With many classical organizations coloring Santa Barbara’s music scene, one of the newest additions, Folk Orchestra of Santa Barbara (FOSB), is delighting our community with convivial concerts and feel-good folk melodies. Comprising skilled area musicians, FOSB has at its helm musical jack-of-all-trades Adam Phillips, music director, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist, who founded the group with the intention of bringing the community together. In fact, the group has open rehearsals every Thursday at Telegraph Brewing Co.
The 30-piece ensemble, which includes bagpipes, mandolins, harps, acoustic guitars, and Irish whistles, has two upcoming shows, on Thursday, September 28, and Sunday, October 1, at El Presidio. Called Songs of the Sea, the performances will feature well-known shanties, such as “The Water Is Wide,” “Haul Away Joe,” and “The Navy Hymn,” as well as a few original tunes by Phillips and much more. In a recent interview with the Santa Barbara Independent, Phillips shared a little about the formation of the Folk Orchestra and his hopes for its future.
What is the mission of Folk Orchestra of S.B.? My most important mission is to create a great community of local musicians that get to play beautiful music and have fun. I’ve gotten really lucky with the caliber of musicians that have joined the orchestra, and it really feels like a big, 30-piece family band.