When you learn a song — especially if it’s by ear — you take on trust what you’re told about the song’s meaning. This is particularly relevant if the song is in a foreign language.
But meaning is a slippery thing. Incorrect meanings get passed on like Chinese whispers. Some inexperienced song teachers even make stuff up if they’re not sure (see Bele mama from last week’s post).
When honouring the origins of any song, you need to be as precise as you can about where the song came from.
It might be hard to find out, but there is no excuse for being lazy and saying something like “This song is from Africa.” Here are some things to consider when tracing a song’s origins.
Many songs get handed down by ear and labelled ‘traditional’ without any clear understanding of where they come from.
It’s important to honour the source of all songs and the cultures they originate from. Here’s a guide to the things that you need to consider.
There has been some talk of insisting that singers are vaccinated before they can attend choir.
Not only is this problematic, but even if all your singers are vaccinated, there are still risks involved.
Many people are put off by the word ‘choir’. It can mean that people feel excluded from singing with others because of their preconceptions.
‘Choir’ can take many forms though, so maybe you’re looking in the wrong place.
Some choirs decided to stop all activities when the pandemic started.
As restrictions begin to ease in many countries, singers are wondering: will my choir still be there?
Many of you won’t have sung with others in a physical space for several months, or even a year or more.
As vaccination roll-out increases and restrictions are eased in many countries, when will it be safe to sing together again in person?
