Half term, along with work, illness and a bereavement, kept the numbers down to 9 today, men outnumbering women for once (6:3) but the latter were experienced singers and harmonisers who more than held their own. Between talk of dogs, cough sweets and road works, we managed 18 songs from our spring, summer and outdoorsy list.
A rousing “Country Life” was followed by Irish interloper “Eileen Aroon” (given honorary Sussex residence thanks to it, allegedly, being a Hilaire Belloc favourite). The Copper family’s “The Birds on the Spray” and “When Spring Comes In” both involved pleasant harmonies and led Tina to wish we were recording the session. Ken said he would oblige when next here in April. The more recent creation “Oldland Mill” led to another, “Oak Tree Song” before “The Nightingale’’ ended the first half, though there was some discussion as some of the lyrics suggesting ‘ale’ rather than ‘pale beer’ would have to be drunk in India - India Pale Ale was invented for that very purpose as ale spoiled on the trip! Who said folk songs had to be factual anyway.
After the short drink and toilet break “Pleasant and Delightful” kicked us off and was followed by the oldest song in the set: “Love and the Ball”, concerning the local sport of stoolball, based on a poem by Robert Herrick, a 17th century lyric poet and Anglican cleric and set to music by Alan Wheeler. “My Downland Remembered”, another of Alan’s adaptations of an existing poem, tells of a man transported to Australia for the theft of unwinnowed oats (what would have been the sentence if the grain he pinched had sprouted?). “Fathom the Bowl”, “Sussex Wedding Song” and “On Sussex Hills” generated more harmonies. After “Searching for Lambs” we dreamed of “Rosebuds in June” and “Green Grow the Laurel”. Kipling’s “Bee-Boy’s Song” took us to a rousing Copper send-off with “Thousands or More”.
Pleasant company. Good beer. Great harmonies. A treat.
Ken
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