COMMITTEEAM FOCSLE!

various Tuesdays & Wednesdays, each month
at The Wellington Arms, Freemantle,  Southampton  SO15 3DE

FOCSLE Music has no membership structure right now (and may not revert to that, depending on demand), thus no formal committee.

The team is not the most 21st-Century in its technology, so please note these quirks of our contactability in the hours before an event:
in spring, summer and most of autumn, Jon is the best contact in the last hour before an event:  his mobile is always on, and receives e-mail;
all year, but especially in FOCSLE Music’s extended ‘winter’, on event-nights Paul’s [un-smart] mobile is live for the hour or so until the event starts, but he does have a 20-minute drive to get to the club, and can’t answer then [another good reason to TEXT, not call].

If either team-member (or anyone appointed ad hoc) is unavailable for a particular event, this will be mentioned in the Event detail on the homepage and in our Facebook header.

Paul Clarke — co-Organizer

Musical interests:  very wide (folk, jazz, older pop, some rock, classical, experimental), but almost always unamplified, and is especially taken with interesting lyrics.  He’s supported The Fo’c’sle F C since 1994.  Sings, plays deep-strung Classical guitar [though not in Classical style] and writes songs occasionally.

paul@focsle.org  No e-mail on the road, so applies only until c.5pm – 6pm on event-nights.
023 8046 2723 / TEXT 073 8040 1951 [NB mobile not on 24/7, but will be so – and is best means of contact – from about 1 – 2 hours before a FOCSLE Music event].
Jon Ellis — co-Organizer

Musical interests:  has picked up music, cultures and language from many places he’s lived (UK, Russia, India, and more)  Connected with The Fo’c’sle F C for yonks.  Sings mostly contemporary folk, in most of those languages, accompanying himself on Classical guitar or banjo and, since his last trip to India, a Kolkata-made mandolin:  also a good improviser and highly proficient on the tin- (= penny) whistle.

As Jon overwinters abroad, these contact-details apply only from around March 20th to October 20th each year (hence “B.S.T.” above)
jon@focsle.org
077 7598 2908
Brian Hooper — previous Organizer and MC

long-long-long-term MC, regular guest, even more frequent floor-singer, irrepressible humorist and all-round good egg [the wry pedant in him would insist that ALL eggs are round…   it hurts the chicken, elsewise].  Involved in the folk world since the '60s, and with this club since 1975;  in fact, the nearest thing there is to a “Mr Fo’c’sle”!

Musical interests:  another singer / guitarist (with mandolin, ukulele, mandola and bouzouki up his sleeve) with eclectic tastes;  broadly, anything singable, especially music from the '60s, but lots earlier and later, and/or with subtle messages;  plus an impressively varied explosion of self-composed material over a purple patch of about 10 years.  With the rare mix of humour and seriousness, this covers subjects as diverse as unfaithful lovers, Southampton, campanology, gambling, God, and the after-effects of too much curry [you just have to be there… ].  Though he stood down in June 2017, his experience is still invaluable to those taking the concern on its next steps, so his bio and pic remain here, as an honorary member of the team

Dave McGlade — Webmaster

Musical interests:  chiefly the folk tradition, especially the Child Ballads.  Hailing from the North East, his repertoire is also interwoven with both heritage and newer music of that area.  Committee member under Brian Hooper’s tenure.  Can rarely attend, currently, but continues to offer support in an admin. capacity.

We record here thanks to:  Kevin Barlow, (the late) Stroph Rayner, and Dusty Withers, all on the previous committee;  and to Trevor Gilson and (the late) Jane Allison (and their committee), who ran The Fo’c’sle from 1997 to 2012;  also to Debra Chesman, who, with Trish Carn (and, later, others), picked it up at the point of its previous closure in 1993 and ran it until 1997.  Since April 2020, Debra and Paul have co-run FOCSLE Music’s online version, planned to continue in parallel after the resumption of its ‘live’ events.

Other things of interest

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