"I would add that I get pretty tired of being 'instructed' to "please choose songs that have choruses so everyone can sing along."   Well, a lot of wonderful songs don't have choruses."

Yes, I find it quite limiting to sing only chorus songs.

"and don't even realize that they already KNOW most of the words to the freakin' song already!"

My sentiments exactly, when I come to song circle and hear folks singing the same song they have sung hundreds of times, with their noses still stuck in the freakin' book!

"For me, the best possible scenario is where people come to think of books and song sheets as learning devices"

Exactly! Books are great FOR group singing, but should never be used IN group singing.

Cheers, S. in Seattle