Our September Events

Look and listen out for us next Sunday Sept. 4th at the Oldland Mill Open Day (nr. Keymer) - and the following Sunday at the Fernhurst Furnace Open day on Sept.11th.  

Continuing our weekly events this month, the Stanmer Village Fete comes next on Sunday the 18th, and towards the end of the month we're singing in Bognor at their very own "South Downs Music Festival" on Saturday September 24th.

Lots of lovely events to support, lots of South Downs songs to sing, and lots of chances for you to come along and see us!

Arundel Festival - amendment to our first Singing time on August 27th

The Festival organisers have today asked us to sing a little earlier than planned  - so we will now be singing in Tarrant Street, near the Nineveh Chapel, at 1.00 p.m.  not 1.30 as previously announced.

We will also be singing at 3.00p.m. in the sensory garden, as planned - it's called "The Pollinators Garden".

Hope you can find us in both of these lovely settings in Arundel - at 1.00 o'clock and again at 3.00!  See you there!

The "South Downs Folk Singers" at the Arundel Festival

This coming Saturday, August 27th, you can find a group of us in Arundel, singing in support of this year's Arundel Festival.  We will be singing at 1.30 p.m. in Tarrant Street and later at the Sensory Garden near the river at 3.00 p.m.  Come along, enjoy the festivities, and hear us sing our South Downs Songs - what better way to spend your Bank Holiday Saturday!

And if that's not fun enough, we'll be singing at various other events during September.  Starting on Sunday Sept. 4th - Oldland Mill near Keymer has invited us back, then heading west again we'll be making a return visit to the Fernhurst Furnace Open Day on the 11th.  Stanmer Village Fete is the place to be and hear us sing on the 18th - and last but far from least, we'll be singing at the South Downs Music Festival again in Bognor on the 24th.   

See more on our Diary Dates page - or if you need more details, or you'd like us to sing at an event,  just drop us a line (southdownsfolksingers21@gmail.com).

Come and See us, Hear us - and Join us!!

Chichester Local Group Report - Thursday August 19th 2022

Fifteen stalwart Chichester supporters plus Stanley the dog attended the August Chichester session and with Alan occasionally in charge and sometimes not, sung their way through the set list for the forthcoming Arundel Festival appearance.  During the first half these included:  "One for the Rook", "Ale Glorious Ale", "Lammas Carol", "Turnip Hoer" and "Fathom the Bowl".  It was decided to swap out "Oldland Mill" for something a bit more boisterous as singing conditions in Arundel could be tricky in view of a noisy background.  It was decided that "Twanky Dillo" would probably fit the bill. 

To enliven the evening, Alan introduced a humorous skit for all to sing based on the harvest song, Plough the Fields and Scatter (Harvest Moan by Sid Kipper) which was much appreciated and Gordon sang one of his incomparable compositions “Termite Hoer” – how did he manage to write a line with a perfect rhyme to Voice Activated…?

 

Alan called all to order and commenced on the second half of the evening, picking from the Arundel set.  "Oak & Ash & Thorn", "Sussex Wedding Song".  Everyone present seemed confident with the rest of the set, so there followed a variety of material for all to enjoy.  Dave G introduced a potential new song from the singing of The Copper Family "All the Young Brethren", to much general acclaim and Steve recorded it to put onto the potential new song list on the website.  He also gave a rousing rendition of a version of "John Barleycorn" as we are rapidly approaching the Autumn season and there was much discussion about differing versions!  Alan taught some lines from "All Among the Barley" as re-introduced by Emily at the last Worthing session and settled various differences of opinion about the tune!  He also tried out his own composition, "My Downland Remembered" and agreed with the suggestion that it could do with a chorus between verses.  "Searching for Lambs" followed by "The Parting Song" rounded off the evening in fine voice.

 

 

Lewes Local Group Report - Tuesday August 16th 2022

It was good to be back in The John Harvey Tavern after the heatwave forced us to abandon our July meeting.  Beryl and Amaryllis joined Angela and me on our journey over from Worthing and Jan arrived with her souvenir from dancing at Sidmouth Festival - a wrist in plaster; and Cathy and Karen finally managed to see what we were like having already sung in choirs with Mac, Margaret and Tina. So there were 12 singers but only 11 voices as poor Tina was still being very cautious after losing her voice to a nasty throat virus.  Nevertheless, she stoically led us through 15 songs especially those less familiar ones which we are more likely to use in performance situations:  "Pleasant and Delightful," "Ale Glorious Ale", "The Magpie", "Country Life", "Rosebuds in June", "The Smugglers Song", "The Nightingale" and "On Sussex Hills". We checked "Oldland Mill" and "Halnaker Mill" ready for the Open Day on 4^th September and practised "The Lammas Carol", "Hares on the Mountain" and "The Song of the Sussex Downsmen", before finishing with "The East Sussex Drinking Song" and "Thousands or More".

In September, we will meet a week earlier on 13^th not the 20^th so that we can rehearse before the Falmer/Stanmer event on September 18th (see the Diary Dates page on this Blog).

Worthing Local Group Report - Thursday August 4th 2022

After some notices to update plans for our public events from August to December - we launched our singing with "Oak and Ash and Thorn" which got our voices exercised and our hearts beating a little faster.  Keeping the upbeat mood "Jim the Carter Lad" followed, with the claps after "crack, crack" still proving a challenge for some!  Emily led us through the "Lammas Carol" and introduced some high and low harmonies which made it even lovelier. "Oldland Mill" came next, with "So now the sails are turning" needing some attention to stop the sails carrying us away into the tune of the chorus.  Spreading the beats in "tur-ur-ning" ensured we kept on track for the rest of the verse. "One for the Rook" went smoothly before we rehearsed "Searching for Lambs", a gentle song but still at a good pace, to help settle in the harmonies.  After a break we resumed with "Come Write Me Down" (otherwise known as "The Sussex Wedding Song") and another couple from the old song book: "Fathom the Bowl" and "Ale Glorious Ale".  Now that we're in August and the end of harvest approaches, Emily reminded us of another lovely song, "All Among the Barley", which we enjoyed reviving with hopes of using it at events as the seasons change.  We went back to the "Lammas Carol" plus harmonies again, before concluding with good old "Thousands or More".  Time had run out for any more, but we agreed to give space to "My Downland Remembered"(another of Alan's songs), and to trying the Copper Family's words to "Lark in the Morning", next month.  See you then!