Worthing Local Group Report - Thursday January 2nd 2025

On the second day of 2025 and for our first Worthing SDFS session of the New Year, the Barn welcomed us again with its fairy lights and Christmas Tree, still there to see out the season's festivities.  18 singers gathered on a chilly evening, with icy roads out and about which had perhaps deterred a few of our 'regulars'.  Emily was needed at home so unable to join us for this session, but Alan nobly stepped up as our guide for an evening of wassailing songs ("Sugar Wassail", "Gloucester Wassail", "Here We Come A'wassailing", "Apple Wassail" and  "Silver Wassail") and other seasonal choices by request ("Sweet Chiming Bells", "The Field Mouse Carol", "Sussex Mummers Carol", "Moon Shone Bright", "Fields Lie Silent" and for a finale, "Thousands or More").  

Between times we enjoyed Lyn singing for us her version of "Hard Times" which she'd shared at the last Chichester group session (and it's now available on the SDFS Blog pages: "Other Songs to Try" and "Songs Created by Us") - and we followed it by all singing the original version "Hard Times of Old England" again.   Keith and Jean also entertained us with the version they knew of "Friendly Beasts" - similar to the one we've learned from and arranged by Amaryllis - but sung as a gentle lullaby.  Later in the evening Alan gave us "Where Does Father Christmas Go in the Summer Time", which prompted more cheery smiles and some folks joining in on the chorus.  

So all in all we enjoyed fifteen songs with a sociable break mid way (made all the better by the mincepies contributed by Suzie) - but with the chilly and possibly dropping temperatures in mind we concluded the evening in good time before taking to the roads again to wend our ways home.  We'll be back at the Barn on Candlemas Eve (February 1st), without fairy lights by then but still with good company and songs to cheer us - and a hopeful look towards the spring returning very soon!  

H. 

Findon Valley Community Orchard Wassail - Saturday January 4th 2025 - Podcast report

Some of our South Downs Folk Singers supported the first ever Findon Valley Community Orchard  Wassail held yesterday, and offered a few songs in celebration of the newly planted fruit trees to encourage them to grow and prosper in future years. 

You can listen to the Worthing Podcast article about the event here - which features an interview with our very own Alan Wheeler!

Many thanks again to Alan and the singers there for our first sing out of the New Year!  

A Song To Try - The Folk Songs of Old England

Here's an amusing alternative of the traditional song "Hard Times of Old England" written by Lyn Ford, entitled "The Folk Songs of Old England".

Lyrics

Season's Greetings All !

Our Local Group sessions and our programme of events for 2024 have now concluded and it's time to give "one big thank you" to all our Singers, our hosts at the various events and occasions we covered in the year, and to everyone who stopped to listen to our singing when we were out and about.  

We'll be resuming in the New Year with more songs, more local sessions and more events across Sussex in 2025.  Our Diary Dates page will have all the details as they emerge - and already on there is the Wassail in Tarring, Worthing, in the evening of January 5th - a great start to another year.

Wherever, however and whatever you may be celebrating during this season of festivity, as the year turns and the days gradually lengthen - we wish you happiness and peace, and if you'd like to join us or hear us at a future event, we look forward to seeing you in the New Year! 

Chichester Local Group - Thursday December 19th 2024

Eleven of us were at the "Chichester Inn" for our December sing.  We were sorry not to see some of the usual faces who were unable to attend due to health concerns - and we wish them well for the new year.  The main room at the pub was busy with a festive party so we had use of the quieter side bar - with a very seasonal hearth and log fire beside us (although it needed repeated attention, including bellows, to keep the warmth of its glow going!).  Alan and Anne brought instruments (guitar, melodeon and whistle) to accompany us and add to the fun. We also enjoyed seasonal readings and songs, 'party pieces', contributed by Chris T and Gordon.  Amongst them "Spot of the Antarctic" and the "Twelve Songs" carol made welcome comebacks and must now qualify as 'traditions' at the Chichester group's December session!  Lyn added to the fun with her updated version of "Hard Times of Old England" - which we hope she will send in to have it posted on the "Songs Written by Us" and "Other Songs to Try" pages of this Blog - watch these spaces !

