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Family sing-alongs
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Subject: Family sing-alongs From: steve t Date: 09 Aug 97 - 01:22 AM People have been admitting to a little elitism and I've got to admit: I'm not too enthusiastic about singing with my extended family. They may be talented, but aren't too skilled (or overly skilled and unrelaxed -- church soloists). They want me to lead too much (nearly all the time). They don't want to do songs without the guitar. Every three or four months is too far apart for sing-alongs. I have the feeling that most of you come from families with folk-singing traditions. Imagine trying to get your office co-workers to sing together once or twice a year. What would you do? |
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Subject: RE: Family sing-alongs From: Tim Jaques tjaques@netcom.ca Date: 09 Aug 97 - 03:47 AM My family always sang. When I was a kid we only got two TV stations and no FM, so we had to do something to amuse ourselves. We used to play cards (how many people still know how to play Canasta?) and have bonfires on the beach too. Now, back home, they get 60 channels on cable and more on dish, so they don't sing or talk any more. They watch far-away dish games like the Dodgers vs. the Giants, or watch English soaps. Nobody sings any more. They are as much addicted to the tube as any inner city American. |
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Subject: RE: Family sing-alongs From: BillD Date: 09 Aug 97 - 02:06 PM My family didn't sing a note...I found the music I like during the 'folk-scare' of the 60's,and was lucky enough to find people doing music beyond the popularized stuff of the times...since then I have conducted serious searches for what I want... Steve...I don't remember you saying where you are, but you are already using the internet to increase your chances...more people use this forum every day, and the rec.music.folk newsgroup sometimes has info... unfortunately, you can't twist peoples arms or plug them into a device to educate them to the 'good stuff' overnight...the ultimate solution is to do what I did...move to where the music is.(yes, I know, it ain't that easy..) Best of luck...this bunch will feed you every bit of help we can... |
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Subject: RE: Family sing-alongs From: steve t Date: 09 Aug 97 - 02:49 PM I think what I was expressing was my sense of wonderment that I *didn't* really look forward to leading an extended family sing-along now that I've done so a few times. Kind of like the way someone here expressed that they didn't like to be the one who leads "Happy Birthday" at work (but is happy to join in if someone else leads). |
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Subject: RE: Family sing-alongs From: MaureenSel@AOL.com Date: 09 Aug 97 - 03:20 PM Lookign for a tune- Inisheer? Is it old, new? Heard it on a tape and love the beauty of it. Any help appreciated. BTW- My Mother and three younger sisters sang together a lot, I remember many happy times singing while waiting in the car for Dad to finish a poker game. |
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Subject: RE: Family sing-alongs From: rechal@earthlink.net Date: 14 Aug 97 - 01:12 PM Family sing-alongs were the best part of growing up. My father played the guitar, so we occasionally sat around the dining room table and sang there; but mostly I remember singing in the car on long road trips. To this day, our family has special songs for special days. For instance, my mother and my aunt have an ongoing battle to wake one another up on Thanksgiving morning with this little ditty, sung to the tune of Frère Jacques:
Next Thanksgiving, next Thanksgiving, save your bread, save your bread. Shove it up the turkey, shove it up the turkey, eat the bird, eat the bird.
And of course, with a nod to Allan Sherman, we've declared May 23rd to be National Liverwurst Day, which we celebrate religiously by singing his liverwurst song (not sure of the name, but know all the lyrics).
Other family favorites were: Roll Me Over In The Clover (at age four, I thought it was something like "This Old Man"), Poisoning Pigeons in the Park, Bill Bailey, the Masochism Tango, The Lady In Red (aka Let Her Sleep Under The Bar), Glorious (one keg of beer for the four of us), the Draft Dodger Rag, National Embalming School (don't ask), Humoresque, as well as several songs of our own composition (borrowing liberally from other melodies), including songs about cats, poodles, and Milkbone biscuits set to the Old Spice theme.
