Standard Chorus Song

Subject: 'Standard' Chorus Song
From: SussexCarole
Date: 12 Jul 06 - 06:32 PM

What makes a chorus song a 'standard'? Which are the standard chorus songs in your area/club?

Subject: RE: Standard Chorus Song
From: Kaleea
Date: 12 Jul 06 - 08:10 PM

What do you mean by, "chorus song?" Do you mean the chorus of a popular song only? A song of which the chorus section is the portion which is usually know by most people?

Subject: RE: Standard Chorus Song
From: Ferrara
Date: 12 Jul 06 - 10:15 PM

For one thing, some songs just have a great chorus, so that people love to join in. What's a great chorus? It flows well, is easy to sing, is memorable in words and tune, it is within most people's range, and it is FUN to sing. To be a really good chorus I think it has to lend itself to improvised harmonies and to resound when enough people are singing it. And, the better the singing, the more satisfying it will be. There's another factor. The chorus has to be easily learned, and/or enough people have to be familiar with it, to have the singing really fill the room.

In the Washington DC area our choice of choruses is a mix. To some extent it's been shaped by singers who performed here over the years, to some extent by songs that are being sung in our local folk groups now. Lou Killen, Gordon Bok (with Ed Trickett and Ann Mayo Muir), lots of other performers have had an influence because they have performed here very often. But there are also songs people hear at parties, Open Sings and the FSGW Getaway, so that a lot of people have learned the chorus.

Here are a few, including some of my own favorites.

Pleasant and Delightful (the larks they sang melodious....)
Sportsmen Arouse (have I got that right?)
I like to Rise When the Sun She Rises (Country life?)
The Titanic (God moved on the waters....)
Dumbarton Drums
Rose of Allendale
Tenting Tonight
Faded Coat of Blue
The Vacant Chair
   (the last 3 are American Civil War songs.
Lots of shanties have grand choruses. One of my favorites is Roll the Old Chariot Along.

Subject: RE: Standard Chorus Song
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 13 Jul 06 - 03:29 AM

The object of a good chorus is to produce something that is memorable. That's why so many Spirituals and Gospel songs make such good chorus songs - they were written in an age where not only did few people read and write, but were deliberately kept illiterate. The only way of passing information around was to memorise and say/sing it. It's also why so many shanties and work songs have repetative choruses for doing during repetative tasks. The rhythmn of the song would determine the rhythmn of work.

Not everyone can sing, but I defy anyone to not be able to stamp/clap/shout out a rhythmn (except for captive TV audiences - for some reason they can never clap in time).

A standard chorus would have a strong beat, a memorable or repeated lyric and a tune that is easily learned.

LTS

Subject: RE: Standard Chorus Song
From: Leadfingers
Date: 13 Jul 06 - 07:49 AM

Carole - I dont think that there IS a 'standard ' Chorus song - It varies from area to area , and even club to club ! Hovering Bob's song
'The Kestrel ' is a 'standard chorus' at Maidenhead and Herga , but has probably never been heard by a lot of Northern club Singers .
Some of Ferrera's list could well qualify over here , as would a lot of Keith Marsden , Stan Rogers , Jez Lowe , Tom Paxton , Eric Bogle , and a lot of Traditional songs popolarised by The Coppers and Young Tradition and Watersons .

By The way - What IS a Folk Song ??

Subject: RE: Standard Chorus Song
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 13 Jul 06 - 08:53 AM

well, in Sydney choir director & session singer Miguel Heatwole produced a double CD (copies still available!!) The People have Songs
highlighting the songs sung by Sydney Session singers + a few ring-ins from outside Sydney.

Mudcatters JennyO, Jack Halyard, freda underhill, Callie & Chicky are among the session singers immortalised.

sandra

Subject: RE: Standard Chorus Song
From: stallion
Date: 13 Jul 06 - 10:46 AM

Bring us a Barrel
The Alabama
My Emma

At our session, if you sing a song often enough then everyone learns it and this results in full participation in the chorus, basically, fanmiliarity

Subject: RE: Standard Chorus Song
From: JohnB
Date: 13 Jul 06 - 11:58 AM

My favourite is "When All Men Sing" by Keith Scowcroft (better known as Scowie)music by Derek Gifford. I met Scowie on my last trip to England and even got to sing his song for him, he is a really nice fellow. The chorus singing that night in the Black Nag was unbelievable.
JohnB.

Subject: RE: Standard Chorus Song
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 13 Jul 06 - 12:23 PM

Ah yes.. that is a good one.. heard it as 'Let every man so pitch his song, then start again, he's got it wrong"!

