A Song to Try - The Lost Lover

Amaryllis has offered a new song, "The Lost Lover" for us to try.  

You'll find the lyrics, written by Amaryllis, on our "Other Songs To Try" page. 

The song is sung to the traditional tune “Cruel Mother” (Trad. Roud No.9), which you'll find on our 'Songs and Recording" page.

A Song to Try - The Halsway Carol

Alan has offered this carol as one for us to try - and, if liked, prepare for use next Christmas - "The Halsway Carol".

You'll find the lyrics using this link

You'll find the tune using this link

An Addition to Try - A New Verse for the Worthing Grower

Barbara has offered us an additional verse to her song, "The Worthing Grower". 

You can find the updated lyrics here, and on the Main Page using this Link, and on the "Songs Created by Us"  page. 

An Addition to Try - A Low Harmony for the Field Mice Carol

Alan has offered a low harmony at the end of the verses of the Field Mice Carol.  You can find a recording on the Main Page using this Link

A Song To Try - Updated Version of Friendly Beasts

Amaryllis has offered the addition of some 'dooby doos' and clicks in the intervals between the verses of The Friendly Beasts (*) to go with the calypso/ jazz style of this song.

You'll find the updated lyrics here

*Song originally offered by Amaryllis last year (see post of 7th October)

A Song to Try - Sing We The Virgin Mary

Alan has offered this traditional seasonal song - "Sing We The Virgin Mary".

You'll find the lyrics using this link .

You'll find the tune using this link .

A Song to Try - My Lady of Autumn

Here's a new song offered by Dave Garrard - "My Lady of Autumn".   It is written by Dave Webber and Anni Fentiman, members of the folk band Beggars Velvet.

You'll find the lyrics using this link .

The Cuckoo

"The Cuckoo", a song first used by us during our early days in the 'South Downs Songs' project and already listed on our Songs and Recordings page, now has a fourth verse (author unknown). 

We have been in the habit of singing the first verse again to conclude the song - but now instead we have this end of season departure verse as a conclusion to compliment the herald of springtime in the first. 

Have a look - and enjoy a sing!

(You can find the updated lyrics on our Songs and Recordings page by clicking on this page link.)

Farmer's Toast - A Shortened Version

Alan has offered a shortened version of Farmer's Toast, the lyrics of which you can find on the Main Page using this Link

A Song To Try - The Folk Songs of Old England

Here's an amusing alternative of the traditional song "Hard Times of Old England" written by Lyn Ford, entitled "The Folk Songs of Old England".

Lyrics

Boar's Head Carol

Amaryllis has provided us with the high harmony. You will find this and the lyrics by using this link to the main "Songs and Recordings" page

A Song to Try - The Ditchling Carol

Here's a Christmas song offered by Tina: 

Published in 1811, words by William Robert Spencer, music setting by Peter Preston, church musician of Ditchling. Collated by Vic Gammon from several Sussex manuscripts. 

(Ref: "Mainly Norfolk and Other Good Music" online site.)

Lyrics

Score

Tune

A Song To Try - The Friendly Beasts

Here's a seasonal song offered by Amaryllis: 

Lyrics

Tune

A Song to Try - A Harvest Round

Alan has offered this round.  

Lyrics: 

Cut the Wheat 

Stack it neat

Take it to the miller

So all can eat

Tune

"After all groups have sung this through several times, the first groups finishes on 'Take it to the Miller' and continues to sing this line, The other groups follow behind continuing to sing this line so all are singing it until the leader indicates to all to finish with the last line of the round together."

Song to Try - Michaelmas - New Words

This is an update to the song "Michaelmas" offered by Amaryliss Gunn (see the post of 3rd September 2022)

Sung to the tune of ’Poor Froze-out Gardeners’, you'll find the updated lyrics and tune using the links below.

(October 7th 2024 - This song has been moved to our "Songs and Recordings" Page)

Please find it using this page link

A Song to Try - The Rambling Comber

A song offered by Alan. This song was recorded in 1893 in Horsham by Lucy Broadwood from the singing of Henry Burstow. Also collected by the Hammond Brothers from Robert Barratt of Piddletown of Dorset and published in the Dorset Volume of Cecil Sharp’s FOLK SONGS OF ENGLAND. Wool combing was a male dominated industry, although isolated spinners would spin their own wool. Combers were itinerant, travelling from village to village in search of work.

(August 9th 2024 - This song has been moved to our "Songs and Recordings" Page)

Please find it using this page link

A Song to Try - Harvest Moan

Here's a song offered by Amaryllis: 

Here are the lyrics: Lyrics

Sung to the tune of We Plough the Fields and Scatter

A Song to Try - Extra verse to Twanky Dillo

Here is another verse to Twanky Dillo to try:

"Here's a health to the farmer, and likewise his kin
To his toil and his labour and all he brings in,"

The added verse has been added to the lyrics on the Songs and Recordings page which you can get to by this Link

A Song to Try - Riding on a Donkey

A song offered by Alan - a version of the popular shanty 'Riding on a Donkey' with lyrics written by Alan.  It was supposed to be lucky to have a donkey at weddings. Also if you had a donkey amongst your kine (i.e. cows), you were supposed to get more milk from the cows.  Also, if your cows are attacked they'd run, but the donkey would stand his ground making a frightful noise.

Here are the lyrics: Lyrics

Here is the tune: Tune

A Song to Try - Three Drunken Maidens

Here's a traditional song offered by Alan Wheeler.

You'll find the lyrics using the link below.

(This song has been moved to our "Songs and Recordings" Page)

Please find it by using this Page Link