I hope some of these stories about RUS are exceptions, not the rule. Do we have the same problem with people who use the Sacred Harp? Sounds like that is a very rigid set of rules concerning group singing, but I really don't hear people complaining about it.

Personally, I applaud Rise Up Singing because it does get people to rise up in song.

I think if you are going to teach someone how to make a cake, you need to give them instructions to follow. Once they become comfortable they will experiment with the ingredients, try a new recipe and maybe even come up with some of their own. The same can be said for singing.

RUS is a great way to get people back to singing. If you find yourself in a session that uses the book exclusively, perhaps you are in the wrong session - or maybe you just need to step back and think about why people are using it.