And that's not counting all the Hebrew songs, parodies of operas, and camp songs. |
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Subject: RE: Family sing-alongs From: Alice Date: 14 Aug 97 - 03:43 PM Sorry, I've GOT to ask... National Embalming School?? |
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Subject: RE: Family sing-alongs From: Laoise, Belfast Date: 15 Aug 97 - 04:13 AM Rechal, you might be interested in this one. It goes along to the tune of Adon Olam (or however you spell it) "I like myself, I think I'm great I take me to the movies and I hold my hand I put my arm around my waist And when I'm getting bored I slap my face I dunno why I share my lunch I dunno why I share my lu - uh - unch 'Cause every time I share my lunch I always end up with no lunch." My Dad taught us it to sing in Shul when we were kids cause we never got the hang of the real words. We weren't particularly religious as you can tell. Slan Laoise.
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Subject: RE: Family sing-alongs From: rechal@earthlink.net Date: 15 Aug 97 - 11:21 AM That's a great version of Adon Olam. The following is an Israeli folk song, which originally went:
Achshav, achshav, b'eretz Yisrael Achshav, achshav, b'eretz Yisrael Hey! Toomba, toomba, toomba, b'eretz Yisrael Hey! Toomba, toomba, toomba, b'eretz Yisrael
Our lyrics went:
I'll shove, I'll shove, I'll shove you down the stairs I'll shove, I'll shove, I'll shove you down the stairs Hey! Tumble, tumble, tumble, I'll shove you down the stairs! Hey! Grumble grumble grumble, you shoved me down the stairs. |
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Subject: RE: Family sing-alongs From: Joe Offer Date: 16 Aug 97 - 03:31 PM Rechal, once Dick Greenhaus discovers this thread, he's going to come on and demand that you post lyrics to all those songs you've tantalized us with. You e-mailed me the embalming song, but these are classics that should be shared with the world. I must say, though, that your treatise on shoving down the stairs is a great contribution. Now, how about some embalming and liverwurst??? -Joe Offer- |
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Subject: RE: Family sing-alongs From: Tim Jaques tjaques@netcom.ca Date: 17 Aug 97 - 10:46 PM Wasn't " Poisoning Pigeons in the Park" by Shel Silverstein? The lyrics I have heard to Roll Me Over in The Clover were not the sort you'd sing to a 4 year old. Might get you up on child corruption charges! I can't recall them all but it ranked up there with North Atlantic Squadron and the adult version of Barnacle Bill The Sailor. |
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Subject: RE: Family sing-alongs From: rechal@earthlink.net Date: 18 Aug 97 - 01:01 AM I'm sure you all know with what phrase the road to Hell is paved. In any case, Joe Offer (is that really your name? I see so many possibilities....), your request/comment has been been duly noted. So without further ado, here are the lyrics to National Embalming School, which is sung to the tune of "O Tannenbaum." (aka "Oh Christmas Tree") We live for you, we die for you National Embalming School And when you die, we dig a hole And put you in, to turn to mold We live for you, we die for you National Embalming School. Now, since you've all been so good, some other treats. This next is a Clean Song, but not the one involving the mermaid (the very one which first drew me to this esoteric little forum). I have no idea which respectable song was raped of its melody for this perversion, but I'm sure it's in the public domain. We're clean, we're clean, the Vatican says we're clean. We're good and sweet and kind and nice We did no harm to Jesus Christ We're clean, we're clean, the Vatican says we're clean. So take your brother by the hand, and let's all shout, "It's grand, it's grand!" Absolved, absolved, the problem is all solved. Here are the lyrics to the liverwurst song -- look up Allan Sherman if you want a reliable source-- When you go to the delicatessen store Don't buy the liverwurst Don't buy the liverwurst Don't buy the liverwurst Let me repeat what I just said before Don't buy the liverwurst Don't buy the liverwurst. Oh buy the corned beef if you must The pickled herring you can trust The pastrami puts you in orbit A-okay (A-okay!) But that big hunk of liverwurst Has been there since October 1st And today is the 23rd of May. P.S: To whomever asked about Roll Me Over...the lyrics you're thinking of are the same that I learned at age 4. As I said, it was a dysfunctional family. Tim: To my knowledge, "Poisoning Pigeons" is a Tom Lehrer classic. I'd have to check to see if he was in fact the author, but his other efforts would seem to indicate that he was the guilty party. |
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Subject: RE: Family sing-alongs From: Joe Offer Date: 18 Aug 97 - 03:34 AM OK, Rechal, I'll admit it. "Joe Offer" is my stage name. My real name is Joseph Robert Offer, sometimes referred to as "Crazy Joe." but Joe will do just fine. I really liked the Liverwurst song, even better than the Embalming School. But Allan Sherman never wrote an original tune in his life, did he? What's the tune? Oh, and when I was growing up, I would lead my brothers and sisters in beer commercial jingles - over and over again. I'm sure my parents loved it. "I'm from Milwaukee, and I oughta know...." -Joseph Robert Offer, now in California, previously in Milwaukee & Detroit- |
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Subject: RE: Family sing-alongs From: rechal Date: 18 Aug 97 - 11:48 AM I'm not sure of the tune for Liverwurst, Joe, but I'll check with my mommy. She's not from Milwaukee, but she oughta know anyway.
