Chichester Local Group Report - Thursday May 21st 2026

Alan was away but David kindly offered to lead us for our May session at the "Chichester Inn". A dozen singers gathered and we enjoyed singing our way through fourteen songs -. opening with  "Country Life" then "Twanky Dillo", a couple of old favourites, before another well suited to our venue, "Ale Glorious Ale".

"Ladies Go Dancing at Whitsun" was shared between men and women's voices as we always do and it was as lovely as ever - but we had a few problems with the new tune used for "Run of the Downs" so decided it was best left for another day!  Instead we shared another gentle downland song "Searching for Lambs" before two old favourites from our original 'South Downs Songs' project repertoire - "Ebernoe Horn Fair" before we took a refreshment break, and 'Rolling in the Dew" when resuming refreshed  We haven't sung them for a while and both were a little faltering to begin with until their tunes came flowing back.

Stephen A  was invited to take the notional baton to update and progress our work on songs from the "Chithust Collection" being assembled towards a possible programme for the Chichester Fringe Festival in 2027.  (They can be found under a dedicated tab on our SDFS Blog.)   We sang the most familiar of these, the jaunty but sad tale of the "Stedham Oysterman's Donkey", before also singing "Saucy Sailor" then "Valiants All" - with ongoing discussion about the different versions of "Saucy Sailor" and the imagery in the words of "Valiants All".  

With more Chithust songs, and probably discussions about them, to come at future sessions we moved on with a song adopted from the 'Belloc and Broadwood Songs Project' - the "Turtle Dove" - before "Sussex by the Sea" changed the pace and mood.  As a bit of an afterthought and by popular request, we sang "Rosebuds in June" for our finale - and all enjoyed singing it again after not perhaps having done it and ourselves justice when it was last shared!  So on that positive note we concluded with thanks to David, Stephen and all!

We'll be back at the Inn on June 4th - and we hope to welcome back Alan and Anne after their triumphant appearance with "Cotillion" in the Chichester Fringe Festival the evening before. (Tickets still available!) 

H.