The Graveside Serenaders will be stamping the ground on their usual spot, the grass beside Minster Pool in Lichfield, this Saturday, 31 July, probably at around lunchtime.

We’ll be a quartet again, but a different one from last time. Out goes lead ukulele Harriet Bleak and in comes drummer Pete Miserable.

Do stop by and say hello if you can… and join in on the choruses!

On Saturday the Graveside Serenaders played in public for the first time since before the Big P. It was our first outing as a quartet, so first we practised a little in the garden:

Then we moved up to reassemble beneath our favourite Yew tree next to Minster Pool in Lichfield. The passers-by were few but loyal friends and fellow Lichfield Gospel Choir members made up for that. And more of them threw coins into the hat box than took coins out.

Richard Sombre (banjo, vocals) and Pete Miserable (drums, vocals) were sorely missed but the remaining boys and girls were stalwarts. Many thanks to Laki for the videos.

We hope to pay a repeat visit to the Yew at the end of this month, and if you are heading up to the Fuse Festival in Beacon Park on Saturday 14 August, do look out for us along the way. We hope to be under some trees of a grander size not far from the Fuse arena.

The weather forecast is predicting the former two for this Saturday (10 July) and the Rev J. Olly Glum is threatening the last named for a bit of impromptu busking beneath the Yew tree next to Minster Pool in central Lichfield.

The Graveside Serenaders (just a quartet on this occasion, all appropriately socially-distanced from each other and from passers-by) hope to be there by about 11am and is aiming to play, off and on, till lunchtime – that’s weather and passing city health officials permitting, of course.

Do pop along and give us a wave and join in the enjoyment. Because, as we like to sing, it’s later than you think!

Things have been very quiet in the Serenaders’ camp over the last few months. Partly it has been the weather, but mainly it has been the fact that one of our merry band, banjoist extraordinaire and man of French letters, Richard Sombre, has been laid low by – let us not beat about the bush – cancer. With his indomitable spirit and humour in the face of the worst kind of news he continues to be an inspiration to us all.

While he might not be with us in person when we regroup for a busk as the weather gets warmer and drier (hope springs eternal), he will definitely be there in our hearts… And, we trust, rooting for us from his comfy chair.

A four-person Graveside Serenaders played in the buskers’ tent yesterday, shaded from an unseasonally clear blue sky. The number of listeners swelled during our half-hour set which is a jolly encouraging sign; we were clearly not too boring. Thank you to all who stayed to listen and to the HHG for organising a busking area. Thanks to our good friend Trish for the top pic! And thanks to Angie Cole for the one below, and to Chris Pattison for the one at the bottom.

The Graveside Serenaders are returning to the place they started on Saturday 31 August. We’ll be playing a private party, just as we did for our first public performance a year ago, and it’s the same annual event: The Party In The Paddock, courtesy of Sean and Helen, up in the wilds of Derbyshire. It’ll be exciting to be back and we’re most grateful for the opportunity.

After that, the next planned public performance is at Huddlesford Heritage Gathering on Saturday 21 September. We’ll be playing the special Buskers’ spot from 2pm to 2.30pm. The Heritage gang run a rigorous ship so we’re tightly tied to that time slot – arrive late and you’ll miss us!

Of course there could always be some random busking under the Yew beside Minster Pool in Lichfield before then… you never know. And neither do we!

Hope to see you somewhere soon…

Another lovely afternoon beneath the Yew next to Minster Pool.

Here we are:

And here you are:

Many thanks to Phil for the pics.