MacColl advised us to absorb the words and tune of the song until we had it of perfectly, then leave it for a period and checking it out occasionally - for about two or three months before we sang it publicly
I have to say I had my doubts at the time but, coming back from not singing for a long time, I'm finding that it now works a treat
When I started to rework my repertoire I found no trouble with the songs I leaned in this way twenty/thirty years ago - I had established them as 'my songs' which is what it should be all about, in my opinion
Jim Carroll