New Singers

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New singers  are always welcome to join us – read more

Event Organisers  – want us to sing for you? – read more
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Friday 29 November 2013

Lewes evening sing 5th December - final details

We now have 11 singers coming along on Thursday 5th December - 6 tune, 3 men, 2 harmony - so we should be able to produce a good sound.  We are singing at 7:00pm (**note different time**) inside Lewes Tourist Information Centre, 187 High Street, Lewes BN7 2DE (gather outside at 6:45pm or just inside in case of bad weather).

The songs are as listed in the previous Lewes post below (19 November): 3 from our usual repertoire, 2 Sussex carols and 3 more well-known carols.  There will be a runthrough at Worthing the previous evening and I will bring along word sheets (for us and the public) on the night.  There is the opportunity to do another, briefer set at the TIC later in the evening if we wish and there has also been mention of a possible flash mob or singing in a pub / pubs which can all be decided at the time.  The overall theme at the TIC for this year’s event is “A Victorian Christmas” or “The 12 Days of Christmas” so don’t be shy: your finest festive attire will be very much in keeping and welcomed!

Lastly if anyone else becomes unexpectedly available on the night, do feel free to come along, whether to listen or to sing.

Contact details:

Mine: Mobile 07795 335646 (my home e-mail is dead so apologies if you have sent me anything; please resend it to my mobile)

Clare Hunt (Lewes TIC) 01273 484002 - NB: please ONLY ring Clare if you cannot reach me and it is urgent!

See you next Wed / Thurs

Tina

Tuesday 26 November 2013

December's Easebourne session

Festive fun, fine frolics and fabulous food - all at Shirley's house instead of the White Horse!

December's session will be a Christmassy affair
so bring some holly to stick in your hair
or maybe a hat with mistletoe
something to make the party go!

See the Local Group News page for details!

Adrian F

Tuesday 19 November 2013

Lewes Carols 5th December - final (nearly!) arrangements

We currently have 7 singers who have expressed interest.  The hope / aim is for at least 10 - 12 so to allow for last minute sickness / cancellation, more are very welcome.  The TIC needs to know fairly soon so please note the confirmation deadline is midnight on Sunday 24th November (see below for contact details).

DATE: Thursday 5th December

TIME(S): 6:30pm and / or 7:30pm (flexible and at our discretion, to be confirmed once definite singers and their availability known)

VENUE: At / in / near Lewes Tourist Information Centre, top of Station Street, on the NE corner of the crossroads (Fisher Street / High Street).  The TIC stocks our CD so this is a good opportunity to promote it and also to drum up interest in future events and possibly recruit some new Lewes singers. 

SONGS:
1. On Sussex Hills (Hilaire Belloc) 
2. Shepherd of the Downs (Traditional) 
3. Thousands Or More (Copper Family) 
4. Sussex Mummers Carol (When Righteous Joseph Wedded Was)
5. Sussex Carol (On Christmas Night All Christians Sing)
6. Wassail Wassail All Over The Town
7. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
8. We Wish You A Merry Christmas

1-3  from our usual repertoire, on our CD and can be sent to you as a sound recording if requested. 
4-6  from our carols repertoire, lyrics are on the carols song sheet and sheet music can be sent to you if requested. 
7-8  for the public to join in. 

RUNTHROUGH: There will be a runthrough the previous day, Wednesday 4 December, at the Worthing local session at the Beechwood Hall Hotel, Wykeham Road, Worthing, West Sussex BN11 4JD at 7:30 - 9:45pm.  If necessary there may be a runthrough elsewhere, possibly in Brighton, the previous week.    

CONFIRMATION:  please confirm you'll be there by e-mailing / texting Tina Cox at tcox@ntlworld.com (07795 335646).  Cut-off date / time is midnight on Sunday 24th November.  Please let me have definite confirmation even if you have already spoken to me recently.  Could you also say whether you know or are willing to sing the harmonies and if so for which songs? 

I look forward to hearing from you!

Tina

Worthing Community Play - Songs workshop

On behalf of Ann:

SONGS WORKSHOP
for the Worthing Community Play
with free mince pies, tea and coffee!
Christ Church, Grafton Road, Worthing - 1.30pm, Sunday 15 December

A fun-filled couple of hours are promised, singing the songs for the Worthing Community Play - which is set in Victorian times - and learning all about the role you could play as part of the crowd / congregation.

As writer and director, Ann Feloy has included many of the folk songs that were taught during the South Downs Songs workshops including 'Fathom the Bowl' and 'Jolly Good Song' along with music hall ditties such as 'Oh I Do Like To be Beside the Seaside' and 'The Boy I Love is Up in the Gallery'.

Come along and hear more about this exciting community project which will take place on 14th, 21st and 28th June next year.  At this stage you are not committing yourself to anything.

Emily Longhurst and Ann will be running through the songs on the day and at 4pm there is a carol concert which everyone is welcome to stay for.
 
For more information about the play go to http://www.worthingcommunityplay.org.uk/ or contact Ann on 01903 200648 or 07809 697495.

Saturday 16 November 2013

Meeting to set up the committee

Notice of a meeting to elect the officers needed to form a committee to run the South Downs Folk Singers

Date: Monday 18th November 2013
Venue: Beechwood Hall Hotel (in the downstairs meeting room)
Time: 7.30pm

AGENDA

1. Apologies for absence

2. Agreement of committee make-up (ie members / roles) - the committee can change this once in office.
Roles of officers can be considered to be based on the details supplied previously and published on the blog.
Suggested committee posts are those shown on the blog.

3. Election of committee

Updates on items from 9 October meeting:
4. Carols with Brighton Morris (now the Napier Quire)

5. Uploading files to the blog

6. Monthly sessions

7. Any other business

8. Date of first committee meeting

All SDFS singers are very welcome to attend, whether or not they wish to become committee members.

