COMMUNITY SINGING

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 154, 25 March 1922, Page 14

COMMUNITY SINGING

A TONIC FOR HEART AND NERVES VOCAL RECREATION AND ITS EFFECTS “Ditf you never feel, as your feet tapped the floor, that you would like to Join in the chorus of a song you knew, and that was beitlig sung? Do you think you alone have that feeling? Don’t you know that the . chap alongside you is Just qs keen to ‘l4t it go'?... Well, that is the feeling that is encouraged, ruot repressed at a community sing.” x

’ So said a gentleman who is very much interested in thei launching of the idea in ’Wellington. "As a matter of fact,” he continued, “ Welling! on is all behind in this business. They have been ■community singing in America for ten. years, and wherever you may be ydt): may get your chance of having a sung, for this vocal recreation spreads likes the measles, but does not die out so quickly. Of course, it needs to be started off well—there must be no failure at the outset, or you imperil the proposition. You must have a good leader. He must not only be a decent singer, but he must be ffble to enthuse his audience into singing, and must be something of a teacher, too, as everybody in every audience does not know “Annie Laurie” or “Mv Old Kentucky Home,” or even “Rule Britannia,” let alone “The Star-Spangled Banner” or “Mother Machree.” Audiences have to be sung to until they know the song, and not until they know will they sing “with heart and soul and voice.”

And when thev do, what comes of it? he was asked.

“Nothing—only a feeling ■Ji'hat you are enjoying yourself, and that it makes you feel more sociable and tolerant and.human. Why, some vaudeville artists make a living, and make themselves extraordinarily popular, by introducing . community singing. They sing the chorus of a song over and over, and then invite tho nublic to join in. You must have had such performers here. The pnbl’c join in, simply because thev are itching to do so. i It is satisfying some vague desire to make a joyful noise, to. ‘cry out and shout.’ as did the inhabitant, of Zion, because it is a sane and healthy and nleasant wav of expressing an inward pleasure in an audible manner.

“Only a little over a year ago communitv singing was inaugurated in Adelaide, but nt the last “ring”—it is a winter recreation—the city hall was too small to hold all those who wished to take nart. This was at midday, too —a time usually devoted to eating and a smoke, and when singing a song ordinarily would seem incongruous. out of tho picture.

“What i« it? you may ask me. I cannot tell von. I supnose there is a psychological influence in singing with all yo”r power some old sonir or catch you all know. A younrr sir! sings when the is bonny and care-free. Tho sailor, in woigliin<r anchor, used to sing of hi« Betsy Jane to lighten his labours, and the men who could best storic wool nt Melbourne or cotton at New Orleans wore the crews of those shins who had good chantv-loaders. Melbourne took up community sinning last year, and the Town Hall 's "enerallv pretty well filled with all classes of men—clerks, merchants. tradesmen, drivers. wha r fies, and Professional men. who realise that a sing is a omod ton : c for the heart and nerves. Tn Christchurch the only community singing done has been in the ope" air. with the aid of a brass hand That is due to Lack of a hall. Still, oven under such disadvantageous circumstances progress has been made and community «ine"’ng has Kid its seell on the peonle of tho Cathedral City. “In some places books of words are printed ami issued to those who attend. and definite programmes are set out for the winter season. But for a start the words of a few farn’l’ar choruses are printed on n white, sheet that all may sing from. C nch choruses mar bo thrown from a lantern on to n screen at evenine community sines fas is sometimes done in vaudeville performances). Rut no matter how it is fon». all von have tn do is to sine. “There are times when it is positively lamentable to hear an and'ence. of perhaps a thousand people, try to sing the National Anthem. U j s atl insult to the nation to hear the pitiable effort Community singinr cures that. It breaks down th-t cold conservatism in which peonle disotiiiso themselves, and makes tlmm unafraid io attack the Anthem with spirit and ‘g’nger.’ Community oing’ng is good for a community because it creates a sociable atmosphere, and makes a man more tolerant of the other fellow. I tavo no doubts about its success in Wellington.”