Hi everyone and welcome!
I'm Lynn Feingold and I live in Randolph, Massachusetts - just south of Boston. I'm the current President of The Folk Song Society of Greater Boston and one of the Champions of this new list. I'm looking forward to getting to know more about each of you, and your song sessions, through your questions and responses on the list!
I'm one of those people that started singing at two years old. I was too shy to really participate in group singing, so I went on singing along with folk and traditional song recordings for many years, picking up repertoire as I went along. I went right from college, where I was an English major with an undeclared minor in choral singing, to performing at a 1780 colonial tavern. I fought through a full year of severe stage fright before finding my legs as a performer. I found it very hard to keep inexperienced singers in the audience with me on chorus songs, so I mostly performed songs and ballads of the period. My repertoire grew immensely over the next 27 years.
After the tavern closed, I craved singing and performing, so I joined the Folk Song Society of Greater Boston (FSSGB). More, please! I started to go to local pub sings and chantey sings. More, please! I started an annual Traditional Ballad Singing Competition for Students with my sister. More, please! I formed an English Music Hall performing troupe, The Old Howard Troupe. I've balanced out all of this over the years.
For the past eight years or so I've led:
FSSGB's quarterly Trad Swaps. Typically three to four hours long, these are smaller singing circles in people's homes where the focus is on singing older traditional songs, either chorus or solo, accompanied or unaccompanied, with the intent of respectfully hearing the songs, recognizing songs that you want to learn, getting practice learning songs from other singers, and making connections with other trad singers in the area. We always start with me covering the ground rules, introducing the popcorn style we will use and some other helpful hints. We have brief intros around the room. I lightly "manage" the sing by recognizing that someone is signaling to do a song next, and after the current song is done, I say, "Have you got a song?" If no one signals me, and the room falls into a lull, I ask, "Who's got one?" If no one responds, I'll take a turn and sing a song myself, sometimes choosing a song that suggests a theme so that others will follow. As leader, I try to make sure that everyone gets a chance
to sing when they have a song. I might need to gently remind someone
that we haven't had a song from everyone before they go for seconds -
it's like pie. The singer is in charge of the song - laying down the
ground rules just before starting to sing - "I hope you sing along on the
chorus." "This is a good one for harmony - join in!" "This one is new
to me, so I'd like to sing it without a harmony part this time." or "Let
me sing this one alone." There is no expectation that you have to be a perfect singer or a performer - just have the interest and the energy. Memory aids such as a notebook or small screen are allowed, but the emphasis is on singing from memory. There is always a social aspect to this event, with people bringing food and drink to share on the snack table, and we deliberately take a break after an hour or so for people to get something to eat and drink, and to have a few minutes of conversation in addition to the singing. I use this same structure and these same rules for FSSGB Ballad Swaps (expecting just ballads) and Ballads Around the Firepit in my backyard, which is a really cool way to share old traditional ballads after dark in the warmer months. We have, from time-to-time, had special themes to the Swaps - a memorable one was Valentine's Day love songs/love gone wrong songs.
FSSGB's Open Sings at NEFFA, Old Songs Festival, and FSSGB's Fall Getaway Weekend. These "open" sings are for anyone who wants to sing either a chorus song or solo song, accompanied or unaccompanied, with a group that will sing along on either the entire song or on the chorus. The NEFFA and Old Songs sessions are one hour long, but at our Fall Getaway Weekend they can go on for several hours. Once again, it's popcorn style and the singer is in charge of the song. Here we would would expect to hear not just older traditional songs, such as ballads, but also some 50's-60's folk revival material, rounds, and even camp songs. Some people bring a fragment of a song to share, hoping that someone in attendance can help them find the rest of the song! There may be a theme that develops that passes from singer to singer, until someone announces, "OK, enough of that - let's sing something different" - taking the sing in a completely different direction. Memory aids are allowed, but most people (maybe 95%) sing from memory. It's always a varied and interesting experience, and again, the emphasis is not on "can I sing?" or "should I sing?" but on creating a supportive, friendly environment for people to feel comfortable singing with, and in front of, others. Special encouragement is given to shy singers, and many have had a breakthrough at these sings. Can you believe that some teachers have told their students that they should just stand in the back, and mouth the words instead of singing with the chorus? These sessions are healing for those folks. Usually we are in a space that does not allow food, so they are much more singing-focused than social/eating/drinking focused.
I look forward to hearing what your sing is like, and where you are!
Lynn Feingold
Randolph, Massachusetts