If you have an item you wish to see added to the agenda, please bring it along and, time permitting, we'll discuss it.


Adrian F

Friday 15 November 2013

Monday 18th meeting: the Future of the SDFS

If you have anything specific for the agenda, please let me know by the weekend and I'll add it.

:-)

Adrian F

Thursday 14 November 2013

Carols lyrics


Here are the lyrics for the carols - corrected following the Beechwood session on 6th November.  We are also singing On Sussex Hills on Sunday (it is, after all, 'half November' ....)

This is our first download on the blog - huge huge thanks to Keith Dillon!  More to come!

Adrian F

Lewes Carols (and other songs) - 5 December

We have been invited by Lewes District Council to sing for the passing trade on Lewes late night shopping night - that's Thursday 5 December.  The Council are stocking our CD in their Tourist Information Centre and this space is big enough to take a modest group of us to sing for the shoppers.  The TIC is at the top of Station Street, on the NE corner of the crossroads (Fisher Street / High Street).

It should be a good evening - AND you won't have to sing outside in the cold!  Given that they are selling our CD there, it's a good opportunity to sing some of our existing repertoire alongside some carols.

Tina will be leading the session and Henny is co-ordinating the arrangements.  Please let them know if you would like to come as numbers are important in the TIC's space - e-mail addresses below.

It's possible that we may do some singing in pubs on the same night: all the details for the evening, including times etc, will be on the blog as soon as we have them.

Songsheets provided - but please ask if you need these as we'll only print for those who need them.


Hark South Downs Folk Singers sing
Fa la la la la, la la la la
Hear the streets of Lewes ring
Fa la la la la, la la la la
Call for Harvey's, raise your glasses
Fa la la, la la la, la la la
Entertain the Lewes masses!
Fa la la la la, la la la la!


Adrian F 


Tina Cox - tcox@ntlworld.com

Henny Hawkins - henny.hawkins@btinternet.com

Wednesday 13 November 2013

Apologies ......

...... am running behind!  I'm off work tomorrow so all those things you thought should have been on the blog by now should (hopefully) miraculously appear.  Or something.

Adrian F

Monday 11 November 2013

Lewes carolling, late night shopping Thursday 5 Dec

We have been invited to sing carols in Lewes on their late night shopping night (Thurs 5 Dec) by Lewes District Council.  Their Tourist Information centre (TIC) stocks our CD and it was thought a useful opportunity to promote it.  Exactly where we sing is yet to be settled: the TIC itself is quite small and we would not be obvious from the outside so we are thinking of alternative locations.

Henny Hawkins will be co-ordinating this event.

Please make a note in your diary - and watch this space!

Adrian F

Carols, carols, carols ....

Don't forget that tomorrow evening is the first of the Brighton Pub Carols rehearsals - see the relevant page for details.


Sunday at the WDOAM: the order of the carols is as follows:

Sussex Hills
The Holly & the Ivy
Deck the Hall
Sussex Mummers' Carol
Sussex Carol
The Moon Shone Bright
The Sans Day Carol
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Wassail, Wassail
We Wish You a Merry Christmas


News soon of the Lewes session on Thursday evening 5 December.  Block your diary!

Adrian F

Friday 8 November 2013

Don't panic, but .....

Christmas Market at the Weald & Downland Open Air Museum

Just 10 passes left!


Please let John know by last thing Sunday at the latest if you'd like a pass - otherwise, my dears, ye'll be payin' !!


Adrian F

Thursday 7 November 2013

The Brighton Pub Carols

The first rehearsal is next Tuesday (see dedicated page).  If you are coming along, it would be helpful to know so that I have an idea of numbers.  It's not essential but it would be helpful so that I can tell Ian Lamb (Napier Quire convenor).  Ta.

Adrian F

Sunday 3 November 2013

Isle of Wight Weekend

If anyone would like to write a couple of paragraphs about the first SDFS weekend away, please let me have them and I'll publish the results of your efforts on the blog.  I have been supplied with a few images to include too.

I'm quite happy to knit together text from more than one person (all will be credited) so if you don't feel able to write much, don't worry - I'm sure I can produce an interesting composite!

Adrian F

Saturday 2 November 2013

Christmas Market at the Weald & Downland Open Air Museum

This event now has its own page - be sure to read it if you'll be singing that day!

Adrian F

The Future of the SDFS

'The SDFS in 2014' page has been updated again and there are two new pages setting out what's been happening about taking the SDFS forward into next year and beyond.

Why not come along to the meeting on Monday 18 November?

Adrian F

Brighton Pub Carols with the Napier Quire ...

... will be happening!  Keep Tuesday 17 December free: we'll be singing at the Park Crescent (39 Park Crescent Terrace, BN2 3HE) with the Napier Quire.  This will take the place of the usual Lewes Tuesday.  The previous FIVE Tuesdays will be rehearsal evenings (there are a lot of carols, many of them local).  More information on the Brighton Pub Carols page.

Adrian F

Friday 1 November 2013

Local Group News – Lewes Tuesdays in November and December 2013

The November and December sessions will not be at the Royal Oak in Lewes as we are rehearsing for the Brighton Pub Carols in November and performing them in December – see the Diary pages.

Separately, as a result of the views expressed at the 9 October meeting (and I think this is a feeling probably shared by many who were not there) we will be looking for a cosier venue in Lewes – in order to create more of a 'pub' atmosphere rather than singing in a large room.  The latter is fine for large sessions, workshops, major rehearsals etc but not so appropriate to what we are really about.

If anyone's any ideas, please share them!  I'm struggling to think of anywhere ....