What song would you lead at the next singing? How do you decide?

Of course, that song may / will change up to the time our name is called.

216b - Social Band. The poetry is addressed to a group of folks that are joined together in a common cause. Some of that band are getting second thoughts, maybe fearful. We only have one verse; so all we have is the question. The answer, I suppose is for each one to make.

The tune reminds me of a jig. Could definitely dance to it.

all the words Don are in the old Southern Harmony here's the link , it's on page 112 http://www.ccel.org/ccel/walker/harmony/files/harmony.html

the tune is VERY interesting in Irish tradition it is two well known tunes star of the county down and The Parting Glass. I think We sang Social Band like the Parting Glass rather than star of the county down . here are links to folks singing them

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GbdB7PlGtc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4egb2gpIg4

Scott Swanton2 wrote: the tune is VERY interesting in Irish tradition it is two well known tunes star of the county down and The Parting Glass. I think We sang Social Band like the Parting Glass rather than star of the county down .

In Star of the County Down, I hear almost note for note in the verse and just a little variation in the chorus the same tune we use.

yea aint that cool ! it is a wide spread tune , found all over the English speaking world. the feel of those women singing the parting glass is the way we used to sing social band

Singing Billy had a publishing deadline....he had to grab tunes and poetry from everywhere he could! lol That's what I LOVE about that book - a musicologist could have a heyday just tracing as many of these songs as possible. You really have to take into consideration, a lot of this tradition was influenced by what would "sell" books! Not unlike choir directors to this day picking out the Easter Cantata they think their congregation would like, or the music for the Christmas pageant, with music publishers always trying to come up with the newest and greatest thing.

I think Singing Billy did a great job of coming up with a great collection of moving, tuneful, and timeless examples that we are still enjoying to this day. I wonder if he would be shocked to know how long it has lasted!

If I find a song that I've not heard/led before, and it doesn't look like it would just confuse the class I'll put it on my Lead This list. (I have post-it notes everywhere.) Like when I led "Turner" at Johnson City last year.

It's a wonderful feeling to go to a singing where I can lead whatever I wish without worry. That is also intimidating, because that means the singers are really with-it and I want to measure up. Although R'fton last year was "different", that class was ready to sing anything in the book, far as I could tell.

Hey Mary, what did you think was "different" about ST. Johns ?

It *reminded me* of the Sacred Harp singing at Spoleto, which is the only large, really vibrant Sacred Harp singing I've ever been to. Note, I only said "reminded me".

I had the same kind of reaction to Wofford this year. We flew through the songs - Robert Kelley even mentioned it (we were sitting together). (Heh, when we sang from Southern Harmony things seemed to slow down just a bit - people are not familiar with that book!)

Of course for Wofford, that may have been a Plus, for singing in that room is discouraging. So in effect, it was one of the better Wofford singings I've been to - not so muffled or dreary.

But R'fton doesn't need that, the space is lively enough to accommodate even the most solemn or morose of songs.

There was little (to my mind) of a worshipful feeling at R'fton this year, and I missed that.

MB wrote:

But R'fton doesn't need that, the space is lively enough to accommodate even the most solemn or morose of songs.

There was little (to my mind) of a worshipful feeling at R'fton this year, and I missed that.

I had posted (then deleted) a topic about what part belief plays in how we sing. Can it be discussed without getting contentious?

I had a new singer (also a choir director at a UU church) suggest that we needed to sing with "expression". I concluded that trying to impose that is wrong. It needs to happen naturally. So, if the percentage of believers decreases, I suppose there will be a natural decrease in the piety (or something) that is expressed.

But, to the point on R'ton - I heard second hand of another CH singer who had the same impression - and left early because of it.

Well it seems to me , There was tension and dissonance at St. Johns and ya know that effects the way we sing and sound . When there is "harmony" there is "Harmony" .

Dear Scott,

There was tension, for sure. I'm not sure exactly where it actually originated though. Sometimes I think it was me because I have trouble with some people. My DH used to say "spring loaded in a pissed-off position" and that's how I am when I'm around certain folks. That's not their fault, even if they may be difficult or cranky. I went to R'fton and kinda expected to get slammed at some point.

The same thing happened at Wofford, and it was all in my mind. It didn't happen and I was so relieved and relaxed on the way home that I almost fell asleep at the wheel. Gave myself a good scare.

Etowah feels like "home territory".

Looking forward to Saturday, have my minutes notebook and pen ready, books laid out: 2010, 1873, and NHC.

Hope you are well. We missed you at Roan.
Mary

Mary! I dont think any of the tension at st. John's was on account of you ! You are a Light at singing to me ! Thank YOU for all you do for the Tradition! the Web site is a huge help to the new people hell and some of the old ones ! ( like me ) lol ! MUCH LOVE !

Carp. I'm reading these old posts and missing you something awful, Scott. I wish you and Larry had been at Marshall on Saturday. And Sharon and Willie. It really would have felt like home. Heck, even Bob and Jerry were there! But Jerry would NOT lead, not for anything.

(weeps)