Chichester Local Group Report - Thursday July 17th 2025

14 singers attended the Chichester Inn for the June SDFS get together and this included two new potential singers – Julie and Ian, plus Sabina who was welcomed as a guest of Julia. 

In view of the new attendees, Alan decided to open the evening with a confident rendition of "Country Life" – one of our tried and trusted opening numbers!  "Hal and Tow" followed with a reminder to start with the chorus.  The relatively new "Rambling Comber" with harmony parts followed, remembering the unusual ending of the verse.  Alan felt that the group was doing really well with this newish song.  "Oak and Ash and Thorn" was sung twice to test the suggestion by Dave G that it needed to be sung a little more slowly.  Alan introduced a new possibility "England for Me" a song written by local songster Dave Toye which all seemed to pick up very quickly. This song is already on the SDFS Blog. With the reminder not to confuse it with the hymn, the group tried "Our Captain Cried All Hands" next which went well and all felt this should be included in the SDFS repertoire having been collected in Sussex by such a well known folk singer, Mrs Verrall.[
 
At this point, an enthusiastic visitor to the pub asked of we knew 'Jerusalem'!  To which Alan and Dave sang "Juicalem" a humerous skit written by Valmai Goodyear of Lewes Folk Club.  This was much appreciated and followed up by a rousing rendition of "Sussex By the Sea" provided a suitable finish to the first half of the evening.
 
The second half was opened with four verses of "The Jolly Woodcutter" with a reminder to repeat the last line at the end.  Following a request from Alan for suggestions, Dave G introduced a potential new song 'The Bonny Hawthorn' to the group.  He undertook to teach this to both Chichester and Worthing groups to see if it was liked by the SDFS.  The requests proceeded through "The Nightingale", "Three Drunken Maidens" (much enjoyed by all!), "On One April Morning" – which needs a bit more work and "The Rosebuds in June" which is well known by all.
 
To finish a busy evening, the group sang by request "The Parting Song" before leaving with a general feeling of a few hours well spent in good company!  
 
 
Anne S

Worthing Local Group Report - Thursday July 3rd 2025

We welcomed two new and many familiar faces to another summer evening of song at the Barn.  With Emily leading us we launched with "On Sussex Hills", before continuing with a mix of songs  - old favourites, revivals and some most likely to be used at our summer events.  "Old Adam" was next, before "The Cuckoo" (using the additional fourth verse instead of repeating the first verse to finish).  Then "Hal an Tow", followed eagerly by "Three Drunken Maidens" (with some light-hearted talk of making this the tale of three maidens from Worthing - or Lewes or Chichester - on a visit to the Isle of Wight!)   With Worthing still in mind we revived the version of "The Turmut Grower" written by our own Barbara S -"The Worthing Grower" which proudly declares the enjoyment and value of compost and composting.

A break in proceedings for refreshments and chat also enabled sharing a few notices about summer events in the Worthing area.  Amongst these was news of a bellringing 'wagon' planned for the Seafront Fair on the Prom later this month (to invite folks to have a go and encourage them to join a team of bellringers - as with Morris dancing it seems new joiners are in very short supply!

Our singing resumed with "Halnaker Mill" - with due notice to bringing the mood and meaning of the words into our singing.  "Tommie" (about scrumping apples, and sung to the tune of Fathom the Bowl) was used next - new to many but sung quite easily.  A bigger tree was celebrated next in the beautiful "Oak Tree Song", always enjoyed for its imagery and sound.  From there "The Mermaid" took us out to sea with Michael and Steve W serving as our local crew and taking the lead on the verses.  Having survived a possible shipwreck, and even though now past midsummer, we sang "Summer is A'coming In Again", using our own Alan W's substitute verses to finish.  The "Smugglers Song" was the first of a few requests, after which the other two served to close the evening with "The Parting Song" and "Thousands or More". 

Thanks Emily and All.  

A New Item is now on our Miscellaneous Page

The Towner Gallery in Eastbourne is hosting an event which may be of interest to us and you  - "The South Downs Songbook"- to find out more, please check our 'Miscellaneous Page' .