FOCSLE Music  Southampton, UK

In‑person events at The Guide Dog, Bevois Valley, second, fourth & fifth Tuesdays
and at The Wellington Arms, Freemantle, third Wednesdays
(When first Weds. falls on 1st of the month, this meet happens on fourth Weds. to avoid consecutive Tues. & Weds. events)


Page updated Feb 14th '23.  virtual_index [about online events] was updated on Dec 22nd '22.  This address shows in your address-bar, after "focsle.org/"

Virtual FOCSLE Music
Every WEDNESDAY, 8pm UK time
Details further down;  our Facebook header [NO m’ship / account / log‑in needed:  FBk won’t even track your click] acts as backup update-space, just in case we can’t access this server.
See all events, virtual and live, here, date-by-date.
In‑person FOCSLE Music meets at 8pm
on SECOND, FOURTH & FIFTH TUESDAYS at The Guide Dog, Bevois Valley,

PETE HARRIS, Weds. February 22nd
and THIRD WEDNESDAYS at The Wellington Arms, Freemantle
Details further down;  add your comments on our Facebook page.
 See a date-order calendar of all events, live and virtual, here.
Virtual FOCSLE Music             e‑mail for access-codes
Join us and our international music friends (incl. some professionals)
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      Audience as welcome as performers
Themes mostly arise on the fly, esp. among the more verbally playful of our number
Pre‑arranged Themed Sings on the first Weds. each month:  your compliance entirely optional
  See upcoming themes here
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)

…your group is in Premier League.      (Southport, Lancs., UK)

   I rate your 2 sessions as the tops!  [= FOCSLE Music and a US-based virtual ‘cousin’]      (Coventry, UK)
* 60 years ago, 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
Back to top…
FOCSLE Music ‘LIVE’

GEORGE BENN [Innominata], Tues. 14th March
Tues. venue:  The Guide Dog  38 Earls Road  Bevois Valley  Southampton  SO14 6SF
Weds. venue:  The Wellington Arms  56 Park Road  Freemantle  Southampton  SO15 3DE  Entrance in Mansion Rd
  note The Welly’s site’s own map‑pin does not QUITE locate the pub:  it’s on the corner south of the pointer

Other music events on Tuesdays at The Dog mean FOCSLE Music can’t run weekly there, and all Weds. are now their Curry Nights [recommended, but too busy for us to have use of The Doghouse].  At The Welly, Tuesday availability is just too erratic, so we must accept Wednesdays there.
We rely on your, and others’, good sense in taking some COVID-19 precautions, and on your not attending if you have symptoms.
You’ve a right to know why this mess of haphazard dates:  see the problem here.
Link for Attenders in person, wondering when guest-nights will be returning

Performers, Acts, their Agents, or anyone seeking to play at FOCSLE Music

Please sign up to FOCSLE Music’s regular Zoomaround list, for info about virtual events,
or this one, for in-person Sings and periodic guests.