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 19th. New members are always welcome for a free taster session, whatever your previous experience or knowledge. Just bring yourself and your enthusiasm.
Tina
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