Some more seasonal songs to try

Three more carols that have been tried our at recent Chichester and Worthing sessions.

Ideo or "Personent Hodie" 

This is a carol, taken from a 16th Century collection of carols called Piæ Cantiones.

(Feb 3rd 2024 - This song has been moved to our "Songs and Recordings" Page) Please find it by using this Page Link

In the Bleak Mid-Winter 

Also know as "A Christmas Carol"  This is a poem by Christina Rossetti, published in 1872, sung to Gustav Holst's setting (Cranham, 1906). She may have written it during a winter visit to William Blake at his cottage in Felpham. 

(Feb 3rd 2024 - This song has been moved to our "Songs and Recordings" Page) Please find it by using this Page Link

The Boar's Head Carol 

The boar's head with an apple in its mouth is carried into the banquet hall on a gold or silver dish to the sound of trumpets and the singing of minstrels. At Hurst College in Hurstpierpoint, the boar’s head is paraded around the cloisters followed by the choir singing the Boar’s Head Carol.

(Feb 3rd 2024 - This song has been moved to our "Songs and Recordings" Page) Please find it by using this Page Link

Seasons Turn ....

As the old year of 2022 draws to a close and the new year 2023 approaches, the "South Downs Folk Singers” can look back with pleasure at all the singing and good company we’ve had at our Local Group sessions, and at the variety of public events we done this year. 

Many thanks to all our hospitable hosts for their invitations, to our audiences who have listened and joined in - and of course to all our loyal singers and our singing leads who have prepared, travelled and sung for these sessions and events. 

This December we greatly enjoyed singing at two seasonal events - first at the Weald and Downland Living Museum’s "Advent Market " and then at a "Petworth House at Christmas" open day - and the festive season continues into January with the fun of two "Wassails".

On Thursday January 5th some of us will be singing in support of the Sompting Morris side’s “Wassail"  in Tarring Village (located in West Worthing). The event begins at 8pm with a torch light parade in the village High Street, and we'll be singing in the garden of “The Vine” pub to welcome the crowds as the parade returns for the traditional Wassail ceremony. 

(Please note - this gathering replaces the usual Worthing Local Group session at the Barn in Goring on the first Thursday of the month.  We will resume our Worthing sessions as usual in February - on February 2nd.)

On January 21st we will be contributing to the “Sing and Stomp” evening in Sullington - and more lovely events will doubtless follow through the year as our 2023 programme develops.  (Please keep an eye on our Diary Dates page for details.) 

We are always open to new events, and to new singers joining us - so if you need to make a new year resolution why not decide to invite us to sing for you, plan to come and see us at an event - or come along and SING with us at one of our regular Local Group Sessions?    We hope to hear from you soon!

"Happy New Year" !

Chichester Local Group Report - Thursday December 22nd 2022

19 of us crammed into a packed Chichester Inn to offer the customers an evening of proper pub carols, sung loudly and lustily to the accompaniment of melodeon, whistles and guitar. Thank you, Anne, Alan and Dave, for bringing your instruments. 

We sang all our favourite carols and some wassail songs as well. Floor spots were performed by Chris, reciting Les Barker’s hilarious poem “Spot of the Antarctic”; Gordon who, whilst juggling, gave us an amusing self-penned ditty entitled “Look after your Balls”; Dave who gave us “Gaudete” with all the verses sung in Latin; Alan who led us in singing the “Boar’s Head Carol” and followed that up by reciting Kipling’s “Eddi of Manhood End”. 

Our singing eventually cleared some much-needed space in the room, but not everyone left and many came to say how much they enjoyed singing along with us! We sang “Happy Birthday” to Amaryllis and Beryl and also to a group of youngsters who came in from the other bar where they had been celebrating the birthday of a lad called Tom. 

Thank you to everyone who came to sing, enjoy a drink, share mince pies and spread some seasonal cheer. It was a very jolly evening! Happy Christmas to you all! See you again next month at Tarring Wassail on 5th January?

Worthing Local Group Report - Thursday December 1st 2022

Our December session was in the company of a Christmas tree and some seasonal sparkle at the Barn.  We began with a few notices before the singing - including the announcement that our SDFS “Revels” party evening for all our singers and their family and friends, is making a post Covid comeback - on March 25th 2023.  Not a winter wassail this time - but on ‘Lady Day’ as a celebration of the coming Spring!  (More details for our singers will follow in the new year.)

Our singing started with a couple of the songs used at the recent Weald and Downland Advent Market, and we were warmed by the positive feedback from Emily and others about how much our performance there had been enjoyed.  We sang the "Holly and the Ivy" and "Sweet Chiming Bells", and then moved to other seasonal songs, not in any current event sets - starting with trying all the verses of the "Falmer Carol".  Quite a long one in its entirety, so we trimmed it a little by having fewer chorus intervals.  It’ll need some more attention next year, but agreed its local history makes it one we should keep in the frame for future performances, and our enjoyment.  "Masters in the Hall" was nominated to sing next - another one liked by some folks but not by others. Then, one offered in previous years but hardly tried since - “Ideo" - and agreed to add it to the 'songs to try' reminder list for next year.   Attention turned next to January festivities and the Wassail songs we love.  Starting with the "Gloucester Wassail" (this time using verses 1,4, 5,6 and 10), and the "Apple Tree Wassailing Song".  In the break Emily shared details of the ‘wassail' event at Sullington Barn on January 21st, after which our singing resumed with birthday good wishes to Sheila!

Continuing with the seasonal songs, we enjoyed “Here We Come A-wassailing", the "Moon Shone Bright", and the "Sugar Wassail”.  Alan sang for us, and then we tried, "Wassail the Silver Apple", which is a little different to the other wassail songs we do, well liked by all, and certainly one we’d like to use more often. We finished our singing with a rousing rendition, in multiple parts, of Alan’s 'Wassail Around”.  The evening concluded with seasonal good wishes all round too,  plus a reminder that there will be no Worthing session at the Goring Barn on January 5th.  (We will instead be gathering to contribute to the Sompting Morris’ Wassail in Tarring Village, starting at 8pm.)  Our usual Worthing local group sessions will resume at the Goring Barn in February (Feb. 2nd).

Come and join us in 2023 - or maybe see you before then at Petworth House on Dec.10th!