Chichester Local Group Report - Thursday May 21st 2026

Alan was away but David kindly offered to lead us for our May session at the "Chichester Inn". A dozen singers gathered and we enjoyed singing our way through fourteen songs -. opening with  "Country Life" then "Twanky Dillo", a couple of old favourites, before another well suited to our venue, "Ale Glorious Ale".

"Ladies Go Dancing at Whitsun" was shared between men and women's voices as we always do and it was as lovely as ever - but we had a few problems with the new tune used for "Run of the Downs" so decided it was best left for another day!  Instead we shared another gentle downland song "Searching for Lambs" before two old favourites from our original 'South Downs Songs' project repertoire - "Ebernoe Horn Fair" before we took a refreshment break, and 'Rolling in the Dew" when resuming refreshed  We haven't sung them for a while and both were a little faltering to begin with until their tunes came flowing back.

Stephen A  was invited to take the notional baton to update and progress our work on songs from the "Chithust Collection" being assembled towards a possible programme for the Chichester Fringe Festival in 2027.  (They can be found under a dedicated tab on our SDFS Blog.)   We sang the most familiar of these, the jaunty but sad tale of the "Stedham Oysterman's Donkey", before also singing "Saucy Sailor" then "Valiants All" - with ongoing discussion about the different versions of "Saucy Sailor" and the imagery in the words of "Valiants All".  

With more Chithust songs, and probably discussions about them, to come at future sessions we moved on with a song adopted from the 'Belloc and Broadwood Songs Project' - the "Turtle Dove" - before "Sussex by the Sea" changed the pace and mood.  As a bit of an afterthought and by popular request, we sang "Rosebuds in June" for our finale - and all enjoyed singing it again after not perhaps having done it and ourselves justice when it was last shared!  So on that positive note we concluded with thanks to David, Stephen and all!

We'll be back at the Inn on June 4th - and we hope to welcome back Alan and Anne after their triumphant appearance with "Cotillion" in the Chichester Fringe Festival the evening before. (Tickets still available!) 

H.

A Song to Try - St.George the Knight

Alan has offered a song for us to try, "St.George the Knight" written by John Kirkpatrick.  You'll find it on our "Other Songs to Try' page.

Lewes Local Group Report – Monday May 18th 2026

Ten singers were at the Lewes Arms tonight, including a welcome return by founder member Adrian, now newly recovered from injury. Most of us will be at Alfriston Clergy House next week so we sang through many of the songs on the setlist.

We’d sung through half of the Alfriston songs last month so the first batch today consisted of ones I’d identified as least known and/or needing most attention and these were “Ebernoe Horn Fair”(an oldie not sung for a while), “England for Me” (one recently learned),  then back to old favourites “Farmer’s Toast”, “Green Grow the Laurel”, “Hares on the Mountain”, “Ladies Go Dancing at Whitsun”, “Rolling in the Dew”, “Run of the Downs” and “Turtle Dove”. 

 

In the break we discussed singing at Saltdean Lido on the afternoon of June 20^th (a smaller event this time with a longer one planned to follow in 2027, seven of us can do this one, emails to go out to others shortly), Brunswick Festival in August (I’ve now spoken to someone who confirmed our invitation but we don’t yet know whether 15^th or 16^th), a future singing tour of local “painted churches” either in October/November or next year (Nick is going to take this forward),  harmony workshops (Ce will host and will come back with dates) and singing out with Ouse Valley Morris in place of our pub session in December (Ce & Rosie to take forward).

 

We then went round taking turns to choose from others on the set list and got through “West Sussex Drinking Song”, “East Sussex Drinking Song” (Adrian’s answer to Belloc’s West Sussex version with Adrian solo on the verses and all joining in on the chorus), “On Sussex Hills” (more Belloc!), “Rosebuds in June”, and “Smuggler’s Song” before rounding off a very pleasant and tuneful evening with “Thousands or More”.

 

Our next session will be on Monday June 15^th and we always welcome new singers. We’re a group who come together to learn, enjoy and share the songs rather than a formal choir with the expectations that can sometimes come with that. Come along for a free taster session any time, just bring your voice and your enthusiasm.

 

Tina

Another Event of Interest is now on the Miscellaneous Page

Our very own Alan and Anne, with their chums Linda and Bonnie, form the folk group "Cotillion". 

Have a look at our Misc. Page for details of their show in June.

Two Songs to Try - To Be A Farmer's Boy and Oats and Beans

You'll find two songs, "To Be a Farmer's Boy" and "Oats and Beans'" have been added to our "Other Songs to Try' page.

Worthing Local Group Report - Thursday May 7th 2026

Twenty-six singers gathered in the church next to our usual venue, whilst the Barn was in use as a poling station for the local elections.  Sadly Emily was unable to be there - or to sing at all, having lost her voice and needing to rest it - but we were, as ever, fortunate to have Alan and Amaryllis there to pick up her baton.   

From the variety of songs suggested as options for the evening, we managed to sing 15 songs and enjoy listening to 2 more. Our usual semi-circle formation was necessarily changed to fit the straight lines of the pews in the beautiful church setting - but with the very open space and acoustic where our voices rise to the amazing ceiling, spreading across two blocks of the central parallel pews made it a little hard to hear each other.  So it was agreed that if singing there again we should try using the right angle created by just the end of the central pews and the pews to the side.

In the first part of the evening we opened with "Twanky Dillo" before "Ladies Go Dancing at Whitsun"; "Rambling Comber"; "Rosebuds in June"; "Follow Me Home" (joining men's and women's voices on the verses and the choruses); "May Day Carol"; "Our Captain Cried All Hands"; "Three Drunken Maidens"; "The Jolly Woodcutter", and the new song created by Amaryllis to the tune of 'Cruel Mother' - "The Loyal Lover".

