Lewes Local Group Report – from Monday December 15th 2025

Several singers were sick or dancing out with Ouse Valley Morris in Newhaven so in the end there were eight of us present at the Lewes Arms this month - six men and two women, which meant our harmonies were not as even as usual. 

I’d planned to spend the first hour upstairs going through the set list for the Brighton Unitarian Church lunchtime concert in February, before going down to lead some carol and wassail singing in the pub itself. In the event, only three of us who will be singing at BUC were there tonight, and some of the other singers were less familiar with the seasonal items, in particular the newer ones, so we shifted the main focus to running through the carols and wassailing songs instead.

When we moved downstairs we found some confusion about which group of carol singers we were and about the best place from which to sing. There were a few drinkers keen to join in who took word sheets and sang along but they were spread between the three separate bar areas, and there were also large festive groups from the Chess Club and the Film Group who were more keen on chatting than singing. So it was quite a logistical feat to agree which songs to sing and to conduct our singers plus the drinkers scattered around the pub to keep everyone in time. I thought wistfully of the Brighton Pub Carol singers who are accompanied by loud musicians and a conductor who stands on a table to get everyone’s attention! But it was all good fun and we sang for around an hour before having an early night. 

The song which got the biggest cheer - as is often the case - was when the audience listened while we sang as an encore “Thousands or More” in four part harmony to round off the evening.
Between the two parts of the evening we sang the following, in some cases twice:
“Angel Gabriel”, “Brave Eleven”, “Coppers’ Christmas Song”, “Deck the Hall”, “Ditchling Carol”, “Falmer Carol”, “Field Mouse Carol”, “Friendly Beasts”, “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen”, “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” (the new tune)”, “Here We Come A-Wassailing”, “Holly & the Ivy” (the folkie tune), “In the Bleak Mid-Winter”, “Moon Shone Bright”, “My Downland Remembered”, “Stir Up” (the round), “Sussex Carol”, “Thousands or More”, “We Wish You a Merry Christmas”, “When it’s Christmas Time” and “While Shepherds Watched” (to the Pentonville tune). 
Our next session will be on Monday January 19th. New members are always welcome. Email us if you want to know more or just turn up on the night with your voice and your enthusiasm.
 Tina

Worthing Local Group Report - Thursday January 8th 2026

Moving our first session of 2026 from New Year's Day to the following Thursday gave us another opportunity to sing in the lovely acoustic of the church next door to the Barn.  This had been kindly offered to us because the Barn was booked by the Sussex Folk Orchestra (SFO) for their regular rehearsal.  Sadly the coughs, colds and stormy weather of this winter season limited our number to a dozen - but nonetheless we met with Emily to enjoy some seasonal songs together - before joining forces with the SFO in the Barn to conclude the evening. 

"Country Life" warmed us up, followed by the challenge and delight of a variety of seasonal Rounds - "I Heard a Bird Sing"; "Hey Ho Winter Snow"; "Child of Light" and, with its creator Alan present, "Wassail All Your Apple Trees"- which will be the one used at the Findon Valley Orchard's Wassail event we'll be attending on Saturday 17th (2pm.).

Other wassail songs followed, and will be used on the 17th - starting with the "Gloucester Wassail" (on this occasion using the Dobbin, Filpail, Broad Mary and Lily White Frock, verses from the many available). The "Sussex" or "Sugar Wassail"; the "Silver Wassail" and "Here We Come A-Wassailing" followed, before "The Woodcutter's Song" conjured the warmth of log fires in winter.

Emily invited Alan to recite for us his poem about the old varieties of Sussex apples, enriched by rendering it in a Sussex accent, which was much enjoyed and applauded.  The Winter continued to be celebrated in our next two songs - "Poor Froze Gardeners" and "Fields Lie Silent".   Alan then shared with us plans made with Eileen (SFO lead) for the Findon Valley Wassail - and introduced us to a verse and the chorus (already known to a few of us) of "Landlord Fill the Flowing Bowl" which will be used by the SFO on the 17th.

