Chichester Local Group Report - Thursday October 15th 2026

Seven SDFSingers attended this session, our number reduced by the holidays and other commitments of other regular participants - but it was boosted by four new faces, students from West Dean college, who had met one of our group at a Fishbourne Mill Morris event and she had invited them to attend.

The evening proved to be mix of songs suggested in preparation for the SDFS sings due at Fishbourne Roman Palace on Saturday December 5th, and the lunchtime concert at Christ Church in Worthing on Tuesday Dec 8th. - with word sheets shared to include our guests. These were interspersed by spontaneous contributions from our guests of songs they knew (not necessarily South Downs ones and titles not supplied) for our enjoyment and engagement if we knew them. 

From the SDFS collection we started with "Masters of this Hall" - which had become a little rusty since last used in 2025, but improved with a second go.  Then, "In the Bleak Midwinter", "Holly and the Ivy", and the "Sussex Carol", before discussing then singing "Gaudete", with the original Latin words.  Latin scholars amongst us did best in this but we all managed to keep up. Suggestions were made about splitting verse lines or choruses between men and women' voices - and agreed the chorus should begin with male voices. To avoid confusion for our SDFS singers not present, we avoided a verse featured on some copies of the lyrics - to leave only the four reproduced on the SDFS Blog's songs page.

From there we went back to more familiar pastures with 'Fields Lie Silent", before "Pentonville" and "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" - with an interlude for "Dark December" a lovely song, sung by David accompanied by his guitar and the rest of us joining in the choruses. (Permission has been sought for this much enjoyed seasonal song to be used by us - although admittedly it's origins are in the North Country.).

"The Coppers' Christmas Song", new to our guests, came next before a song we all knew well, "Country Life", sung together before the break.  "Rosebuds in June" was briefly mentioned as another song known to us all - but one of our new singers reported having learnt it to a different tune in his home county of Dorset.  During what passed for a break - our guests contributed some songs they liked and knew well, with others who also knew them joining in - and Alan presented the readings he is planning to included in the programme for the "Christ Church" event in December. 

When all were ready to, we used the remaining time together to sing "Sugar Wassail". "Wassail the Silver Apple", "Oak and Ash and Thorn", "One for the Rook" - and last but not least, not a South Downs song but definitely adopted by us in the SDFS Chichester group - "Rolling Home"…. before we duly did just that.

We'll be back at The Inn on November 19th - see you there!

New "Miscellaneous" post

If you are a musician interested in joining a Morris dancing side in the Chichester area - check the "Miscellaneous" page on this Blog for more details.  

Lewes Local Group Report - (from Monday September 21st 2026)

This was a very lively and convivial session with ten regulars, four new singers and a baby – a Morris dancer/musician brought along her five-week-old daughter who somehow managed to sleep through the first half of the evening. 

We sang our way through both sets for the event next weekend at Alfriston Clergy House. I chose the first two songs: we warmed up with “East Sussex Drinking Song” and then tackled a new number that we definitely needed to do – “Harvest Moan” set to the tune of “We Plough the Fields and Scatter” by the spoof Kipper Family from Norfolk (my home county) as it is replacing “Life of a Man” at this event. After that we took turns as usual to decide the order of the others but managed to sing all twenty in any case. During the rest of the first half of the evening, we sang “All Among the Barley”, “Old Adam”, “Fields Lie Silent”, “Oak Tree Song”, “Woodcutter’s Song”, “My Downland Remembered”, “Lammas Carol” and “West Sussex Drinking Song”.

 

In the break we admired the youngest visitor some more before she was taken home, chatted about our different experiences and other groups we sing with and arranged lifts to Alfriston (except for the member who lives there and just needs to stroll across the Green).

 

Suitably refreshed we carried on with “Oak and Ash and Thorn”, “One for the Rook”, “Home Lads Home”, “Country Life”, “Sussex by the Sea”, “Parting Song”, “Oldland Mill”, “Ha’nacker Mill”, “Brisk Young Ploughboy” and ended, as we often do, with “Thousands or More”.

 

Our next session will be on Monday October 19^th. New members are always welcome for a free taster session, whatever your previous experience or knowledge. Just bring yourself and your enthusiasm.

 

Tina

 

Worthing Local Group Report - Thursday October 1st 2026

The South Downs Folk Singers Annual General Meeting meant an early start at the Barn - but once the agenda had been covered and (for now!) discussions done, tables and chair were reconfigured and after a short break we began our singing with time enough for a dozen songs (and another discussed) to complete the evening.

Before the session Amaryllis had suggested a selection of songs, for enjoyment of our winter season repertoire and in preparation for the events we have planned in November and December.  To interrupt and conclude the post AGM and break-time chatting, a few voices launched with their first choice: the "Boar's Head Carol", with everyone else soon joining in. This was followed by the joyful "Sweet Chiming Bells" before the gentle but also joyous "Field Mouse Carol".  Other aspects of the winter season were described in the "Woodcutters Song" and  "Where Stormy Winds Do Blow".  It was agreed the verses of the latter should be brisk and determined, and the choruses rendered robustly and not too slow - in the character of stormy winds (and likened by one singer to a speech by King Lear!). 

We moved on to seasonal greenery with "The Holly and the Ivy", before a brief departure to the round "I heard a Bird Sing" which was lovely and fun, until unfortunately it lost its way towards the end.  By contrast "Poor Froze Gardeners" described the hardships of winter, before "Friendly Beasts" provided some cheer and warmth in its depiction of animals at the Nativity.  The 'dooby-do's' added last year between the verses of Amaryllis' tune for the latter were reviewed, and it was generally agreed to remove them in favour of the verses flowing on after just a brief silent pause.  

The beautiful and popular "Fields Lie Silent" was our next choice, before "Ideo", and then discussion of "Gaudete" (which had previously been offered, and has now been suggested again, by singers in the Chichester group).  We managed the chorus, but not everyone was familiar with the verses, in Latin. So it was not ventured in full this evening, but may be given more time at another session. That left us with just enough time to sing "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" - using the tune we prefer which differs from the one most of us learned at school or in church.  So with that uplifting herald of Christmas and other seasonal songs to come, a busy evening closed. 

All our songs can be found on the Songs pages of this Blog - and you can hear some of them them at our public performances in November and December.  If not already in the "South Downs Folk Singers", you can also sing them with us by dropping us a line if you are interested and joining us at one, or all, of our local group sessions.   All the details you need are on the pages of the Blog.  

H.