Hi, Don -

To their credit, Rise Up Singing editors Peter Blood and Annie Patterson recognized the Error of their Ways and corrected most of those bowdlerized lyrics. Recent editions of the book have better versions of the lyrics. But I gotta admit that the songs in Bert's list are generally more singable than what's to be found in Rise Up Singing.

There are many variables that make a singaround sink or swim - use of a book or lyrics sheet can bring a session down, but not necessarily. I suppose the biggest factor is the singing ability and experience of the singers. A singaround group can accommodate a few non-singers and can help them to grow. But if the majority of people in a group are nonsingers, it's going to be hard to have a good time making music.

When I'm singing with a bunch of nonsingers, I prefer to be in charge, like when I'm leading songs at a campfire. I can get people to sing almost every song, but in a way that can be alive and fun.

Our nursing home caroling sessions are like that. In the best venues, everybody sings, and everybody has a good time. When a nursing home has us sing during a meal or strolling through hallways, it's a lot harder.

-Joe-