relaxing in doveridge and a song for sudbury

Yesterday, the last session with the men at Derby Road in Doveridge. We held it in a lovely little wooden garden building and kept things fairly quiet today. We set up a little improvisation session involving chime bars in a pentatonic scale, some hanging chimes and an auto harp. One man really took to the auto harp and was playing it like a pro by the end of the session. Another man is a whizz at conducting us all. This has the making of a lovely relaxation piece. The home is keen to do more.


The afternoon was my second session with the Senior Citizens Club in Sudbury. Today was their AGM so we had a short session but a productive one. I'd started them off with a chorus and a tune, 2 verses with no tune yet and more verses to write. The group liked the chorus, made some adjustments and made up a new verse and more music.

We discussed meeting up with the children from the school to swap our songs. Then time for tea and biscuits. Had a lovely chat with Rose from the WI who was concerned we weren't just nostalgic and wanted very much to celebrate the village as it is now. So we will! She gave me more ideas. Pat was keen to have a go at adding other verses. I am sending them the music and words so far and Peter will perhaps add his keyboard.

Talked with Fred about future contacts with the school - his family have been here for many hundreds of years and I know the children would love him.

Here is their song so far, involving the correct local pronunciation of Dove to rhyme with rove:

Chorus:
Sudbury, Sudbury down by the Dove,
A ribbon of houses, a quiet winding road.
Wherever we've wandered, wherever we've roved,
It's peace back in Sudbury down by the Dove.

1. Us in our cottages, Lord Vernon his Hall,
Red brick, tall chimneys and green painted doors.
For hundreds of years we lived side by side,
Safe now from traffic, our village, our pride.

2. Bill Reed with his pony and float have passed by,
Bread bought from Bakewells, and pigs in their sty,
Love on the hay cart, a kiss by Bog's Hole,
Cows drank in the river where we took our stroll.

3. Now there's young Ratcliffe and his muck for the field
Making more grass for a much better yield,
Still Sudbury cricketers in whites on the Green
And National Trust visitors a sight to be seen!