Lewes Local Group Report - Tuesday 21st November 2023

Our new singing venue, The King’s Head in Lewes, is proving popular, and thirteen of us gathered there on November 21^st, completely filling the top tier of the pub. As our numbers expand we’ll have to accept Dec’s kind offer to use the larger middle tier in order to accommodate everyone.

We were pleased to welcome our newest member Celia from Lewes, returning members Ruth and Steve from Henfield, and of course all our trusty regulars. After a brief introduction from everyone Tina opened the evening explaining that she’d selected the evening’s songs to link in with Remembrance Day, winter and of course looking ahead to Christmas.  We started with the “West Sussex Drinking Song” and moved into winter with the “Fields Lie Silent”.

Tina’s reminder that no-one should sing anything with which they feel at all uncomfortable was pertinent as we went on to sing “Home, Lads Home”, “The Ladies Go Dancing at Whitsun” and “My Boy Jack”, all of which commemorate those tragically lost in war.

Everyone was in fine voice and we headed towards Christmas with the new to us “Boar’s Head Carol” which Tina taught as a suggestion for next year and everybody picked up quickly, and the more familiar “Falmer Carol”. “Stir-up Sunday”,  a round written by Alan from our Chichester group, was particularly topical as this year the day for traditionally starting the Christmas pudding falls this week on 26^th. The “Woodcutter’s Song”, ”Gather Round the Fire” (another round) and “Where Stormy Winds Do Blow” kept up the seasonal theme before we returned to carols with “Ideo” (another new try out ahead of next year which was also well received).  “Old Adam” made an appearance before we finished with a rousing rendition of “Thousands or More”.

In the break Tina mentioned the Weald and Downland Living Museum event this Sunday and there was some enthusiasm for the idea of arranging a Wassail event for 2025 as there’s not time to try and arrange a public event for January 2024.

Jan

Our Next Events - Seasonal Events

As autumn gives way to winter and the 'festive season' approaches, we have a number of events and places where we look forward to sharing our seasonal songs with all.

In addition to our regular local group sessions this month, in December and on into 2024, we will be singing at the Weald and Downland Living Museum during their Advent Market on Sunday November 26th.  

Then on Saturday December 2nd you'll find us singing in the courtyard at Petworth House on one of the pre-Christmas open days there. 

Saturday December 9th sees us singing at Rustington Museum's Christmas Fayre - and on the last Saturday before Christmas, December 23rd, we'll be singing in Worthing town centre (near the Guildbourne Centre steps) singing in support of the "Worthing Lions" and Father Christmas!  

Thank you to our hosts for inviting us to these events - and we're not finished there - our first public sing of 2024 will be on January 5th at the Sompting Morris' Wassail celebrations in Tarring Village, Worthing. 

Lots to sing and lots to enjoy - so come along and enjoy the Season with us - and make your New Year's resolution to join us at one or all of our regular local group sessions through 2024! 

Another Song to Try - The Field Mouse Carol

Here's a sweet song - a poem from The Wind in the Willows set to music by Chris Green.  

Sung to us by Alan at the last Chichester local group session, and agreed by everyone there to put on this page for others to hear, try and enjoy it too.  So here it is!

You'll find the lyrics, tune and youtube video via the links below.

Lyrics

Tune

Video

Chichester Local Group Report - Thursday November 16th 2023

Fifteen valiant SDFS singers came out on a rainy evening to sing Christmassy songs in preparation for the forthcoming SDFS Christmas events.

The evening opened with "Deck The Halls"  sung with gusto and enthusiasm and moved on to a suitably seasonal "Poor Froze Out Gardeners"  sung by all and not just the men.  "The Sussex Mummers’Carol"  followed with some discussion about gaps and whether or not to sing the last verse as a round.  "The Woodcutters Song"  proved a popular next rendition and lead up to trying out one of the newest additions to the repertoire – "When It’s Christmas Time".  All agreed that the words of the next song, "Fields Lie Silent Now", were really good, even if now slightly outdated as we seem to have rain rather than frost in December.  Which led Steve to observe that the fields round Rogate were covered in redundant Haloween Pumpkins for winter!  The "Pentonville" version of While Shepherds Watched  came next with the men singing their part well.  "Sussex Carol"  rounded off the first half after some discussion about men/women parts and what repeats there might be.
 
As everyone headed off for a well earned break, there was a decision NOT to cancel the December Chichester meet-up on 21 December and Steve checked that the pub were still happy for us to come. Everyone agreed to bring a special Christmas poem/song or even instruments to make it a lively session.
 
Alan took the opportunity to sing "Field Mice Carol" from the Wind in the Willows and all present thought it should be added to the “Other Songs to Try” page of this Blog.
 
"Holly and the Ivy (Sans Day Carol)" opened the second half of the evening and was sung so well that Alan decided the group needed a little more of a challenge and the group tried "When It’s Christmas Time"  a Brighton Carol introduced relatively recently.  Latin was attempted in "Ideo"  with Alan making the point to follow the timing used at the recent Worthing practice.  "Master’s in This Hall"  followed, after comments that it hadn’t gone particularly well when sung last year at Chichester.  It was sung really well following a slight lowering of key and there was discussion about the possibility of a drum accompaniment to help keep the song dynamic!  "Coppers Christmas Song"  and "Moon Shone Bright" followed.  The latter possibly being a bit “weaker” as it hadn’t been sung very often, was sung twice for confidence building!  "When Stormy Winds Do Blow"  was an appropriate comment on the weather outside before the evening finished with  "The Parting Song".
 
Alan complimented all on some very good singing and reminded the group to watch whoever was leading whilst out and be prepared for maybe different keys and timing - and with that, the Chichester branch of the SDFS was launched towards it’s Christmas performances for 2023.
 
Anne S
 
For anyone interested in hearing Alan, Anne, and their friends in "Cotillion" sing ....

There will be a Christmas performance with "Cotillion" in Sompting Church on Saturday 9th December.  Start Time: 2.00 pm, to run with a break for about 90 minutes.                           

                                               

"A Sussex Christmas" is a combination of seasonal Songs,  narration and join in carols.  The organisers usually provide some kind of refreshment during the break.  Tickets in aid of Sompting Church on the door.

Worthing Local Group Report - Thursday November 2nd 2023

Sadly there was no Worthing Local Group session at the Barn this month.  

The impact of the recent stormy weather here, which didn't calm during the day as much as we'd hoped, the resulting concerns about travel to and from the session, and the apologies for absence received from a number of singers, led us rather late in the day to decide it would be much better to be safe than sorry.  So the session was cancelled, notices were posted, texts were sent, calls were made - and we stayed safe, dry, and maybe singing, at home.

Sadly this disappointed hopes of having another jolly good sing together to cheer us as the days shorten and darken at this time of year.   But our songs in celebration of the season changing from autumn into winter, songs of Remembrance, and songs heralding the Festive Season, will still be there to enjoy at either or both of our other local groups' sessions in Lewes and Chichester this month - and at our next Worthing meeting at the Barn on December 7th.  (See the Diary Dates page on this Blog for more details.)

May the elements be on our side for safe travel to all of them - but just in case, before you attend, do keep a look out for notices if plans have had to change.  

Stay safe and keep singing!

H.