Here's another gem from my past, whose tune I also can't place (another mommy question).
My name is Jesus, the Son of God. Hello, hello, hello, hello, hello, hello. I walk on water, my favorite trick And for an encore I can even heal the sick. My name is Mary, and I'm a virgin. Ha ha ha ha ha ha!
This next is sung to the tune of The Battle Hymn of the Republic:
Jesus puts his money in the Chase Manhattan Bank Jesus puts his money in the Chase Manhattan Bank Jesus puts his money in the Chase Manhattan Bank Jesus saves, Jesus saves, Jesus saves!
For a Jewish family, we sure spent a lot of time singing about Jesus.
And finally:
My Bonnie looked into the gas tank The height of its contents to see She lighted a match to a cistern Oh bring back my Bonnie to me.
Oh, yeah -- there's this too--
In a cavern, in a cavern Excavating for a mine Lived a miner, 'Forty-eighter And his daughter Alligator |
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Subject: RE: Family sing-alongs From: Jack Date: 18 Aug 97 - 03:34 PM Singing was something we used to do as a family to pass the time on long road trips. Our traditional "setting out" song for vacations was an old song Carmen Miranda use to sing One-Talagoos-Talagoos-talagoos-talagoos-talagoos-talagoosta One-Talagoos-Talagoos-talagoos-talagoos-talagoos-talagoosta Where we goin' whatta we gonna do? We're on our way to somewhere the three of us and you. Who will be there, what'll we see there' who will be the big suprise? There may be caballero's with dark and flasing eyes! Were on our way Pack up your pack And if we stay We won't come back We don't know why And we have'nt got a dime But were goin' and were gonna have a happy time. And once, while on our way to our favorite aunt and uncle's house in Kentucky, my mom was driving through an intense freak blizzard south of Columbus. Trucks were jacknifed it seemed every half mile. Mom, who is anxious at the best of times, was out-of-her-mind nervous and wanted to pull off, get a hotel and wait till the next day. Neither me or my brother wanted to wait even one extra day, even to be safe. So every time she said she was going to stop, we never argued, but we'd strike up a chorus of High Hopes (you know, "Just what makes that little old ant, Think he'll move a rubber tree plant, everyone knows an ant can't..."), until she agreed to keep the white VW bug moving south just a little further. Eventually we out-drove the blizzard just outside of Dayton, and had clear sailing to Lexington. Mom still tells the story of how her two nut sons got her to risk the whole family's lives because of that damn song. Jack |
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Subject: Has Anybody Seen My Lord / J.C.? From: Joe Offer Date: 19 Aug 97 - 03:28 AM Well Rechal, if you want to get religious, here's one I learned while I was a student in a Catholic seminary:
Changes water into wine Has anybody seen my Lord? Ain't he neat, ain't he cool, Walkin' cross my swimmin' pool Has anybody seen my Lord? ...wish I knew the rest of it. -Joe Offer- Following verse received March 2004:
Holes in feet, Carries crosses down the street, Has anybody seen J.C.? |
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Subject: RE: Family sing-alongs From: Jack Date: 19 Aug 97 - 10:17 AM Joe Heres the rest
Well if you run into Repeat first lines |
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Subject: RE: Family sing-alongs From: Earl Date: 19 Aug 97 - 10:29 AM "Don't Buy the Liverwurst" is sung to the tune of "Down by the Riverside." |
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Subject: RE: Family sing-alongs From: rechal@earthlink.net Date: 19 Aug 97 - 10:47 AM Of course! Down by the Riverside!
