Brighton Singers' FC - 30th borthday

Subject: Brighton Singers' FC - 30th borthday
From: Ian Fyvie
Date: 15 Jun 10 - 10:45 PM

Wednesday last, Brighton Singers' Folk Club celebrated being 30 years old. Nothing special, admittedly, compared with those such as Horsham and other veteran clubs that have made their 40th recently.

The difference is Brighton Singers' has nearly always met in a public bar and followed a Singaround format.

Being bar based most of the time has its own rewards, argues our Vice President John McCluskey. The biggest, I suggest from my observations, is that you can spot someone who's curious, have a chat with them, and perhaps get them to try a song they like or knew at school.

For a while in the 1980s we issued certificates to people who made their public debut at our singaround. We issued over a 100 in quite a short space of time!

Though all of the certificate recipients have long moved on, several of our supporters of today may not have ventured into singing folk had we not been accessible in a bar environment.

I recall debates not so long ago rubbishing bar based folk clubs. Without a doubt there would be less folk singers active today if all clubs had shut themselves behind doors and fat entry fees.

Ian Fyvie - Co-founder and President. BSFC

Subject: RE: Brighton Singers' FC - 30th birthday
From: Ian Fyvie
Date: 15 Jun 10 - 10:50 PM

So I spelt birthday wrong! Could have been birfday s'pose...

Subject: RE: Brighton Singers' FC - 30th borthday
From: Valmai Goodyear
Date: 16 Jun 10 - 03:13 AM

Congratulations! Yes, all types and clubs are needed to keep the music alive and bar singarounds play a valuable part.

Valmai (Lewes Saturday Folk Club)

Subject: RE: Brighton Singers' FC - 30th borthday
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 16 Jun 10 - 03:19 AM

Unless you are a geordie, then it's borthdee.

Dave H

Subject: RE: Brighton Singers' FC - 30th borthday
From: Ian Fyvie
Date: 30 Jun 10 - 09:25 PM

Belatedly.....

Thanks Valmai and Dave.

Valmai - hope to visit The Elephant Club again before long.

Ian Fyvie

Subject: RE: Brighton Singers' FC - 30th borthday
From: Valmai Goodyear
Date: 01 Jul 10 - 03:02 PM

It would be good to hear you, Ian. We stay open with singarounds throughout August - the final one, on the bank holiday weekend, will be in the Black Horse rather than in the Elephant itself.

Valmai

Subject: RE: Brighton Singers' FC - 30th borthday
From: GUEST,Stuart Reed
Date: 01 Jul 10 - 03:41 PM

Hats off to you Ian.

You've been an indefatigable champion of open-access singarounds (occasionally in some inhospitable places) since long before they became fashionable as open-mic nights and you retain a dedicated and loyal band of followers.

Some of us will never share your opinion that regular folk clubs shut themselves behind doors and fat entry fees and are a thoroughly bad thing but will defend to the death your right to say so.