FOCSLE Music What’s On

In‑person FOCSLE Music Guest nights
usually on second Tuesdays*, at The Guide Dog, Bevois Valley, Southampton SO14 6SF
* or, occasionally, others

Next Event: Tues. 26th November
Singaround 8pm at The Guide Dog
38 Earls Road Bevois Valley Southampton SO14 6SF

More events, and details of the above, further down. Add your comments on our Facebook page.
See a date-order calendar of all events, live and virtual, here.
Note that, tho’ each event listed looks like a hyperlink [they ARE], yrs truly has screwed up, and they don’t work. So just use it as a quick-overview listing: sorry!

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. The Dog still provides free hand‑san. [on the central pillar, opp. the bar], so pls. use it, and help keep us all safe(r).

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

Future Events:

Tues. 26th November 8pm Singaround
Sing, play, recite, improvize [dance, even] whatever you like for the rest of those there, who’ll in turn do the same while you’re their audience. Minimal restrictions: we prefer acoustic [in our bijou space, there’s not that much room for electric kit, etc.] and, if we’re tight for time, perhaps not a 42-verse ballad; otherwise, within those modest guide-rails, your choice.
Venue: The Guide Dog 38 Earls Road Bevois Valley Southampton SO14 6SF
Rec. £2pp in the pot

COMING UP: Tues. 3rd Dec. Singaround at Lymington Acoustic; Tues. 10th Singaround [t.b.c.] at The Dog; Tues. 17th LitL Singaround-cum-Xmas Party, with [t.b.c.] King John’s Mummers, at an address in Portswood. Please ask to be on FOCSLE Music’s LotL mailing-list for specific details.

After that, our activities fall silent, due to [Merry] Christmas / Season’s Greetings & [a Happy, Prosperous & Peaceful] New Year.
Also (and ??? alas!), after Nov. 26th, it’ll be “Goodbye from him… ” etc., as a new person should be updating these pages from then on, along with a new team to run the good ship FOCSLE Music. Thanks to Lin, Jonathan, Pete & Ben for taking over the tiller, anchors, sails, ratlines and all the rest of this improbably over-extended metaphor! And to Brian and Debra for inspiring me to do it, to Jon for finding our venue and co-running the show, pre-COVID, and to June, Gary and The Guide Dog team for all their accommodations. And, naturally, thanks to you all who’ve supported the venture in these nearly-7½ years at the helm. Paul

Virtual FOCSLE Music sign up for periodic alerts
Join us and our international music friends (incl. some professionals)
Second & fourth 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. That said, we can’t always accommodate those who show up only in the last hour; don’t let that inhibit you from attending then, if that’s all you can manage. Because of the implict fairness of lending an ear to fellow performers [your audience, when it’s your turn to perform], we can’t book you a slot ahead, so you can scoot off and come back just for that.

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

Please sign up to FOCSLE Music’s mailing-list, for info about in-person Sings and periodic guests.

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