By then it was time, as agreed, to join the SFO in the Barn, to sing through the songs we will share at Findon - "Sussex Wassail", "Here We Come A-wassailing", "Gloucester Wassail", "Landlord Fill the Flowing Blowl" - and Alan's "Wassail All Your Apple Trees" Round.  In the Round it was agreed the split into only two parts - the Orchestra playing as part one and us singing as part two.  

Time ran out for any more songs or rehearsal together - and so another enjoyable and productive evening closed.  The SDFS will be back in the Barn as usual for our February session (on Feb. 5th), not with the SFO this time but still with singers and songs for another seasonal sing - by then looking towards the end of Winter and the return of Spring!
 

Thank You from Sompting Village Morris for Wassailing in Tarring

Dear Emily, and South Downs Folk Singers

Thank you so much for the lovely Wassail singing at the Sompting Village Morris event on Mon 5 Jan, in Tarring. 

We had the most spectacular evening, with the procession of flaming torches, and a large appreciative crowd to cheer us on. There was such a mass of onlookers in the Vine garden, but the Wassail songs resonated through the trees, adding to the
magical tradition of the evening.  I hope the singers enjoyed the event as much as we did.

Please save the date for the singers to come and perform again at next year's Wassail - this will be on Tues 5 Jan 2027.

Thank you again for bringing the Wassail songs to such a memorable evening.

Lyn Thomas
(Bag) Sompting Village Morris

bag@somptingvillagemorris.org.uk
www.somptingvillagemorris.org.uk

Wassail! Wassail! (The Gloucester Wassail) - Short Version

Alan has offered us a shortened version of the Gloucester Wassail, which reflects the verses we usually sing.

You'll find all the lyrics of this shortened version on this link and on our "Songs and Recording" page.

Season's Greetings

As the year turns at the Winter Solstice and the Yuletide Season heralds the promise of shorter nights and longer days - we want to send "Festive Greetings" to all our South Downs Folk Singers - and to our hosts at the public events where we've performed during 2025 - and to our audiences there and all those who follow us on our Blog and Facebook pages.

Our New Year opens with some Wassails - and our Diary Dates Page on this Blog lists two events where we will be singing - the Tarring Village Wassail with the Sompting Morris (January 5th) - and Findon Valley Community Orchard's Wassail (January 17th).  Come and join us for the celebrations there!  

Our regular Local Group sessions across Sussex also resume in January (see details also on our Diary Page) - no auditions needed, just drop us a line if interested and come along.

Then into February, not a wassail this time but an opportunity to share some of our other winter season songs, we will be singing at a lunchtime concert held at the Brighton Unitarian Church (February 6th).

There will be more public events to come as the year progresses - so keep an eye on this Blog or our Facebook page for plans as they emerge - and drop us a line by email if you'd like to join us, invite us, or just need to know more about us. 

Warm Winter Wishes to you all - and we look forward to a Happy New Year with even more songs and singing to enjoy and share!

Chichester Local Group Session in December - Cancelled

Unfortunately for us the bookings for the festive season at our venue, the "Chichester Inn" mean it will be too busy to host us this month, and an alternative venue has not been found - so the session has been cancelled.

  
We wish the revellers well and thank our hosts at the Chichester Inn for their hospitality to us during the rest of the year - and we look forward to celebrating the new year there on the third Thursday in January 2026 (15th) when our gatherings to sing will resume. 

Worthing Local Group Report - Thursday December 4th 2025

With Emily at the helm and with no more public events on the books this side of Christmas, we sang our way through a mix of festive and seasonal songs.  Choices were directed by requests for old favourites but also included a couple of others with Christmas 2026 in mind. We opened with "When It's Christmas Time" before the "Boar's Head Carol", "Sweet Chiming Bells", "Masters in this Hall",  "Pentonville", and "Ideo".  "The Moon Shone Bright" was one we haven't sung for a while but was well remembered by those who knew it.  

Emily reminded us of "Christmas is Drawing Near at Hand" - a sombre song about the rich and poor at Christmas which has never been a favourite at the Worthing sessions.  Later Henny and Alan suggested the "Ditchling Carol" (known by some as "Be Merry All"), which has a similar theme,  and Alan led us through a shortened version of it; they both advocated its use by us because of it Sussex heritage.  

