Lewes Local Group Report - (from Monday June 15th 2026)

Nine singers gathered at the Lewes Arms this month, with others absent due to holidays and illness. We welcomed a new singer who currently lives in Germany but may be moving back to the UK soon and will join SDFS if he does so. He was accompanied by his mother, who lives in Brighton and said she was there purely as the chauffeuse as she cannot sing. We all thought she sounded perfectly fine singing along with all the songs all night so we hope she might reconsider.

We went round choosing in turn from the seasonal songs list. In the first half we sang “Ebernoe Horn Fair, “Magpie”, “Hares on the Mountain”, “When Spring Comes In”, “Turtle Dove”, “Sussex Wedding Song”, “Run of the Downs”, “Rosebuds in June”, “Smuggler’s Song”, “England for Me”, (quite recently learned but remembered and sung well), “Summer is A-Coming In Again” (with the new final two verses), “Farmer’s Toast”, and “Green Grow the Laurel”. Our visitors on their free taster session were relatively new to folk music and particularly to folk songs from the local area, so we spent some time talking about the songwriters and the history of the songs, and of our group.

 

In the break we mentioned singing at Saltdean Lido where five or six of us will be taking part in two mini sets on June 20^th as a trial run for a possible longer appearance with a larger group of singers in 2027; Newhaven Fort on 12^th July; Brunswick Festival which is awaiting confirmation for 15^th or 16^th August. Future plans which are awaiting more information include singing in local “painted churches”, harmony workshops and our December session possibly with Ouse Valley Morris.

 

We continued with “It is the First of May”, “Rolling in the Dew” and “Pleasant and Delightful” before deciding to leave slightly earlier than usual and bringing the evening to a close with “Thousands or More”.

 

Our next session will be on Monday July 20^th. New members are always invited to come along and try us out, with seasoned singers and complete novices being equally welcome. 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

 

Worthing Local Group Report - Thursday July 2nd 2026

We welcomed two new singers this month for a summer evening of songs at the Barn, with the Barn doors open for some cooling air.   But before our singing, the session began with a few notices - including the sad news from Emily that, due to increased demands on her time, our August session will be her last with us. Sadness, albeit with a lot of understanding too, and mostly huge appreciation for what Emily has contributed to the South Downs Folk Singers, were shared in the responses from those present.  Emily reflected upon her time with the SDFS and recalled her involvement with the original South Downs Songs Project workshops, and noted how little she knew about the songs then and how much, with us, she has learned and enjoyed since. She then invited and suggested song choices from the still growing SDFS songs collection for us to sing together this evening.  

Some - "One for the Rook"; "All Among the Barley" and "Lammas Carol" - were also with an eye on a future event Alan will be leading ("Celebration of Sussex" at the Amberley Chalk Pits Museum, August 29th).  One other suggested by Alan was not well known to many of us, so he performed it as a solo - "Season's Turn" - with some support on the choruses.  Thereafter songs were by request, with a mix of some from our early days and favourites that have been added since. These began with one of the oldest from the original Songs Project, and taught to us there by Emily (not forgetting Ann and Chris Hare!)  - "Old Adam".   Followed by more choices - "The Nightingale"; "Turmut Hoers"; "Drink Me Brave Boys" and "Shepherd of the Downs".

After a convivial break we resumed with "Birds on the Spray" and "The Oak Tree Song"  before "Run of the Downs" (albeit with a little confusion about the verses).  Another song from the 'old days' of the Songs Project followed, "Ebernoe Horn Fair" then one added since "Searching for Lambs".  For it's place in the history of the South Downs we sang the "Song of the Sussex Downsman"- in the early 1900's it's writer Arthur Beckett campaigned successfully to ensure their protection, which much later enabled them now to be a National Park.  In singing this we also remembered a much missed and respected fellow singer and friend of the SDFS. Keith, for his musical knowledge and his exacting care in how this song should be sung. 

As the evening moved towards its close we sang another 'classic' from the Copper songbook and our Songs Project days - "Thousands or More" -  before the last but not least for the evening "The Parting Song".  It tells of the joy of singing together, the sadness of parting and hopes of meeting again, which we will do in August to sing more songs - and to bid farewell to Emily as our lead.

  

Footnote to an "Other Song to Try" - John Fitzpatrick's Original Version of "St. George, The Knight"

Since Alan's version of "St.George - The Knight" was posted on 25th May 2026 we have received a message from John Fitzpatrick (the songwriter), including his original lyrics.