A variety of seasonal songs and carols were suggested or requested and sung - favourites from our SDFS collection, some selected from the carol song sheets brought by Alan, plus one or two other winter songs, "Fields Lie Silent" and "Woodcutters Song".  The first of these last two was tried (and liked) at a slightly quicker pace than when sung at the recent Petworth event - and the vibrant "Woodcutters Song" somewhat compensated for the dying embers in the hearth beside us…    Julia and Nicola sang Julia's song "The Holly King and the Oak King" as a duet - with thanks to both, and we looked forward to hearing and using this song  more next year.  As the evening moved on and conversation turned to our next 'sings out' in January (the first being at the Tarring Wassail on January 5th), the "Gloucester Wassail" was chosen from the many we know as a rousing one to close the evening.  We then parted with festive well-wishing and thanks to all for their company and music making - and here's another Big thank you to Alan, for his diligent and careful facilitation of another year of Chichester sessions.  We look forward to more in 2025! 

Happy Yule to All.  H. 

Another Festive Item

Another Festive item of interest has been added to our Miscellaneous Page - if you like the traditions of carol singing do have a look and a listen.

Worthing Local Group Report - Thursday December 5th 2024

Festive lights around the Barn's ancient beams and a decorated Christmas tree greeted us when we arrived for our last Barn session of this year.  The decorations increased with the arrival of festive hats and jumpers adorning our singers.   We welcomed two new singers to the fold and fun, and after a few brief notices (about our new membership of the English Dance and Folk Song Society, and outline plans for our wassail events in January 2025) the singing began.

"Pentonville", "The Holly and the Ivy","Wassail the Silver Apple" and "Sweet Chiming Bells" gave us a lively start to proceedings. Emily then led us through a couple of rounds which were, as ever, a delight to sing - first "Hey Ho Winter Snow" building to four parts, then "I Heard a Bird Sing" beautifully done in two parts.  Lovely!   "Deck the Halls", "Moon Shone Bright" and "Hark the Herald Angels" took us to the break and gave way to chatting, quaffing whatever beverages we had with us, and enjoying the 'sweetmeats' folks had brought to share as befits the season.

The second half began with Barbara S sharing details of a talk her son will be giving at Worthing museum on Tuesday - about the history of our treasured woodlands and forests.  Thereafter we resumed with more seasonal songs, starting with "Holly Bears a Berry (the Sans Day Carol)" and "Sugar Wassail", before changing the mood a little with descriptions of a cold winter on the Downs in "Where Stormy Winds do Blow".  The evening continued with more old favourites and requests - the next one's being the "Boar's Head Carol", followed by "Ideo" and then the "Apple Wassail".

The session concluded with another round - or two. "Child of Light" was lovely and worked well on its own, but sounded even better when then blended with "Hey Ho Winter Snow".  The rafters at the Barn were lifted as too were our spirits after an enjoyable and festive evening.   We'll be back there very early in the New Year, on January 2nd, when no doubt more of wassailing songs will get an airing in readiness for our first 'sings out' in January - the first of many more sessions and events to come in 2025. 

H  

Lewes Local Group Report - from Monday November 18th 2024

We met in our now regular venue, upstairs in The Lewes Arms, and despite less than pleasant weather conditions we had a good turn out with sixteen singers attending. Those numbers were boosted by two when one existing member brought a friend along to try us out and another was willingly ‘press ganged’. He had been in the bar downstairs, heard there was to be singing, came up to investigate and stayed all evening. We hope both those newcomers will become permanent members.

 

As we had new singers present, we started with a song we know well, “East Sussex Drinking Song”. Its intuitive tune allowed those who weren’t familiar with it to join in the chorus easily. Next was “My Downland Remembered” reflecting, what seems nowadays, the harsh punishment meted out to John Cuckney in 1833. There was discussion about the transportation of such offenders to Australia, and to what was then known as Van Diemen’s Land, now Tasmania. One of our number told us that whilst there are blackbirds in Tasmania, they are not native to that land and it is thought that they were brought from Europe by those being transported there, perhaps as pets, and subsequently released into the wild.

 

We recognised this period of Remembrance with the equally reflective and emotional “Ladies Go Dancing at Whitsun” and “My Boy Jack” before moving on to a pair of more cheery Christmas songs which were new to many of us: “The Field Mouse Carol” and “Friendly Beasts”. We spent a little extra time on these ensuring that we had grasped the melodies correctly, singing some joyous harmonies on the former and paying attention to the change of pace in the middle verses of the latter.

