Our Next Public Event - Saturday July 30th

On Saturday July 30th you can see and hear us at the Weald and Downland Living Museum - singing songs about the life and work of South Downs folk, as our contribution to the museum's "LAMMAS" week-end event.  We will be singing at the North Cray house at 11.30 a.m. and again at 1.30 p.m. 

Lammas being "loaf mass", from times when bread made of grain from the early harvest was blessed and celebrated in church.  Harvest festival, as we still know it, came later in the year when harvesting for the rest of the growing season was finished and 'home'. 

Be mindful of the extra traffic likely from the nearby Goodwood race meeting this week-end - but not daunted by that, we look forward to seeing you at the Museum for another sunny sing in the South Downs!

(Details of our future events, and our regular meetings, later in August and into September, and beyond, can be found on the Diary Dates page of this Blog.)

Chichester Local Group Report - Thursday July 21st 2022

Our usual leaders, Alan and Dave, couldn't be there but our July's session at the "Chichester Inn” went ahead  - and we welcomed a new member, Roger. 

We'd agreed to concentrate on songs we like and, more importantly, know, and during the session we covered a good few from the list for the Weald and Downland Museum's Lammas event  at which the SDFS will be singing on July 30th - "On Sussex Hills”; "Rosebuds in June”; "Brisk Young Ploughboy”; "Green Grow the Laurels”; “Nightingale” ; "Country Life”; "One for the Rook” and "Farmers Toast”.  We also tried the newest ones: "Lammas Carol” and, rather less successfully, "Oldland Mill”.  Some other old  favourites were requested: “Three Maidens”; "Pleasant and Delightful”; "Rolling in the Dew” - and "Ebernoe Horn Fair”, which, as  Gordon reminded us, would be happening again as usual on July 25th. 

In a break from singing our South Downs songs, the beer drinkers were delighted by what the “Chichester Inn" had to offer this month, and we were all delighted by the beautiful song “Harbour” by Anna Tabbush, sung for us by Stephen, Sue and Viv.  (Stephen reported, Anna is a choir leader from Midhurst and she wrote “Harbour" in the wake of the Syrian crisis. Since the Ukraine crisis she has made the song available to download for free, only asking users to make a donation to the Refugee Council).  Gordon also entertained us with his song, "Site For Sore Eyes", about the Virgin Mary Spring in Petworth, which has now become a regular part of the annual  pilgrimage to the spring.   And when it came to closing the session, “Rolling Home” was again requested to send us on our way.  More next month!

Alert - the Lewes Local Group session tonight (July 19th) - has been cancelled

We're very sorry to say - because of the exceptional weather we're experiencing at the moment, we feel it best NOT to invite folks to travel to this month's regular early evening sing at the "John Harvey Tavern" in Lewes.  

As Tina, who leads the sessions in Lewes, says - "... it will still be 27 degrees at 5pm when people would be travelling to Lewes for a 6:30pm start .... I don't feel comfortable encouraging people to make what is officially classed as an unnecessary journey.  I'm therefore sadly going to cancel .... I'd rather think of the most vulnerable and be safe rather than sorry".

Many apologies for the short notice and for any disappointment or inconvenience caused to our loyal singers and any newcomers hoping to join us this evening.   We look forward to giving you all a very warm (but not uncomfortably hot) welcome again at our next Lewes session in August! 

Worthing Local Group Report - Thursday July 7th 2022

30 of us gathered on a warm summer evening to sing, learn and socialise. We welcomed John after his long absence and he updated everyone on the event programme he's been working on behind the scenes (all listed on the Diary Page of this Blog). Then, guided as ever by Emily, and with advice from Alan on his songs, we enjoyed songs old and new for the simple pleasure of singing them and also to polish some for performance at coming events.  "Jim the Carter Lad" got us moving, with the percussive addition of a hand-clap immediately after singing the word "crack" in the chorus. A bit of a challenge to start with but mastered by most!  Jim was followed by the "Brisk Young Ploughboy", before we spent time learning Alan's beautiful "Lammas Carol". Harmonies were considered but at this stage, and for performance on July 30th at the Weald and Downland Museum event, the melody was our priority.   "Green Grow the Laurels" was revived and enjoyed with a gusto befitting the 'deceived woman' it describes, before we calmed and continued with another new song "Oldland Mill", this time including the range of harmonies it offers.  A latish but well-earned break left us with a shortened second half.  We resumed by revisiting the "Lammas Carol", singing "One for the Rook" and revisiting "Oldland Mill" to consolidate our learning. The evening closed with another song we are beginning to learn, Alan's song "My Downland Remembered".  More on that next month we hope.  Thanks again to Emily, Alan, and everyone there.

Reminder - Worthing Local Group's session date has changed to July 7th

It's the first week of July, and as per agreement our Worthing Local Group session has changed to the first Thursday of the month and will be happening at The Barn this coming Thursday, July 7th.  As usual, we aim to start singing at 7.30p.m. 

(Please see our Welcome page and Diary page for more details.)

If you are new to our sessions but would like to join us, please let us know in advance by dropping us a line to our email address.   If you've been before we'll be very glad to see you again - so please don't wait for the second Wednesday in the month as we used to be - we won't be there!