In a break from singing together, Stephen A. spoke about plans underway in our Chichester SDFS local group to prepare a show for submission to the 2027 Fringe Festival in Chichester. (Application to perform at the Fringe opens in the autumn this year.) 

The plan being for a SDFS performance using the traditional songs famously collected in the Midhurst and Chithurst area.  Stephen has already gathered a large number of these and he is leading preparation of a narrative for the programme.   He advised that, if the application is successful, any singers (from any or all of our three local groups) interested in participating will need to make a commitment to attend the Chichester local group sessions to learn the songs - and also to attend some extra rehearsals to prepare the performance.  (The number of singers needed for the performance is not yet known and may be limited and shortlisted nearer the time, depending on the venue and other specifications as directed by the Fringe organisers.)

The songs identified for the performance will also be available for our Worthing and Lewes groups and all our singers to enjoy them as South Downs Songs - there is already a new songs tab on our Blog for the "Chithurst Songs" where they will be posted as they become available, with melody lines and lyrics that can be downloaded.  Stephen was persuaded to sing one of the songs for us - one which is already in our repertoire on the Songs and Recordings page of the Blog, but rarely used these days - "The Stedham Oysterman's Donkey' - a sad but humorous tale!

Our singing resumed with a solo presentation from Alan, "St. George the Knight'" which was liked by many and may be added to the Blog's 'Other Song to Try' page - to be reviewed at a future session.  Thereafter we joined our voices to sing Barbara S' revised version of "Turnip Hoers" - "The Worthing Grower" - with Barbara explaining her addition of an extra verse to suit the cider making season. "Love and the Ball", "Run of the Downs" and "England for Me" brought us to a close, with many thanks to Alan, Amaryllis and all, for our evening of song.

We'll be back in the Barn as usual for our next session on June 4th.

Another Miscellaneous Page Alert

Chris Hare, writer and historian, who created and managed the 'South Downs Songs Project' (which launched us as the "South Downs Folk Singers") - has written a new book!  

Please consult our Misc.Page for more details. 

New post on our Miscellaneous Page

Have look to find outline details of an event due to be held at the University of Sussex on June 19th 2026, about Sussex Heritage and its Future.  

Of personal interest to the SDFS, Chris Hare, originator of the "South Downs Songs" project (from whence we came in 2013) and other songs projects since then, will be giving a talk there on the subject of folk songs.

Lewes Local Group Report - Monday April 20th 2026

Seven regulars were joined by four new singers this evening (from Seaford, Lewes and two from Storrington although they may go to Worthing in future as it’s nearer to them). Other apologies were received due to work and Morris dancing. Our singer from Bexhill needed to leave early for his train, so we agreed to sing straight through to 9pm before taking a break.

We started off with more of the songs for imminent events at Stanmer, Oldland Mill and Alfriston Clergy House. First was the Copper Family’s ”When Spring Comes In” (with a reminder to pronounce “love-lie” in the local way, and a singer mentioning the Coppers’ album “Come Write Me Down” available on Spotify). This was followed by “May Day Carol”, “Oldland Mill” (with Ray explaining how it was written by his friend Stuart Leon and how we came to be invited to sing it at the mill, which we now do each year, the next time being 3^rd May) and Kipling’s “Bee Boy’s Song” (with a singer letting us know that Rosie Hodgson & Rowan Piggott, whose harmonies we use, now have a whole CD of songs relating to bees)

 

We agreed to try a new song, which has been sung previously at Chichester and Worthing but not yet at this session, “England for Me” which was learned quickly, liked and enjoyed.

 

Back on familiar ground we continued with “Country Life”, “Ale Glorious Ale, “Ha’nacker Mill” (one new singer is reading Belloc’s book “The Four Men”, while another’s parents are buried next to Belloc at West Grinstead), “Smuggler’s Song”, “Magpie” (after we mentioned how David Dodds wrote it after hearing an old lady say “Good morning, Mr Magpie, how’s your wife today?” another new singer said she had heard that you should also blow it a kiss to drive away sorrow), “Pleasant and Delightful” and “Rosebuds in June”.

Next, we looked at the other new song on my list, “Buttercup Joe”. Again, this was quite simple to learn, it reminded us of others in our collection, and it was well received.

 

Our last batch of songs consisted of “East Sussex Drinking Song” (with an explanation of its origins as Adrian Figgess’s answer to Belloc’s West Sussex original, and the wistful reference to the Beechwood Hall Hotel in the last verse),  “It is the First of May”, “Nightingale”, “On Sussex Hills”, and “Thousands or More”.

 

By now it was 9:50pm. I commented that I was surprised and impressed that we had got through all the songs on my proposed list, including two new ones, and asked if we should take requests to fill the last ten minutes. At this point we realised that we had sung through without taking the agreed break at 9pm and everybody had been too polite to mention it so ended early!

 

We had a good balance of high and low voices with some glorious harmonies, a very satisfying session all round.

 

Our next session will be on Monday May 18^th and we always welcome new singers. Come along for a free taster session any time, just bring your voice and your enthusiasm.

 

 

 Tina

 

Change of Venue for the Worthing Group Session in May

Please Note - The Worthing Local Group will NOT be using the Barn for its session on May 7th.

The Barn is being used as a poling station for the local elections - so for this month only we have been kindly offered and will be using the church next-door for our singing instead.  The acoustics are lovely and the singing will be just as good!

(To join us please come to the front door of the church - NOT via the Barn.)

So still at the same time, and postcode, but temporarily in a different setting - and we'll be back in the equally lovely Barn again, as usual, for our meeting in June.