Love the Jesus song -- another to add to my repertoire. |
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Subject: RE: Family sing-alongs From: BK Date: 20 Aug 97 - 12:38 AM My family had sing-alongs around the electric organ in our living room; played by our border, who played at church, weddings, etc, and sometimes the local skating rink. We really loved stuff like "Wonderful Copenhagen," various show tunes, and the odd Irish tune; of course, we ALWAYS sang in the car, on family trips; rounds, whatever dumb stuff my dad liked, and, of course, we NEVER missed a Burma-Shave sign; it was great fun and I think it helped keep him (the driver!) awake. BTW; "Poisening Pigeons In The Park" is by not the great Shel Silverstein, but rather by Tom Leherer (sp?) - along w/lots of other marvellously wacky stuff like "My Home Town," "The Vatican Rag," (a scream to us ex-catholics) "Smut," "Pollution," "The Ballad of Alma," etc, etc, etc.. On the other hand, many folks don't know that among his other song credits, children's books, etc.. the also marvellously wacky Shel Silverstien wrote "The Unicorn," of Irish Rovers fame; and, he is also credited w/the American classic "Boy Named Sue." Ain't wacky-ness wonderful?? Cheers, BK |
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Subject: RE: Family sing-alongs From: Laoise, Belfast Date: 20 Aug 97 - 06:11 AM BK, did you hear the Tom Lehrer song - An Irish Jig - which went like this: About a maid I'll sing a song Sing rickety tickety tin About a maid I'll sing a song She did not have a family long Not only did she do them wrong She did every one of them in, them in She did every one of them in. Her mother she could never stand Sing rickety tickety tin Her mother she could never stand And so a suicide bid she planned Her mother died with a spoon in her hand And her face in a hideous grin, a grin Her face in a hideous grin. One day when she had nothing to do Sing rickety tickety tin One day when she had nothing to do She cut her baby brother in two And served him up as an Irish Stew And invited the neighbours in, 'bours in And invited the neighbours in. One morning in a fit of peak Sing rickety tickety tin One morning in a fit of peak She drowned her Father in the creek The water tasted bad for a week And we had to make do with gin, with gin We had to make do with gin.
She set her sister's hair on fire Sing rickety tickety tin She set her sister's hair on fire And as the heat and flames rose higher She danced around the funeral pyre Playing a violin, 'olin Playing a violin. And when at last the Police came by Sing rickety tickety tin And when at last the Police came by Her terrible crimes she did not deny For to do so she would have had to lie And lying she knew was a sin, a sin And lying she knew was a sin. I can't remember the last verse too well but it ends: And now at last to conclude my song Sing rickety tickety tin And now at last to conclude my song (Can't remember this line) Youve yourselves to blame if its too long You should never have let me begin, begin You should never have let me begin. Do you think, if we waited long enough and people forgot who wrote it, that this would become folk? (Tongue in cheek remark). Rechal, Although my family aren't religious Jews we sometimes celebrate, rather begrudgingly, the main festivals with the more religious members of my family. Last year we were skiing during the Pesach (see I can't even spell it right) celebrations and the evening meal became an event to remember because a friend of ours put the whole of the Pesach story into a rap. He called it "Seder Night Rap" and we all had to help out in the chorus. I'll have to wrest the lyrics off my dad but the chorus went something like this: Well your feet gotta stamp and your hands gotta clap As you're skiing down the mountain to the seder night rap Uh - huh, uh - huh. For those of you who aren't as 'educated' in the Jewish religion as I am (it would be difficult) Pesach and Seder basically mean Passover, you know, the bit where God passed over the houses of all the Jewish first born sons when Moses was trying to get the Jews out of Egypt. (Rechal, have I got that right?) Hey, isn't this a folk site? Gabh mo leisceal every one (excuse me in Irish) Laoise. |
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Subject: RE: Family sing-alongs From: Whip Date: 20 Aug 97 - 10:38 AM Jack: Your One-tagaloosta song is another example of how our ears can play tricks on us. The crazy thing's in Spanish.... Cuanta le gusta - How much do you want. Speaking of Tom Lehrer, has anyone heard his song about a priest who went skinny-dipping? Two young ladies came along, and all he could reach to hide behind was a hat. All I can remember is the last of the last verse: Tho' he let go the hat, yet the hat didn't fall... |
