We spoke to the President of Folk Music Society to find out all about them

It’s Whatsoc Wednesday, and this week we met Southampton University’s Folk Music Society


We caught up with Chris from Folksoc to find out what the society’s all about and how to get involved.
folk soc

So what does your society actually do?

We organise folk and traditional music sessions around the city, for students and the general public. We also organise Ceilidhs – traditional dance evenings – both for ourselves and as a hired band for societies.

What is your role in the society?

I’m the President – but we have a very small committee so I also do the publicity and organise events, as well as the normal admin work.

When and where can we find you?

Our main sessions are on Mondays, from 7-9 in 34/2019 and from 9-11 in The Stile, by campus. We’re also setting up monthly sessions in The Art House and The Talking Heads, which should start in September/October this year. Our Ceilidhs don’t have a fixed timetable but if you head over to our Facebook page there’ll be details of whatever’s coming up next!

Do you need any experience or equipment to join?

Being able to play an instrument (any instrument at all!) is helpful if you want to take part, but we welcome people to just come and listen. We normally have some spare instruments – drums, shakers, a ukulele sometimes – if people want to have a go!

What’s the most fun social your society has ever had?

Bellowhead (a big folk-fusion band) were playing in the Guildhall and we managed to get them to play a session with us in the Art House after their gig! We packed about 80 people in there, plus the band, and the Art House reopened until 1.30am especially for us. It was the last week of their final tour, too, before they split up! There’s videos up on our YouTube of some of it.

What’s the best thing about your society?

Being able to put on a party for anyone who wants it! All the dancing at Ceilidhs is taught while you’re there, so it’s accessible to absolutely everyone: and the music’s great, which is what I love doing most. We also try and involve the general public as much as possible, so our sessions and Ceilidhs are a great meeting place for people of all ages and all walks of life, which I think is great.

Does your society have any weird traditions?

Um… I think we ARE the weird tradition. The music we play and the dances we teach have been around, in some way or another, for hundreds of years; and we play music from all over Europe and North America.

Jesters or Sobar?

Hobbit!