LTS

Subject: RE: Standard Chorus Song
From: breezy
Date: 13 Jul 06 - 12:34 PM

B us a Barrell an example of aforementioed Keith Marsden as mentined by the very knwledgeable leaddigit

'English Ale' by harvey Andrews who just happens to be appearing this Sunday 16th July at Windward Folk Club st Albans , at the Confort Hotel Holywell Hill

Example
Down in Cornwall you'll have
Camborn Hill
Little Lize
The White Rose

John Connolly's Fiddlers green

Irish titles

the Wild Rover
Black Velvet Band

At the herga club all the songs are chorus songs

Subject: RE: Standard Chorus Song
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 13 Jul 06 - 06:09 PM

Martin Said to his Man

Rolling Drunk

Subject: RE: Standard Chorus Song
From: JohnB
Date: 14 Jul 06 - 10:18 AM

Well Liz the Squeak, when a friend of mine and I sing it we sing "When Old Men Sing". Not really sure why, we are only fifty$@#&ish.

A few more favourites.
Thousands or More
Country Life
Dido Bednigo
Crossing the Water

Virtualy ALL the songs Johnny Collins sings.
JohnB

Subject: RE: Standard Chorus Song
From: r.padgett
Date: 14 Jul 06 - 03:35 PM

Interesting

You are all quite right some songs pretty common world wide but some mentioned I havent heard at all: local favourites ~


Holmfirth Anthem (Pratty Flowers)

Free and Easy (from Broadside band Grimsby) not Mr C (extra verse)

South Australia and New York Girls

Lish Young buya Broom

Many Keith Marsden eg 'Willie 'Oil Lad, Normandy Orchards, Bring us a Barrel

I'm a Rover, Thousand or More (Copper family)

Galway Shawl

Subject: RE: Standard Chorus Song
From: GUEST,Rowan
Date: 14 Jul 06 - 08:32 PM

Back to Broome
The rabbit trapper

Subject: RE: Standard Chorus Song
From: Ferrara
Date: 14 Jul 06 - 11:45 PM

Rowan's mention of The rabbit trapper cracked me up. Is the the one about the canny bunny snatcher? Not well known here! Nice to know it's a standard chorus song elsewhere.

Familiarity really is the one necessary qualification to get lots of participation. That is why there are no "standard" songs, only chorus songs that are standard for a given area and period of time. Time is a factor. Songs go in and out of fashion. A song may be very popular but if the person who generally leads it moves away, etc, there may be no one who takes it up. Lots of songs we (the FSGW folks) sang when the Boarding Party were performing are seldom sung now unless you get a critical mass of people who remember them from Back When.

I agree with Liz, a good chorus has to be memorable. With a really good chorus you'll still be humming or singing it after the song or the event is over.

Subject: RE: Standard Chorus Song
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 15 Jul 06 - 08:21 AM

The Sydney Friday night session died a few years ago when the venue was "modernised"

Then we moved to another venue which did not work out, next a regular got a night job ...

Now we occasionally have sessions when someone is willing to fill their living room with singers.

some of the session songs I miss

Stan Rogers - Barrett's Privateers, Mary Ellen Carter
Shoals of Herring
Lowlands
Farther Along
Only Remembered
The people have songs
That's not the way (Leon Rosselson )
Hard Times
The Parting Glass

Subject: RE: Standard Chorus Song
From: HuwG
Date: 15 Jul 06 - 09:53 AM

You ain't going nowhere - Dylan

Subject: RE: Standard Chorus Song
From: GUEST,Rowan
Date: 18 Jul 06 - 10:29 PM

Ferrara wrote "The rabbit trapper cracked me up. Is the the one about the canny bunny snatcher? Not well known here! Nice to know it's a standard chorus song elsewhere."

'Tis indeed the one about the canny bunny snatcher. The other one was written by Ted Egan (who has definitely come up in the world), reputedly because when he attended his first folk festival he heard a lot of shanty singing without really knowing what they were all about, so he wrote a great song in what he thought of as a shanty format.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: Standard Chorus Song
From: GUEST,padgett
Date: 19 Jul 06 - 04:40 AM

Never heard of the 'rabbit trapper' song (in UK)

I assume you refer to 'Back to Broome' another not heard by me ( I think)

I met Ted Egan shortly before he became Governor of the Northern Territory at Wadebridge folk festival, Cornwall ~ he was interviewed by Doc Rowe and also did a few songs. Derek Gifford and Jan were there too

I got a book from him 'The Land Down under'
Also accredited with pointing Rolf Harris to the South African song 'Two Little Boys'

Ray