maintained the wintry theme following which a few carols were introduced for the upcoming season.  Although Alan expressed doubts about there being enough ladies present, "Pentonville (While Shepherds Watched)" worked well and was followed by "The Angel Gabriel" and "Hark the Herald Angels" with reminders to express consonants whilst singing.  "Masters in This Hall" completed the carol session as Simon from the Chichester Fringe arrived and a demonstration of the possibilities of performance followed.
 
The well-known "Country Life" was sung resoundingly followed by "Bee Boys" and at Dave G’s suggestion, a further drinking song "Ale Glorious Ale".  Steve W did his usual excellent explanation prior to each song.  "One for the Rook" followed by a few typical tunes on instruments completing the mini demonstration and Simon thanked the group and would liaise further with Julia and Alan to discuss details for the 2025 Chichester Fringe event.
 
A welcome break followed!
 
The second half of the session carried on in Christmas mood and we tried a few more carols.  All verses of the "The Falmer Carol" went particularly well and were followed by a few newer additions to the repertoire first tried last year:  "Now Christmas is Come" (DG suggesting it really needs to go with a “lilt”) and "When it’s Christmas Time".  Alan suggesting that the latter two were ready to be sung out this year.  For the last part of the session, Julia introduced and we started to learn, her new song "The Oak King and the Holly King".  The group made a very good start at this brand-new offering.  So at the end of a very busy session – well done all, the group finished with a rousing "Deck the Halls". 
 
Anne S

(P.S.  "Cotillion" (including Anne and Alan from our SDFS Chichester Group, with their colleague Bonnie) will be performing a Sussex Calendar folk show in Findon Parish Church on Friday 8 November, 7.30 start.  The rural year from Candlemas to Wassail in song, verse and narrative.  Tickets £6 (all profits in aid of the church) - further details below.)

https://www.findon-clapham-patching-churches.com/events

 

Worthing Local Group Report - Thursday October 3rd 2024

Our evening on October 3rd began early at 7.00 pm to accommodate the necessities of the SDFS Annual General Meeting (the minutes and annual account sheets can be made available to any SDFSinger upon request). A total of 26 singers attended or arrived soon after.  

After a short break and some reorganisation of chairs and tables, Emily took the lead and the real business of the day, our singing, began soon after 8.00pm - starting with the "Brisk Young Ploughboy".   "All Among the Barley" came next - and had to be sung twice to ensure we used the correct tune!   "One For the Rook"  and   Oak, Ash and Thorn"  flowed more smoothly with no need for correction, as did the "Lammas Carol"  for which a brisker pace was maintained.  After "My Downland Remembered" we took time out from the longer songs to try Alan's new "Harvest Round", successfully and enjoyably managed in 3 parts. (The words for this are on the "Rounds and Catches" page of the Blog) .  

Amaryllis then presented the new verses she has written for a revised version of her "Michaelmas" song - with some repetition needed to correct our rendition and unify the pace and emphases in the lyrics. After that she sang for us a 'new' song,"The Friendly Beasts" (with words from a 12th Century carol but set to a new tune she has written). It has an interesting calypso style rhythm enjoyed by us all, and we look forward to learning and singing it at the Extra sessions planned for our 'festive' songs, and then again at our next session at the Barn. 

As the clock ticked on towards the close of the evening, "Country Life" was requested to radiate its bright, positive mood beyond the Barn with some fellow singers (unwell, so not at the Barn) in mind. On this positive note we stacked the chairs, made our farewells and looked forward to the next opportunities available to sing together - at the Extra sessions, in our other local group sessions in Lewes and Chichester - and of course at the Barn again on November 7th.  As autumn moves into winter our song choices, for public events and the sheer pleasure of singing them, will probably include some of Remembrance as well others, by contrast, heralding the Festive season and even the New Year.   How time flies!

Boar's Head Carol

Amaryllis has provided us with the high harmony. You will find this and the lyrics by using this link to the main "Songs and Recordings" page