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Subject: RE: Family sing-alongs From: Wolfgang Date: 20 Aug 97 - 10:58 AM "The Irish Ballad" that Laoise copied has one more unofficial verse:
The following verse is inserted between the "And when at last the police came by" verse and the "My tragic tale I won't prolong" verse. Tom has confirmed that he did NOT write this verse, so its origin is unknown. I copied this shamelessly from the best Tom Lehrer website I know
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Subject: RE: Family sing-alongs From: Laoise, Belfast Date: 20 Aug 97 - 11:36 AM Wolfgang, Thanks - My mind went blank on that last verse of "An Irish Ballad" (couldn't even remember the proper title - must be gettin' old!). So there's a Tom Lehrer website... Laoise. |
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Subject: RE: Family sing-alongs From: Jack Date: 20 Aug 97 - 01:29 PM Whip, thanks. I kinda knew that had to be a mondegreen on my part :-) |
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Subject: RE: Family sing-alongs From: rechal@earthlink.net Date: 20 Aug 97 - 03:11 PM Yes, Laoise, Pesach and Seder are correct. I love Pesach -- especially the singing. And the food. If you're interested, I'd be happy to send you the Four Questions written in the style of Dr. Seuss. But since it's not really a song, I didn't think I should post it here.
Re: The Irish Ballad: the little lass did away with her mother not with a suicide bid, but with a "cyanide soup she planned."
And she drowned her father in the creek due to a fit of pique (which is sort of like having a small tantrum), rather than a fit of peak.
Shel Silverstein also wrote a marvelously tongue-in-cheek chauvinistic song called "Put Another Log On The Fire," which I think is in the database. |
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Subject: RE: Family sing-alongs From: Joe Offer Date: 20 Aug 97 - 03:38 PM Oh, Rechal, why do you taunt us like that? With or without music, we'd certainly like to hear the Dr. Seuss Four Questions. I may not be Jewish, but I came from one of two Catholic families in a Jewish neighborhood. I gotta know about the Four Questions. -Joe Offer- |
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Subject: RE: Family sing-alongs From: rechal@earthlink.net Date: 20 Aug 97 - 03:53 PM I just like to hear you beg, Joe. I'll post 'em soon. |
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Subject: RE: Family sing-alongs From: dick greenhaus Date: 21 Aug 97 - 12:15 AM For what it's worth, I monitor ALL the postings (cuts in on things like work and sleep). Shel DIDN'T write Put another Log on the Fire--that's Tompall Glazer. The priest and the miraculous hat isn't by Lehrer; it IS in the database as The Hermit. There are lots of Jewish/American parodies--mostly quickies in doggerel. Try "Jesus hates me, this I know. 'Cause my rabbi told me so." As well as some anti-semitic ones: "Sons of bread and gravy, Join the Yiddish navy, fight! fight! fight! for Palestine. Men who love salami, Joun the Yiddish army, etc." (ca 1939, when I heard it)
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Subject: RE: Family sing-alongs From: Laoise, Belfast Date: 21 Aug 97 - 05:24 AM Rechal, Thanx for the corrections, I typed the Irish Ballad out from memory and since I haven't sung that in nearly ten years I'm pretty amazed I remembered even the first verse. I am getting my Dad to fax me over the Seder Rap and another song written by another friend of his about the Jewish Skiing method called "I don't do Moguls" sung to the tune of "I won't send Roses" (Mack & Mabel). I saw the Four Questions on another thread - excellent. I was also brought up on "One fish, two fish, red fish blue fish..." Laoise. |
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Subject: RE: Family sing-alongs From: Whip Date: 21 Aug 97 - 10:16 AM I think I remember another verse from the Irish Ballad: She weighted her brother down with stones,
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Subject: RE: Family sing-alongs From: Wolfgang Date: 21 Aug 97 - 10:43 AM Isn't it cute how we are reconstructing The Irish Ballad from memory and from other websites? There is a site quite near here (look at the upper right hand corner and then type [Irish Ballad]) which actually has the lyrics already. |
