I see the point you're making, and I agree that any new song needs to be learned properly. No one wants to see a singer stand up with a piece of paper, saying, "Here's a New Year song I've just come across. Sorry about the word sheet but I don't really know all the words yet. I think I've got the tune, but I'm not sure what key works best. The chorus is a bit weird, I don't really know what it means..."

But it's quite possible to learn a song thoroughly in a few days or less. If its meaning or background requires some study (and not all songs are that complex) there's time for a bit of research if you're so inclined.If you have time to practise it - around the house, in the car, in the bath, whatever - the actual learning needn't take very long. It may improve with practice, but there's got to be a first time singing it "out", and it's only then that you can move on and make improvements.

A song that you've worked on intensively just before performing it can come over very strongly and convincingly, simply because you've had it on your mind for days. And in my experience, the new song I've just learned it the one I'll be able sing without hesitation. The one where I forget the words is the song I've sung a dozen times with no problems, and then suddenly I find that half a verse has evaporated because I'm no longer concentrating properly on what it's all about.

Marje