"Angel Gabriel" and "Deck the Halls" took us to a break and some notices about local events over the festive season - including plans for wassails in Tarring and Findon (both listed on our Diary Pages on this Blog). We also debated plans for our January session at the Barn with our usual first Thursday of the month being New Year's Day - and it was agreed to move it to the second Thursday instead. 

Before we revived some wassail songs ready for use in January, Alan sang through the "Halsway Carol", brought to our attention by Mick Bullen who is leading a 'pub carols' session in Worthing on December 15th (also mentioned on our Diary page).  Although not of Sussex origin it was approved as a lovely song to try - and will be put on our Blog page for that purpose and maybe use in 2026. 

Our wassailing songs started with the "Apple Tree" round which was fun, followed as far as time allowed by the "Sugar (or Sussex) Wassail", "Wassail the Silver Apple" and the much used "Gloucester Wassail" with some confusion over which of the many verses to use! 

After this jolly finish we parted with seasonal good wishes exchanged - and our next meeting on JANUARY 8TH 2026 to look forward to.   (This has since been confirmed - but with a slight change to our venue - the Barn had been booked by another user, so we have been given permission to meet and sing in the church next door instead - please use the church entrance to come and join us.)

HH
 

Lewes Local Group Report - Monday November 17th 2025

Eleven singers (six male and five female) came to the Lewes Arms so a good and balanced number. We took it in turns to choose from the sixty-three songs on the reflective, remembrance, cold weather, Christmas and wassailing seasonal list.     

We sang through without a break so at the start we discussed the next session here on Monday December 15^th when we will be leading carols and seasonal songs in the pub downstairs, and the lunchtime event at Brighton Unitarian Church on Friday February 6^th where the programme contains songs of reflection, winter and wassailing. 

  

Our singing started with one of the final remembrance songs of the year “Home Lads Home” which as well as the lost Hampshire farm labourers remembers the 8 million horses, mules and donkeys lost in World War One. We then turned to Christmas with the newer folk tune for “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”, the general traditional ballad “Hard Times of Old England” and the seasonal “Stir Up”, a round concerning the last Sunday before Advent when Christmas puddings are made and left to mature (this year on November 23^rd).    

  

Continuing to jump around themes according to singers’ individual choices we sang the Christmassy “Boar’s Head Carol” and “Masters in this Hall” then “All Things are Quite Silent” (remembrance of a sailor pressganged into war from the point of view of his heartbroken wife), “In the Bleak Mid-Winter”, “Brave Eleven” (a poignant true story of a shipwreck off Shoreham), and “Follow Me ’Ome”(back to remembrance, with Kipling’s tale of soldiers mourning a fallen comrade). 

  

We rounded off a lovely evening with more Christmas and wassailing numbers – the West Country guest song “Wassail the Silver Apple”, “Ditchling Carol” and “Coppers’ Christmas Song”.

  

We’d spent some time trying out harmonies for several of these songs and agreed it would be good to explore these further in future.  A member mentioned that she has now moved from the outskirts back into central Lewes and could offer her home for small practice sessions including harmony workshops, so we will compare diaries to suggest some dates for the less busy months in the New Year and spring. 

  

As mentioned above, our next session will be on Monday December 15^th. We will start upstairs as usual at 7 for 7:30 with some general songs and then move to the pub downstairs to lead the carol singing from 8:30pm until 10pm. New members are always welcome to join us, whether seasoned performers or new singers, and this will be a good opportunity if you just want to listen in the background or sing along (word sheets provided). Email us if you want to know more or just turn up on the night. 

  

 Tina 

  

A Song to Try - The Halsway Carol

Alan has offered this carol as one for us to try - and, if liked, prepare for use next Christmas - "The Halsway Carol".

You'll find the lyrics using this link

You'll find the tune using this link

Festive Singing at the Weald & Downland Living Museum - 23rd Nov 2025

Thank you to our hosts, Alan our lead on the day, and to all our singers and those who stopped to listen to us at the museum's Advent Market last Sunday.  It was a lovely day and we had a jolly good sing!