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Subject: RE: Family sing-alongs From: wysiwyg Date: 02 Oct 00 - 04:10 PM Another round? ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: Family sing-alongs From: Catrin Date: 03 Oct 00 - 08:13 AM When I was a child, we spent every summer staying with my Aunt in the middle of the welsh countryside. No TV reception at all. We spent many evenings singing songs into the night. I used to love it - Tom Lehrer, Joan Baez and lots of old folk songs. I can remember sitting on my mothers knee listening to her sing 'The Outlandish Knight' and 'The Golden Vanity'. I loved the stories in the songs. A love which has stayed with me to this day. Our family still have 'sing-songs' on a regular basis.... |
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Subject: RE: Family sing-alongs From: wysiwyg Date: 03 Oct 00 - 11:47 AM When I married into my husband's wacky clan, I became part of the tradition of singing what I think is a Harry Chapin song... was it 40,000 pounds.... of bananas? The things we do for love. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: Family sing-alongs From: SINSULL Date: 03 Oct 00 - 11:58 AM Summertime meant block parties and spontaneous events in my neighborhood which always involved Dad's guitar, an odd accordian and a sing along. A bit of wine and beer provided inspiration. Those parties lasted into the wee hours of the morn and as kids we loved them. It's where I first learned the lyrics to all the popular Gay Nineties songs. I can still remember Nana at 80 singing "Only Me" and Aunt May "The Bird In The Guilded Cage". In winter we went indoors with Aunt Jen at piano added. Wonderful times. |
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Subject: RE: Family sing-alongs From: Mbo Date: 03 Oct 00 - 11:59 AM Family sing-alongs?? You got to be kidding! |
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Subject: RE: Family sing-alongs From: Noreen Date: 03 Oct 00 - 02:17 PM Praise, your phrase made me think of: I've got ninety thousand pounds in my pyjamas, ...which I think was Monty Python, so no doubt a totally different song altogether!! :0) |
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Subject: RE: Family sing-alongs From: CamiSu Date: 04 Oct 00 - 09:16 AM This was a bit too much fun! Is Rechal still around? I'd love to hear the four questions in Dr Seuss style (maybe use them next Seder?) Susan, Harry did write 40,000 pound of Bananas, and while it is pretty funny, he had a bit of trouble with it, as it was based on a true incident. He ended up meeting with the guys widow, who told him the kids were hearing the song at school, etc. I think he ended setting up a scholarship for the kids to go to college. (Harry's eldest step-daughter told me this and I think I'm remembering right. It was so long ago.) But I'll bet the guy is a bit like Casey Jones in Scranton folklore. My mom didn't like singing in the car, claimedit made the driver sleepy. My dad and I would sing together when she wasn't there. She would just sing lines from pop songs or show tunes to emphasize her points, which got a bit annoying... I also remember my middle brother, on summer nights, would push a toe on each of my feet, as if I were a juke box, and request song after song after song. Cami Su |
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Subject: RE: Family sing-alongs From: Tinker Date: 04 Oct 00 - 09:51 AM Remembering summer nights at the campfire, with all the aunts and uncles and cousins... My first guitar, and an amazingly high number of people who couldn't stay in tune no matter what. But they all loved to sing and we had some really great times. Occaisionally nearby campers with would come to find out what the noise was and stick around just because the fun was contagious... /after leading that group I never worried again about leadingthe tonedeaf... it's just supposed to be fun. |
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Subject: RE: Family sing-alongs From: Ferrara Date: 04 Oct 00 - 10:22 AM Steve T, at a certain point, doing sing-alongs with one's family becomes a community service, like singing at an old folks' home. Under the circumstances you described, you really can't expect it to be terribly rewarding for you compared to the music you make with your friends. So I think your best approach is either to give it up, or if people are asking you to do it, give in with good grace and give some thought to making it rewarding for the folks who are causing you so much aggravation. Maybe? I've done hundreds of hour of piano playing, years ago, for my parents, aunts, uncles and cousins and their mates. Actually, I did enjoy it, I have no taste at all. But I can tell you, it wasn't what I wanted that determined how things would go. I've described our family sing-alongs as being like the foreign diplomat's comment on seeing Judy Holliday in Bells Are