We welcomed another new singer in the thirty-three of us at the Barn this month. In celebration of the lengthening evening daylight after the clocks changed over Easter, our evening included songs with a springtime theme and featured those proposed for the next two SDFS public events (in Christ Church, Worthing on April 9th and at Petworth House on the 14th). Emily took the lead but at intervals invited Amaryllis and Alan (our leads for the above events) to contribute with their direction of some songs. We opened with “On Sussex Hills” then moved on with "It is the First of May" and the “May Day Carol”. Alan has suggested “The Cuckoo” for Petworth, one we have not sung for a while so some revisiting and relearning was needed for the pace, particularly for the longer notes towards the end of the verses. Unease with the sombre last verse resulted in the decision to repeat the first verse at the end, to conclude the song with a more positive mood. There was light hearted experiment with ‘cuckoo” calls over the ending of the song - but Alan, and others, preferred not to add this to our performance at Petworth. "Summer is A’ coming In Again” had another enjoyable airing using Alan’s new verses (which have been approved by the song’s original writer) to replace the last two verses. Note was made of the slowing pace in the very last line of the song. “Oak, Ash and Thorn” was requested before we took a breather and a break.
We resumed with “When Spring Comes In” followed by “ Ladies Go Dancing at Whitsun”. At Emily’s suggestion Amaryllis led us in “Green Grow the Laurels” to demonstrate the song's narrative and moods in our singing - concluding with an emphatic last verse and a triumphant final chorus! “Hard Times of Old England” with men and women together was an interval before going back to the spring with "Hal ’n’ Tow”, with the extra verse Emily had found for the start of the song. (The words for this can be found on the "Other Songs to Try” page on our Blog.) Alan confirmed he would like to use this lengthened version of the song at Petworth, including the spontaneous hand-claps offered by some singers to punctuate the pauses the choruses. Time was by then already running out after a busy evening, but we found time to conclude with the “Parting Song” - and finally Alan’s appeal that singers for Petworth use the Blog recordings to run though “Searching for Lambs” and "My Downland Remembered’” at home in readiness for the 14th. A late finish but an enjoyable and productive evening -thanks all!
HH
(P.S. - Our next Worthing session on May 2nd will be held in the Church next to the Barn)
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