Links

Apart from myriad links to clubs included throughout this website, here are some more general links. If you would like your link included then just drop a note to the Editor, and we'd appreciate any reciprocal links.

Regional

• Devon Folk Devon's equivalent perhaps to FASH. Quarterly journal which unfortunately is not archived on the website. Diary covers all folk events day by day.
• FolkActive Southampton-based organisation which aims to encourage and enable people and groups of all ages to become active in traditional music, dance and folk arts.
• Folklife Print and online publishers, Folklife West (Folklife members' news), Folklife Traditions Journal (researched songs etc), directory (free entries), updates emails (occasional).
• FolkonWight What's on in the Isle of Wight.
• Lancashire Folk Association Lancashire's equivalent to FASH. Rather more emphasis on dance than song but local folk and music clubs are listed.
• Mr Red Links to many folk organisations and publications, mainly to the north and west of us. Also links to music resources etc.
• Somerset and Dorset Folk Events Website listing clubs, sessions and events for our neighbouring counties. Club lists include links to maps showing the locations. Sign up to get e-mails showing the most recently added events. Very detailed daily diary.
• Sussex Folk Association (SusFA) Roughly equivalent association to FASH but covering folk events and organisations in East and West Sussex. Comprehensive website with directories of local clubs and lists of events. Sussex Pie, their quarterly journal is available only by e-mailing the editor.

National

• Are You Dancing Countrywide listing of dance events including a section for folk and country dance. Also has a directories section for callers, bands, organisers etc and a map to select your chosen area.
• EFDSS English Folk Dance and Song Society. At one time we were the "South Hants District branch of EFDSS" but with the reorganisation of the Society in 1994 we became the Folk Association of South Hants, although still affiliated to EFDSS.
• BAASDC British Association of American Square Dancing Clubs. Site includes a 'find a local club' map with general details of every club. Round Dancing is also covered (think called ballroom dancing).
• Folk Camps Folk Music, Song and Dance activity holidays throughout the UK
• Friends of English Dance Fairly new website run by volunteers, pulling together a directory of dance clubs, callers, organisers and bands/musicians, plus a dance events calendar. Consider adding your club, or if you are a caller or a musician, yourself, to their listings; also add your events, all at no charge: just register on the website to be able to add the details.
• Halsway Manor in Somerset, the only permanent residential folk music centre in the UK. Wide range of events covering all types of folk music from workshops to building musical instruments.
• The Morris Federation Originally set up to be the umbrella organisation for women's Morris dance (when the Morris Ring did not admit mixed or womens' teams). Now covers all types of Morris irrespective of the make-up of the side.
• The Morris Ring Originally the umbrella organisation for mens' Morris sides. In 2018 the constitution changed allowing sides to include women. The option whether to include women was left to the individual sides.
• Open Morris Once considered "the alternative" to the Morris Ring and the Morris Federation. Now all three associations belong to the Joint Morris Organisation to collaborate on matters - particularly national ones - affecting the Morris community as a whole.
• Royal Scottish Country Dance Society Covers many aspects of Scottish dance. We suspect not all local clubs are shown on the local branch map.
• The Vaughan Williams Memorial Library Part of EFDSS, an archive of England's national folk music and dance. Now not just an archive of printed material but a multi-media library located at Cecil Sharp House, London NW1 7AY.
• Webfeet Many links from home page to dance organisations, bands and callers. Not complete and some out-of-date.

International

• Belgium-based AADS. Mainly a retail outlet for dance music and publications. There is mention of a Ghent-based dance programme, but no evidence of this activity. Promote dances and music in Western Europe
• Ancient Music of Ireland Midi files of many Irish tunes.
• Country Dance and Song Society (CDSS) American equivalent of EFDSS.
• Celfyddydau Mari Arts (Folk Wales home page). Essentially Llantrisant Folk Club's website. The on-line journal "Folk Wales" is no longer produced.
• Harp.net Festivals, summer schools, Irish Harp organisations, albums, magazines and a Harp bulletin board.
• Irish Music Magazine news, views and more on the Irish Folk and Trad scene.
• Musical Traditions Last editorial appears to be March '24 so might not now be active.
• Morris Dance Database International database of Morris sides, the dances they perform and the tunes they dance to.
• The Society for International Folk Dancing Website for International Dance. Not all local clubs are included in the listings.

Individuals, groups and companies

• The Brick Kiln Garden Centre near Chichester stages Folk Live concerts.
• Colin Hume's website has a huge amount of information for callers and dancers, with descriptions of many figures and instructions for many dances.
• The Folk Dance and Song Group of the Camping and Caravanning Club has a local branch.
• Folk Plays Website mainly about Mumming plays.
• Halsway Manor in Somerset runs a wide range of folk events.
• West Gallery: music sung by church and chapel bands in the 1700s and early 1800s. Sung locally by the Madding Crowd.

Callers and bands based in and around Hampshire

• Arish Mel English Ceilidh Band Dorset-based (Isle of Purbeck) band for barn dances, ceilidhs, weddings etc. Regular band at the Kimmeridge Keilidhs.
• Thomas Bending calls mostly Playford and mixed programmes. He also plays in the band Momentum, and often chooses dances for their tunes as much as for their figures. His website is also home to Torus, a system for recognising tunes from changes in pitch (simply up or down) from one note to the next. Contact him at ThomasBending@hotmail.com or on 07986 461788 .
• Box of Frogs are Linda Game (fiddle) and Ali Messer (accordion). Play feisty contra and creative English country dance music. Find them also on Facebook.
• Barrie Bullimore calls Contra, Playford and Social Dance. bkbullimore@gmail.com 07470 203830 .
• Nigel Close calls for balls, social dances, club nights and workshops; mainly English country dance, but has been known to include the occasional contra, circle or barn dance. He leads the As many as will club. nigelclose9@gmail.com 01962 714220.
• Diatonics are a lively and energetic band who regularly play at festivals and Ceilidh series around the UK.
• Iscalis are a trio playing traditional, original and contemporary acoustic music, featuring female vocals, and combinations of guitar, bouzouki, mandolin, and bass.
• Jigfoot are a Hampshire-based lively five-piece ceilidh band.
• Ian Kirby calls ceilidhs, barn dances etc. Contact him at kirbs.driving@gmail.com. Also calls in Squeeze and Shout, with accordionist Stuart Martyn as a two-man ceilidh band/caller.
• Ian Nichols, organiser of the SHOCC English Ceilidh dances, is also a regular caller of ceilidhs and barn dances. Contact via the SHOCC website or on 07765 820919 .
• Rufus Return are a 4-piece Hampshire-based ceilidh and barn dance band.
• Louise Siddons is a contra, ceilidh, and English country dance caller based in Winchester. Extensive website with sections for new callers, her own dances etc. Contact via the website. She leads the WinQeilidh club in Winchester.
• Spike Island Band (Spike Island is the old name for Sholing, a district of Southampton). A versatile six-piece barn dance band.
• Threepenny Bit are an eight-piece concert and ceilidh band based in Hampshire.
• Woodsiders is a barn dance band based in Southampton.

There are many more dance bands in and around Hampshire than are listed here. However, if you are booking callers, it is well worth asking which bands they like to call for: they may well know excellent bands of whom you have never heard. Similarly, there are many more callers than are listed here: have a look at our Dance Diary for names of other callers at clubs and events in our area.

If you are a caller or a member of a band and would like to be included on this list then please tell the Editor.