Ringing: "Nobody could sing, but everybody sang." And Uncle Mike always had to have "Beautiful Ohio," and Uncle Jim always had to have "San Antonio Rose," and nothing could convince Uncle Jim (Sullivan) that the Irish had any music worth hearing, and ... and... and. Still, family sing-alongs are magic and special and create a bond and a memory. Even when they're bad, they're good. Does it really matter if they want you to lead every song? Or want to have the guitar on every song? So don't do songs you can't play, they'll never miss them, and you can sing them with your folkie friends. Anyway, if you feel like a sacrificial lamb in these sing-alongs, well, maybe there's some truth to that. But maybe you can turn it around and put your mind to making it work well for the other participants whether it works for you or not. Steve, this does sound awfully preachy, but I led family sing-alongs for years and I know you have to have your mind on what will make the other people happy, that's what works and that's what's rewarding in the end, not the quality of the music or even the quality of the interactions. (With certain types of relatives, the interactions are a pain in the butt actually....) Let us know how you work it all out, huh? |
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Subject: RE: Family sing-alongs From: Catrin Date: 04 Oct 00 - 10:36 AM I am blessed with a family that loves singing and sing-songs. Our trick is to take turns to sing a song (those that want to). Some will sing quiet folk songs, some will sing chorus songs, some will sing blues, some will sing 'modern' stuff, (Beatles etc.), some will tell a joke or a story. The mood changes with every song sung and many of the songs will spark off reminiscences - ('I remember you singing that when...').There is no leader. There are no 'sacrificial lambs' I love these times, they have always been, and still are, very special to me. Catrin. P.S. A good rule is 'no-one sings a song unless they want to'.
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Subject: RE: Family sing-alongs From: GUEST,John Leeder Date: 04 Oct 00 - 11:02 AM My wife is the youngest of a large family, most of whom retired back to this city, so the brothers- and sisters-in-law in town are all older (I'm 57), and they all like to sing. Once in a while we have a music evening. We get lyric sheets of "old favourites" ('30s, '40s, '50s hits, mostly), everybody takes turns choosing songs, I provide the accompaniment (I can fake most of the stuff I don't know), and we spend a relatively painless evening of songs. To me, if people are singing for enjoyment, it doesn't matter much what they're singing. The fact of singing and the culture in which the singing is taking place is more important than the content.
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Subject: RE: Family sing-alongs From: Ferrara Date: 04 Oct 00 - 11:51 AM John Leeder, well said. |
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Subject: RE: Family sing-alongs From: GUEST,John Leeder Date: 04 Oct 00 - 04:21 PM Thanks. We do a similar thing with Christmas carols, by the way. It's one area where a lot of people from different backgrounds have shared repertoire. People at my workplace used to have a group which led carol singalongs at every Christmas party (we called ourselves "Hell's Elves"). The group didn't survive a drastic office downsizing, but some of us still get together for a carol sing every Christmas. The standard carols can get boring, but there are lots of really good lesser-known carols which are fun to sing, and you can find comprehensive carol books with lyrics to them. |
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Subject: RE: Family sing-alongs From: Tinker Date: 04 Oct 00 - 05:36 PM Oh, Christmas sing-alongs... Maybe this will at least bring a smile. On Christmas Eve the same group of family campers would gather at Grandmas to peel the pounds and pounds of potatoes, and squash needed to feed 35-40 people the next day. Afterwards it was Carol time and try as I might I could never sing loudly enough to even pretend I was keeping a melody going. But everyone was happy. Then one year the youngest of cousins showed up with a Disney sing-a-long video....It was loud enough to keep everyone almost together, campy enough for everyone to realize how stupid it was, and the songs we sang afterward seemed just a wee bit sweeter. |
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Subject: RE: Family sing-alongs From: GUEST,John Leeder Date: 04 Oct 00 - 05:45 PM You must live a good ways south of here, to be able to camp at Christmas time! |
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