The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #117284 Message #2532833
Posted By: Stilly River Sage
06-Jan-09 - 09:59 AM
Thread Name: homage to Rise Up Singing
Subject: RE: homage to Rise Up Singing
It's also possible to sing a song from memory AND sing (and play) one from a text while still learning, and both enjoy it yourself and please a supportive group of fellow singers. It's all this bright line drawing I object to.
Ref, this ISN'T what I said. Whether a song is authored or handed down, singing that song in public should ideally be from memory, whatever the source, at least in the context we are discussing. Big name performers, say in an operatic recital, might have the music in front of them, but they know the piece very well, they aren't standing staring at the music. It is there as a reminder of where they are, what comes next, and probably most importantly, what everyone else around them is doing. But we're talking about self-selected groups of folk singing enthusiasts.
I will reiterate: I posted early on this thread supporting those who don't like "performers" standing with their faces down in a book singing from the pages. If you're going to a song circle to share, then you need to already know the song from heart and have incorporated it into your oeuvre enough to be able to simply sing it. I make the distinction of reading from the pages of a book as practice (how you learn the song--at home) and sharing (in public) what you already know.
Now if you're a practitioner of the true oral tradition, the folk process, and you're learning a song in a public setting and not off of a page, then you're listening and learning and singing along, but you're not leading the song.
SRS