I don't know about spirituality, per se, but I think music -- and singing in particular -- is a very real need in people's lives.

I was going to start a thread about this right after the Portsmouth Maritime Folk Festival at the end of September. At the Saturday open singaround Curmudgeon and I were leading, I was interviewed by a young reporter from the local rag who was totally blown away by a room full of diverse people, all ages, raising the rafters in songs. Even in songs that they didn't all know. (Sea music choruses being very easy to pick up quickly.) He wanted to know how, he wanted to know why, and he couldn't get over the energy of it all.

My theory is that in our society there are few outlets to sing in public. Church is one of the few acceptable outlets, but, let's face it, not everyone is particularly interested in particular religions or in a religion with a singing tradition. And we as human beings have an innate NEED to sing.

Most music is enjoyed in a performance / audience situation. And not many (except perhaps folk) encourage singing along. If you sing or hum at work, people (or the boss) usually complain. Not a lot of "popular" music these days is, ah, "hummable." And a lot of people have never learned the joys of singing as a part of life or have gotten out of the habit.

I think people need to sing -- especially in a community setting.

Our society as a whole has come a long way from people getting together and entertaining themselves by singing or playing music or from families singing in the car on long drives (both of which I grew up with -- and I'm not THAT old!!!)

Whadya think?

Linn