FOCSLE Music What’s On

In‑person FOCSLE Music Guest night
Wednesday 3rd July 8pm
at The Wellington Arms, Freemantle, Southampton SO15 3DE
(usually on second* Tuesdays,
at The Guide Dog, Bevois Valley, Southampton SO14 6SF)
* occasionally others

Next Event: Guest DAVE MASON, with Singaround

Cosmopolitan, award-winning songwriter, singer, guitarist and piper, now living in Hamilton, Scotland, brings his musical offerings to The Welly to leaven our usual Singaround.
We’ve reduced Guest presences here for about a year now, but this is the only date Dave can easily make
Venue: The Wellington Arms 56 Park Road Freemantle Southampton SO15 3DE
Pass the Hat for Dave, rec. £7.50pp

More details further down; add your comments on our Facebook page.

We rely on your, and others’, good sense in taking some respiratory-illness precautions, and on your not attending if you have symptoms. COVID ain’t beat, so please continue following the simple counter-procedures.

Steve Freedman, fine, hearty-voiced singer, wit* and sailor
With a sense of total disbelief, it’s my sad duty to inform you that Steve was found dead on his boat Tyro at Sandwich harbour on the morning of 14th June 2024, on a trip to “the Far East”**. Have no more details at the moment, but at least he was doing the thing he loved: sailing. We’ll miss his merry demeanour (a unique combination of harrumphing and joie de vivre!), enthusiastic singing, and his enthusiasm FOR singing. It seems unbelievable that, less than four weeks ago, some few lucky ones piled on to Tyro for our previous LotL event, a crazy idea he embraced with his usual whole-heartedness.
On behalf of the whole FOCSLE ‘family’, our sincerest condolences go to his family, and all who knew him. Sail on, sunshine.

Our evening at The Guide Dog on Tues. June 9th (a night we d expect to have a Guest) will be dedicated to Steve’s memory, with songs (of course!), hopefully with choruses (ditto!), narratives, reminiscences, etc. by anyone who knew him. Another contact is planning a further, poss. bigger, event in September: details when we have them.

* e.g. the penultimate e‑mail I had from him, on June 10th, reported “heading for Sandwich tomorrow (where I plan to buy a sandwich at the Sandwich Sandwich shop)”
* & ** i.e. Essex and Suffolk…

FOCSLE Music ‘LIVE’ Singarounds and Guest nights. Entry by donation. Raffle in break, with alcohol, confectionery and – new for 2024 – CD prizes

Next Event:
Tues. 9th July 8pm Singaround, remembering Steve Freedman
Venue: The Guide Dog 38 Earls Road Bevois Valley Southampton SO14 6SF
Suggested material could be maritime-based, and/or humorous, both of which Steve excelled in. Anything that prompts YOUR memory of him, with the background to that, especially welcome
We’ll Pass the Hat, with all proceeds to any charity requested in his memory.

…and after that:
more SINGAROUNDS

‘Live on the Lawn’ / in the Lounge’ Singaround
Tues. 16th July 7:30pm [not 7:15, our LotL usual]
Venue: Jutta’s 10 Highfield Cres. Highfield Southampton SO17 1SF
Live on the Lawn [= LotL] / Live in the Lounge Singarounds were conceived during COVID, facilitated by the accuracy of online weather-forecasting. In the e‑alert, we’ll hint whether we’re likely to be meeting indoors or out [and you can check, too: weather outlook in Highfield].

Differences from the pub version include:

BYOB
changing venue, each month [usually alternating between western, eastern and central SO postcodes]
earlier start than at pub [to catch best light / temperatures]
(usually) earlier finish [ad hoc, but likely c.10pm], at the say-so of the Host

Familiar elements:

(usually) just turn up without notice
DIY music
friendly atmosphere
raffle

Aspects applying just to this LotL date are in bold underlined CAPS
Be prepared to:

wrap up warm [according to season / forecast]
allow longer to find a parking-space in an unfamiliar area
bring your own chair [with forewarning, if that might be needed]
interact with pets
be on a mailing-list, if venue needs to limit numbers

Hosts may, but are not required to, provide TEA, COFFEE, juices, nibbles and BATHROOM FACILITIES [again, a warning if the latter is not on offer] and, if they wish, M.C. proceedings. Feel free to bring home-made light food to share.
Rec. £2pp in the pot

Virtual FOCSLE Music e‑mail for access-codes
Join us and our international music friends (incl. some professionals)
Last WEDNESDAYs 8pm (UK) = 3pm Eastern / NY = 12noon Pacific / LA
Click/tap for other details, incl. our start-time wherever YOU are in the world

Answers to some FAQs: we run Singaround-style = whoever shows up performs a turn, while the rest listen in, muted
Musically, any genre welcome, ideally unplugged; we’re definitely not a platform for watching videos (even if you’re IN them) rather than you performing directly for those of us in the ‘room’
Audience as welcome as performers
Themes may arise on the fly, esp. among the more verbally playful of our number, but nothing formal mooted
Despite the maritime-sounding name* [Southampton is a port city, geddit??], it’s not just a “Shanty Sing”: they’re a serendipitous part of the mix
Turn up, and leave – and/or come back, even – as suits your schedule

Nice things put on the record:

I love these …most enjoyable. The Focsle crew is a delightful bunch, including some breathtakingly good performers (Austin, Texas)

…love the atmosphere of FOCSLE [Music] as well as the range of styles…
…enhanced further… …by having a theme — it really brought out the best in people
…a very enjoyable evening… …especially when quite a few other [online] sessions are getting a bit tired.
Well done for playing such a big part in keeping so many people sane through these strange times (Staffs., UK)

Thanks for all the warmth you put into your hosting. Felt welcomed and included… …muchly enjoyed this (St Paul, Minnesota)

Congratulations on a very successful event (Lincs., UK)

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to meet, hear, and sing to/with a very talented group of singers. (S. London, UK)

   You have an amazing geographical spread on your Focsle Zoom meetings… …the four corners of the North American continent from…
   …California and Arizona in the south to Oregon and Alaska in the north west and Toronto in the east, plus an attendee from Sydney, Australia… impressive!
   The art of compering is much underrated… …You do it very well. It helps that you know so many of the performers.
   Zoom folk clubs have been the silver lining to the pandemic. However, what you have at the Focsle is exceptional and truly international.      (Hythe, Kent, UK)

Thanks for the much-needed musical fix today. And… …for the creative theme ideas. (Eugene, Oregon)

…truly enjoyable, meeting so many different people with so many different songs. (Derby, UK)

Fantastic — great session …amazing! Lovely… …entertaining… …a range of talented performers …fine folks
It’s been great Excellent… …again …wonderful sessions every week …thank you for doing this (from around US & UK)

I rate your 2 sessions as the tops! [= FOCSLE Music and a US-based virtual ‘cousin’] (Coventry, UK)

* When The Fo’c’sle Folk Club launched, it was typical for port-based ventures to point up their maritime city connections, hence the pun. It’s pronounced “folks’ll” [not “fox’ll”]; also, “forecastle” – from which the term fo’c’s’le derives – is the upper deck in the bow of a sailing ship where the crew were quartered, and would relax to play tunes and sing

Contact Paul for all queries about VIRTUAL events

FOCSLE Music founded 1963 real live music in Southampton, UK for the past 60 years In‑person events at The Guide Dog, Bevois Valley, second Tuesdays

FOCSLE Music founded 1963
real live music in Southampton, UK for the past 60 years
In‑person events at The Guide Dog, Bevois Valley, second Tuesdays