You will find John Fitzpatrick's message and his original lyrics as a footnote to the entry for "St.George - The Knight" on our "Other Songs to Try" page.

Chichester Local Group Report - Thursday June 18th 2026

14 singers, including 2 newcomers, met at the Chichester Inn this month, with Alan finding time from a busy week to be there to lead us.  

Voices were loosened up by "Country Life"  before "England for Me".  Then, with some introductions about the "Ebernoe Horn Fair" which still happens in the village on July 25th, we sang the song, with men and women in unison for a good sound.  "Loyal Lover", a gentle and beautiful song came next, and having not sung it for a while we agreed it needed more work to revive it.  Stephen A  updated us on his progress with assembling the "Chithurst Songs"- and spoke about "Phoebe and the Dark Eyed Sailor" for which he has yet to confirm the correct tune.  (This song is not to be confused with "The Dark Eyed Sailor" which features in the sea songs collection of the SDFS' cousin the "Secret Shore Singers".)  So work on this, and "The Young Recruit", were left for a future session and instead we sang "Valiants All" and "The Stedham Oyster Man's Donkey" again to consolidate preparations so far - and agreed to reduce the length of the latter by coupling the verses to have fewer choruses. (This modified version will be added as an option to the SDFS Blog songs page in due course).  

For its energy and fun we moved on with "Three Drunken Maidens" before talk began of having a refreshment break. In this pause Steve W briefed all about a response received from John Kirkpatrick about the SDFS using his song "St.George the Knight", a version of which Alan has recently shared with us.  (Both versions will soon be available on the SDFS Blog's "Other Songs to Try" page.)  A request was then made for "Ladies Go Dancing at Whitsun" which the women dully sang with the men's voices joining in, a little randomly, as the song progressed. Alan noted this and gave reminders and advice to improve future renditions.  

After that we took the break - and it took a while for various chats to conclude and attention to return to the singing when we were otherwise ready to resume.  Alan reminded singers of the melody and harmonies, high and low, for "The Rambling Comber".  Our first attempt to recreate these was rather ragged with perhaps an imbalance in volume between the harmonies and the melody, and the melody getting a bit lost.  A second attempt was better - but still disappointing and not as good as it had been when done in the past - so more work needed there too!   "Our Captain Cried All Hands" came next, followed by "The Oak Tree Song", by which time concentration and voices were running low.  "Oak and Ash and Thorn'" was suggested to finish but it faltered at the start and Alan, already weary before he came, felt he'd had enough and decided to leave a little early.  So a sociable evening but not an entirely successful sing concluded, and we hope to do better in July!

H

Worthing Local Group Report - Thursday June 4th 2026

Our 'Barn session' in Worthing (Goring) this month was supported by 19 singers - and Emily was able to return to lead us although still taking care of her voice which is gradually recovering.  We had a list of songs from Amaryllis, prepared for the sets some of us will be singing at the Weald and Downland Living Museum on Sunday June 14th.   We sang most of them simply for the pleasure of singing, but following Amaryllis' advice on a few and with Emily's patient guidance, and occasional repetition, we also worked to improve our singing of them where needed.  

"Old Adam", one of our oldest songs learned in our early songs project days, was the first of these - with the three men present doing an able job on the men's lines - with 16 women singing in reply to them!   It prompted some discussion of the start note which had made some notes a little high to reach. The start notes of some others we sang were similarly modified slightly to make them more accessible for the tune and harmony singers present.   "Jim the Carter Lad" was next with "crack"s and claps working well in the choruses, before "Hares on the Mountain" in which we tried to maintain a lighter mood and brisker pace.  "Ale Good Ale" and "Sussex by the Sea" (the latter using the revised words created by Amaryllis with a more rural theme) were next - with the popular "Three Drunken Maidens" in hot pursuit.   After them the mood was  calmed again by the beautiful "Oak Tree Song".

"Country Life" brought everyone's attention back to singing after a break, and the second half continued with "England for Me", "Oak. Ash and Thorn" and "Rosebuds in June".   The final choice for the evening was "The Magpie" which concluded the session. Thanks to Emily and all who attended - rest your voices when you can, enjoy the songs again in the lovely setting of the Weald and Downland Museum if you are going  - and we'll be back to enjoy singing at the Barn again for our next meeting there on July 2nd. 

 

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.