FOCSLE Music  1963 – 2023
real live music in Southampton, UK for the past 60 years

In‑person events at The Guide Dog, Bevois Valley, second Tuesdays


Page updated March 19th '24.

In‑person FOCSLE Music meets
on SECOND TUESDAYS (and occasionally others) at The Guide Dog, Bevois Valley
(next on 9th April  N.B. at The Wellington Arms, Freemantle, or (t.b.d.) at a member’s home — keep an eye here for confirmation)

Guests coming up:
THE SCOTTISH WIDOWS
  Sorry…  no web-presence yet:  too new!
WORLD PREMIERE gig of this a capella duo:

BRYONY McGINTY & ROSIE UPTON
(Terry Helyar’s magnificent series of recordings made in his ‘studio’ caravan is a treasure-trove of musical material by everyone from the famous and the obscure, incl. this – I gather, now defunct – duo Bivocal with Bryony as one half)
fun, feisty, left-wing feminism, with some great songwriting, Trad. ballads, and more.  A solo set from each of them, with some harmonized accompaniment from the other, before a final set of newly-worked duo material.  One in our Double-Header series, introducing two performers mostly new to our audience, and with a début element to finish
Tues. 23rd April   The Guide Dog  8pm


OPLAND-FREEMAN
After far too long off the road, they’re back!!  TANIA and MIKE bring their multi-instrument, acoustic World Music magic to FOCSLE Music’s shores once again



TANIA OPLAND & MIKE FREEMAN
dazzling array of musical textures, via vocals, hammer dulcimer, harp, whistles, guitar & drums.  Plenty of mischievous humour, too!
Tues. 14th May (or 28th May:  t.b.d.)   The Guide Dog  8pm

More details further down;  add your comments on our Facebook page.
See a date-order calendar of all events, live and virtual, here.

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].
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.
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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.
FOCSLE Music ‘LIVE’   Entry by donation.   Raffle in break, with alcohol, confectionery and – new for 2024 – CD prizes
Next Event: 
GUESTS

THE SCOTTISH WIDOWS
Separate sets from BRYONY McGINTY & ROSIE UPTON, followed by a premiere duo set
Two feisty, fun, feminist, left-wing voices join forces to powerful effect.  Impressive songwritng from Bryony, with plenty of other contemp. and Trad. material in their mix

Tues. 23rd April  8pm    Singaround first
Venue: 
The Guide Dog   38 Earls Road  Bevois Valley  Southampton  SO14 6SF
     Rec. Pass-the-Hat donation for Guests £8pp




…and after that:
SINGAROUNDS
Weds. 3rd April  8pm
Venue:  The Wellington Arms
   56 Park Road  Freemantle  Southampton  SO15 3DE
     Rec. £2pp in the pot




Tues. 9th or Weds. 10th April  8pm
Why the doubt/choice?  We def. can’t use The Dog on the 9th (Saints match, unless this is rescheduled — unlikely).  We await an update about The Welly’s Cribbage Team, which uses ‘our’ room on Tuesdays, if they have a home fixture.  Alternatively, we may, pending warm enough and dry weather, run on Tues. in Live on the Lawn format*, via which some of us met during the Pandemic, outwith FOCSLE Music auspices, now with the added benefit of being able to meet indoors at that Host’s home, if the weather turns so-so.  Keep an eye here, or at your usual update-site, in early April, for a decision on this option.
Venue:  The Wellington Arms   56 Park Road  Freemantle  Southampton  SO15 3DE
     Rec. £2pp in the pot

* following the max.-numbers-in-a-group rules, and observing social distancing, some of us attended various musical friends’ gardens, at various locations within the city [and in one case, out beyond the New Forest, attracting musicians from as far the other way, in Dorset].  It was badged LotL when we started a new season.  Some of the ‘pool’ of folks who attended have mooted that the m.o. be revived, while drawing on the whole mailing-list.
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 fourth 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)

   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
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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.