Monday 8th May 2023

Royal Celebration Gala 11 am to 4 pm

The Madding Crowd will perform Patriotic Songs upon the arrival of Her Majesty Queen Victoria at approximately 11 am, and again after luncheon.

Royal Victoria Country Park, Netley Abbey, SO31 5GA

Admission free, parking charges apply.

Charlotte Mary Yonge (11 August 1823 - 24 March 1901) lived in Otterbourne, close to where we meet.

To celebrate the 200th anniversary of her birth, there will be a series of special events,
see the Charlotte M Yonge Fellowship web site

The Madding Crowd will give a concert at 10 am on Saturday 24th June in Otterbourne Village Hall, to launch a day of talks, walks and music. We’ll feature music, words and anecdotes referring to church and village customs, gleaned from her writings.

Christina’s brilliant poem was awarded a Gold Medal! Our networked performance can be heard by clicking the link below.

Play “Soap and water” networked performance

If you are concerned about an event being negotiated with us, please contact our secretary. Currently we have no confirmed events until August.

Here are links to two Youtubes kindly recorded by Diane Kingston at the Beggars’ Fair:

Psalm 65 New Version   Rule Britannia

On Sunday 5th July 2020 we celebrated the 45th anniversary of The Madding Crowd’s foundation with a grand Zoom sing of 8 favourites.

If you would you like to join our mailing list, please send
an email to info@maddingcrowd.org.

Play “Soap and water” networked performance

They who would valiant be 'gainst COVID-19,
Let them in constancy, stay day and night in.
No friends may pass the door for they could spread it more.
Stay safe and wash your hands with soap and water.

They who roam round in groups cause much vexation.
Their carefree attitude could wreck this nation.
They only spread false hope, our NHS won't cope.
We hope they wash their hands with soap and water.

Those who live on the streets have life much harder.
No passing trade for them, no stocked up larder.
Self-isolation, how? They need assistance now.
They can't just wash their hands with soap and water.

Parents and children too are going mental.
Fresh air and exercise are so essential.
But those in high rise towers, stuck there for hours and hours,
Can only wash their hands with soap and water.

House bound are many more, with no provision
To ease their loneliness, but television,
Contact them, make that call, check they've the wherewithal
To eat and wash their hands with soap and water.

So many sally forth as brave key workers,
Risking their health amid this viral circus.
Without them, one and all, this country soon would fall.
We must all wash our hands with soap and water.
 

©Christina M L Pritchard 27-03-2020

These words can also be sung to other tunes: St Dunstan’s, Moab, or  Monk’s Gate, which is in many hymn books, and like our arrangement, is based on the folk song “Our Captain called All Hands”.