My wife wonders if I am making too big a deal of this change from singing in harmony (part singing) to singing mostly in unison. She suggests that it simply means people don't know how to sing anymore. She might be right.
In the blended service of a church we attend the unison singing is "ho-hum". But if the worship leaders chooses an old favorite the older people begin singing in four parts (or more) with vigor and enthusiasm. Hmmm.
When we (wife and I) were in grade school we sang almost every day. In my school it was from the Golden Book of Song, as I remember. Somewhere around the fourth grade we were taught to sing in parts. Harmony, such as it was, although the boys still had not arrived at the magic baritone or bass that would probably come. The songs were simple, fun, silly, patriotic, sentimental -- but eminently singable.
Maybe my wife is right. It's not about the trend toward conformity (especially pushed by the right wing of the church and the right wing of politics). It is about a lack of ability, and a general lack of good harmonious songs to sing.
What do you think?
No comments:
Post a Comment