I consider them a group activity. I am not interested in listening to even very good "performers" go around a big circle one by one and have to listen to them politely too. My politeness veneer is obviously wearing thin...I personally don't care if a person rehearses or not as long as the group can take over..still allowing the leader to set the rhythm and tune (as long as it is not absolutely hopeless and then more support is required). I realize I have musical ADD..I want to be singing along most of the time...and you probably in a big group wouldn't knnow whether I was or I wasn't as I have a pretty innocuous voice.So I am not a leader and not a performer but I am a participant. I think if I know the words I can sing along with anyone, chorus or verse, unless they specifically say otherwise, but I guess in some places that is frowned upon, like when I was in the Canada camp lately. But no offense..even very good singers doing those long Irish songs...that don't have a place for people to clunk their beer bottles on the table... are not something I have a great desire to hear more than one or two per evening. So my preference is loud and fast, or sweet and saccharine, and not much talking, much less huge long introductions..people can ask you privately later what your source is or you can say it in 20 words or less.

I guess I am there for a high amount of singing and a low amount of serving as an audience for people to sing their solos, rehearsed or not, even very good singers or not. mg