Folk - Chris Foster

Folk veteran Chris Foster had been a professional singer on the circuit for nine years before he even heard himself sing. When The Royal Oak’s Vic Smith and Jim Marshall invited Chris into the Radio Sussex studios in 1973 to record for Minstrel’s Gallery, they were staggered to discover that it was the first time he had ever agreed to do a recording of himself. So why the reticence? “I actively resisted putting out an album, in fact,” he told Vic who recounts the anecdote in an article in the Living Tradition. “People were asking me why I hadn't recorded anything. I felt that I hadn't learned my craft enough, so I didn't do it”.
The episode is typical of Foster’s disinterest in pursuing a conventional commercial path. In the 1980’s, disillusioned with the dwindling folk scene and keen to become more politically engaged, he dropped out altogether to establish a mixed media community arts company called Mobile Arts. In the company of writers, designers, dancers and photographers, Foster was involved in many of the socio-political issues of the time including Greenham Common and the campaign for nuclear disarmament. It wasn’t until the 90’s (after the Mobile Art budget had been cut) when he returned - a relative stranger on the folk scene. Since then Chris has firmly re-established his reputation and has released several solo albums as well as guest appearing on various collaborative projects. ER