W&DLM 'Christmas Market' Sunday 26th November

Update 17th December: Georgia has emailed her thanks for again supporting the Museum with our performances and hopes that they can rely on our continued support in 2018.

Update 20th November: 40+ Singers will be attending. Set lists have been added to the end of this post.

Update 13th November: A reminder that John will be at 'Ye Olde House at Home' on 15th November and will have with him the last few free passes for singers, to distribute to those who have either already booked a place by email or who want to participate.

Update 4th November: Here's a message from John C to keep us up to date – "Following the issue or reserving of 30 of the 40 wristband passes for this event I will be attending the practice at the 'Ye Olde House at Home', Broadwater on the 15th November to issue the remaining ten to Singers wishing to take part. If you are volunteering for this event and cannot attend on this date, please ask another Singer to pick up the requisite pass for you.
Obviously if you are a paid up supporter or volunteer at the Museum you will not need a pass."

Again a packed event with over 120 stalls, so if the weather is reasonable it's worth making a day of it.

All the new 'Gateway' buildings are operational now.

As always Sunday is the busiest day with the whole of the overflow car park filled out to West Dean College by 1pm on a good day.

If you arrive early (by 10.30am) you may be able to park in the permanent parking area, or nearer to the entrance booths, and avoid being in the long traffic queues around the site. Use the dedicated 'Friends' / stall holders queue for quick entrance by showing your pass.

See the organiser's website.

We have two sets, at 1.00-1.30pm on the decking outside the Gridshell building and 3.15-4.00pm at the Music Tent in the Market Square, with Emily leading us.

Dress for cold variable weather and wear stout shoes, but please don whatever festive headgear you want for the occasion.

I will be at the practice at Worthing on the 1st November and hope to have with me by then the Singers' free passes for those of you who have already booked but not collected them.

If you are one of the above Singers, and in the interim you have discovered another commitment and cannot come to the Market, please email southdownsfolksingers@gmail.com so that I can reallocate the remaining passes to those Singers still on the reserve list.

John C.

First Set:

1. Pentonville (While Shepherds...) B
2. The Holly Bears A Berry C
3. The Falmer Carol (See seraphic throngs...) Db
4. Sussex Mummers' Carol (When Righteous Joseph...) G#
5. Hark The Herald Angels Sing F
6. The Angel Gabriel B
7. Deck The Hall B
8. The Moon Shone Bright Bb
9. Here We Come A-Wassailing C

Second Set:

1. The Holly & The Ivy F
2. The Sugar (Sussex) Wassail (A wassail, a wassail...) C
3. Christmas Now Is Drawing... G
4. The Sussex Carol (On Christmas night all...) G#
5. Apple Tree Wassail (Oh lily-white lily...) G
6. Masters In This Hall B
7. Sweet Chiming Bells (While Shepherds...) D
8. (Rounds) Child of Light & Hey Ho
9. We Wish You A merry Christmas C

A 'Victorian Christmas' at Michelham Priory, Sunday 10th December

Update 20th November: 33+ singers will be attending and we will be singing either inside the house, or in the barn, or a combination of both.
If other than wearing the odd festive decoration on your person you want to dress in Victorian-themed garb, please do.
Please be there for 11.30am, the song sets are provisionally scheduled for 12.00 & 2.30pm.
I (John C) will be on the gate to identify you for swift entry.
Set lists have been added to the end of this post.

We have been invited to sing seasonal songs in the Priory on the middle weekend of three in December with a Christmas theme.

Helen the organiser writes:

"...it's the first time we have done a 'Victorian' theme. Our Tudor weekends are generally quite well attended, but they are not massive events. At the Victorian weekends, there will be decorations, children's craft activities, Santa, dressing up / drama and a trail, plus some cookery in the house. There may be a film show in the barn, but we aren't sure yet. It might be a good idea to have the Christmas folk singing in the house. Anyway, let me know whether your Singers can help us make it an even better weekend."

See the organiser's website.

12 singers including Tina (leading) and Emily have volunteered so far.

It will be a great way of airing our seasonal songs in addition to the W&DLM 'Christmas Market'.

Please let me know as soon as possible if you are willing to support it at southdownsfolksingers@gmail.com

Song sets and other details will be added in due course.

John C.

First Set:

1. Pentonville (While Shepherds...) B
2. The Holly Bears A Berry C
3. The Falmer Carol (See seraphic throngs...) Db
4. Sussex Mummers' Carol (When Righteous Joseph...) G#
5. Hark The Herald Angels Sing F
6. The Angel Gabriel B
7. Deck The Hall B
8. The Moon Shone Bright Bb
9. Here We Come A-Wassailing C

Second Set:

1. The Holly & The Ivy F
2. The Sugar (Sussex) Wassail (A wassail, a wassail...) C
3. Christmas Now Is Drawing... G
4. The Sussex Carol (On Christmas night all...) G#
5. Apple Tree Wassail (Oh lily-white lily...) G
6. Masters In This Hall B
7. Sweet Chiming Bells (While Shepherds...) D
8. (Rounds) Child of Light & Hey Ho
9. We Wish You A merry Christmas C

Hark, Hark What News The Angels Bring

Yes, it's coming up to that time of year again. The Brighton Pub Carols practices start on Tuesday 7th November – just two weeks away.

As usual, these will take place at Dorset Gardens Methodist Church, Dorset Gardens, off St James's Street, Brighton from 8.00 pm to 10.00 pm.

Dates are 7th,14th, 21st & 28th November and 5th December. The 12th,19th and 23rd December have been earmarked for the three pub nights – probably at the same pubs that have been used for the past few years.

Practices will be in the upstairs hall and you can arrive from 7.45 pm. Teas and coffees will be available as usual – a small donation is requested to cover the hall hire and refreshments.

