On Saturday 1 July, the FolkActive Youth Ensemble set off for London's Cecil Sharp House to take part in the Youth Folk Takeover: an eagerly anticipated celebration of youth folk music, hosted by the English Folk Dance and Song Society. Alongside the London Youth Folk Ensemble and other talented friends, these young musicians showcased their passion and skill, and made themselves, FolkActive, and Southampton Music Hub proud.
Ensemble members Hannah and Cate had this to say about the day:

The Takeover was amazing. We performed a concert set during the break of the ceilidh, allowing the dancers to get their breath back, which was so great. The other ensembles were really supportive and fun, it was such a great atmosphere. Cecil Sharp House is a centre for all folk throughout England, as the EFDSS are based there and so there was lots of folk-music-based artwork, as well as the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library, a massive library of folk songs and tunes. The highlight of our day was the massed ensemble piece at the end of the concert. Camilo Menjura, a tutor from the London Youth Folk Ensemble led it and did a fantastic job of bringing all the different groups together. We created a beautiful soundscape including some improvised solos, which were incredible and truly showcased the amount of young talent we were working with. We loved it!