 

After a short break, we commenced again with “Stir Up Sunday” and, sung as a round, it worked very well because of the number of singers present, and each part was equally and clearly voiced. Our last Remembrance song for the year was “Follow Me ‘Ome” with its poignant lament for the loss of a comrade in arms although coupled with faux Cockney lyrics which might be seen as a product of an implausible alliance between Rudyard Kipling and Dick Van Dyke.

 

Continuing with the Christmas theme was “The Ditchling Carol” (“Be Merry All”).  The contrast between its jolly chorus and its dismal minor key verses was noted together with the observation that, though it was written over 200 years ago, the plight of the poor at Christmas remains much the same. Next, we went a-wassailing with “Wassail the Silver Apple”, “Apple Tree Wassailing Song” and “Sugar (Sussex) Wassail” which we hope we may have the opportunity to sing at a wassail early next year.

 

We then looked forward to the return of finer weather with “Summer is a-Coming in Again” before our usual final (and with 16 singers, particularly rousing) rendition of “Thousands or More” reminding us that money doesn’t necessarily buy happiness.

 

Ray

Our Festive Singing

It was a disappointment for everyone involved when stormy weather forced the Weald and Downland Living Museum to cancel it's Advent Market this year.  Such a shame for the Museum, the stall holders and all of us due to perform there - but safety and practicality must come first.  Better luck next year we hope!

So now we look forward to the festive spirit carrying over to our Sing at the National Trust's Petworth House next, Saturday November 30th as their programme of special Christmas open days begins.  We'll be singing there in the courtyard beside the house at 12.00 noon and again at 2.00pm.

We look forward to seeing you there to enjoy the day, the craft market in the Battery House on site, and the beautiful Christmas decorations in the House.

Our SDFS local group sessions will happen as usual in December, with extra festive cheer and a variety of seasonal songs on the menu.  We welcome new singers to the fold - so email us if you'd like to attend for at least a 'taster' session.   Thereafter we will be out and about again in the new year, Wassailing in Worthing on January 5th and Stanmer on January 12th.  

(Please check our Diary Dates page on this Blog for more details of our 2025 sessions and events.)

Meanwhile, may we join the early birds in sending Season's Greetings - to our singers, listeners and Blog readers alike - wishing us all a happy and peaceful time! 

Chichester Local Group Report - Thursday November 21st 2024

14 singers, joined the evening for the October Chi SDFS meet up, following a very nice Indian meal  prior to the event - an early Christmas celebration!  Well done to Lynn for organising.

 

So in festive mood, the evening began with a cheerful rendition of "Holly and the Ivy" plus some debate as to whether to start with the word “Oh”.  "The Angel Gabriel" followed and then "The Sugar Wassail" which as Alan explained would be familiar to all as it is sung to the tune of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.  A rousing rendition of "Hark The Herald Angels" followed and then on to a new addition to SDFS repertoire, introduced previously by Amaryllis at the Worthing Carol sessions.  Alan led the group through "The Friendly Beasts" which all agreed was best sung in a jazzy fashion and with careful watching of the conductor to keep in time with each other.  The song was tried through several times – possibly the favourite version being a Disney style production including the animal sounds.  Some effort may be required now not to do this whilst performing out!  "While Shepherds Watched (Pentonville)" returned the group to a more sensible mood, being sung particularly well possibly as there were an equal number of men and women present.  Another relatively new edition to the set list "The Field Mouse Carol" was tried next with Alan explaining how an easy harmony could be achieved in the repeating lines.  To round off the first half, all verses of "The Falmer Carol" brought everyone to a well-earned break.

 

The second half of the session began with another fairly new addition to the set – "Now Christmas is Come".  There was some discussion about whether or not it should be sung with syncopation but all agreed that singing with gusto enhanced it greatly.  Alan introduced and led "The Ditchling Carol" for those that had not heard it and a couple of verses were tried, probably for a 2025 launch.  Reverting to more well-known material, "Fields Lie Silent" and "The Woodcutter" followed with Alan agreeing to work actively to keep everyone up to the pace.  Although not part of the “Christmas Set”, the group had another go at "Rambling Comber" with Alan determined to get part of the group singing base harmony.  The final three songs of the evening and which were requested by the group – "Ideo", "The Boars Head" and "Gaudete" – were all sung with enthusiasm and rounded off a busy and enjoyable evening in Chichester.