Two carols that we haven't sung before will be introduced and these will be covered in the first practice. Music for them will be circulated via Dropbox or e-mail attachments nearer the date. Visit the Brighton Pub Carols Facebook page for all the details!

Local Group Report – Chichester – Thursday 19th October 2017

A wet and windy evening found 12 singers at the Chichester Inn on the 19th October. We decided to each pick a song we’d like to sing. We resurrected The Cuckoo and Drink Me Brave Boys, songs which we haven’t sung for a long time, and then continued with Jim the Carter Lad, Country Life, and Hard Times of Old England. We thought we’d better sing something for the Weald and Downland Christmas Market event so sang Sweet Chiming Bells, Where Stormy Winds Do Blow and the Coppers’ Christmas Song. The Turnip Hoer made an appearance along with the Brisk Young Ploughboy, Valiants All and the Song of the Sussex Downsman. Despite proceedings being interrupted with the unblocking of some drains, a good time was had by all and we rounded off the evening with Rolling Home.

Local Group Report – Lewes – Tuesday 18th October 2017

Sixteen of us spent a very pleasant evening with a wide mix of songs. Maybe it was the weather that triggered us to start with Constant Lovers and The Coppers’ Christmas Song before Tina introduced us to Arthur Beckett’s Song of The Sussex Downsman. Tina was pleased with our sight-reading ability, but in fact our quick grasp of this tune and lyrics was helped by Barbara, Judy, Keith, Alwyn, Angela and Margo who had been taught the first verse and chorus by Emily the traditional way in preparation for Sullington! Then we “ran the length of the Downs” with the Floral Dance tune so that we could refresh our memories of the lyrics and names. Sweet Chiming Bells, The Moon Shone Bright and Masters in This Hall brought us to the break when we had much to discuss.

Rehearsals for the Brighton Pub Carols start on Tuesdays next month and many would like to attend the series so we will meet as SDFS on Wednesday 22nd November and Monday 18th December instead, and get back to our usual third Tuesday of the month next year.

Tina started the second half with Seasons Turn with a firm emphasis on the THIS is the time I love best. Then another new one, Hares On The Mountain with the amalgamated first and second verse and with hares and sheep in their rightful environments. Passions rose with the plight of The Turnip Hoer and then Adrian’s lively Hanover Hill. This will probably remain with us in the east as it is very specific to Brighton. Another of our group, also from Brighton, Dave has written a song and two melodies which Tina has realized blend in perfect harmony and on first attempt we are keen to forward Caburn Hill for the whole group to hear and adopt.

We finished the evening with Thousands Or More and Adrian’s East Sussex Drinking Song which he will have to modify again when we know where we will settle down as a Worthing venue.

PLEASE NOTE – Change of Venue for the SDFS Worthing Local Group

Next Worthing singing session Wednesday 1st November 2017

Very sadly The Beechwood Hall Hotel in Worthing has had to close, so our next singing session with the SDFS Worthing Local Group will be at a different venue.

We will be meeting in the public bar at “Ye Olde House at Home” pub in Broadwater (77, Broadwater Street East, Worthing, BN14 9AD) (01903 230103). Our hosts there are Derek and Carole. The pub has its own car park, in addition to street parking nearby. The session times remain the same – arrivals from 7.30pm, to start singing by 8.00pm and finish by 10.00pm.
We look forward to seeing you there for a jolly good sing of some jolly good songs, with some new hosts who are keen to meet and hear us.

NB Some other parts of this website still refer to the Beechwood Hall Hotel. These will be brought up to date as time allows and as more information becomes available.

Local Group Report – Worthing – Wednesday 4th October 2017

Our October gathering to sing at the Beechwood came hot on the heels of this year’s SDFS Annual General Meeting (thanks to all who attended and contributed). Having started a little late we motored through the songs planned for use at Sullington Church on 7th Oct. The Song of the Sussex Downsman had two outings during the evening and others more familiar took their turn. Jim the Carter Lad, Ha’nacker Mill, The Brisk Young Ploughboy, The Farmer’s Toast and Hares on the Mountain (another import, like the Downsman’s Song, for the Sullington event) preceded a break. The Woodcutters Song, Oak, Ash and Thorn, Pleasant and Delightful, A Smugglers Song and The Magpie soon followed and we finished a productive evening with a cheery Country Life – and no time left to brush the dust off any of our festive season songs. Roll on November!

(P.S. – Due to unforeseen circumstances we may need to use a different venue for our next sing in Worthing on 1st November – so please check this website for details nearer the time.)

Hares On The Mountain and more...

Here's a verse of Hares On The Mountain from Emily, for anyone who's not familiar with it.

Download mp3



Child of Light:

Download mp3



Hey ho winter snow:

Download mp3

Local Group Report – Lewes – Tuesday 19th September 2017

Thirteen of us rolled through 19 songs.

Winter is on its way so we aired Where Stormy Winds Do Blow, Poor Froze-out Gardeners, The Magpie, Pleasant & Delightful and The Woodcutter’s Song. As we are nearer to Hastings than the rest of the group, we regularly sing They Won’t Let us Go To Sea Anymore and we want extra Brownie points for starting on the Christmas repertoire with Christmas Now is Drawing Near At Hand and The Coppers’ Christmas Song, then it was Country Life and A Smuggler’s Song before a well-earned break.

Then we happily launched into The Farmer’s Toast and Jim The Carter Lad before Hard Times of Old England and Ha’nacker Mill where we tried to develop a harmony but have found drones instead!

The Nightingale, Oak, Ash and Thorn and The Three Maidens brought us to a penultimate East Sussex Drinking Song with a loud “John Harvey Tavern” and ending with Thousands or More. Well done everyone!