Do people sing anymore?

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QuickSilver

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Midwest
The Big Band thread got me thinking about my parents.. I remember as a kid, people used to always visit one another. The phone would ring and mom would say.. "We're having company tonight"... It was always people from the neighborhood that my parents met at the local tavern, or at some sort of gathering in the neighborhood. They also had lots of house parties.

I remember, that into the evening, after a few cocktails, inevitably people would begin to sing. They sang all the songs they knew of the 40's and 50's and did their best to harmonize.. I know they thought they sounded great.. Us kids knew that by the time my mom and their friend Al thought they were Jeanette McDonald and Nelson Eddie singing "Indian Love Call".... the evening was almost over.. lol!!

Anyway... that's how I know all the words to almost all the songs of that era.. I love them and I still sing them to myself.. But.. it doesn't seem like people do that now. Did anyone else's parents and friends get together for one of these song fests? Did anyone do that with friends, or was it a phenomenon of that era?
 

Mine didn't, but both did sing in the house often.

In Scotland it's not unusual for someone to sing at dinner parties or in pubs. Traditional songs. My husband knows tons of traditional songs and will sing just about anywhere.
 
I remember when the local tavern was the neighborhood gathering place... couples came in for an evening and even brought the kids.. (that's how I learned to shoot pool)... So many times someone would start to sing, and the entire place erupted into song. Don't think that happens any more.
 

In some pubs it's not unusual for people to bring in their instruments to play (fiddle, bodhran, tin whistle) and others will sing. Happens in Ireland as well.
 
Our family were great singers, especially after Christmas dinner and many vodkas. LOL We sang in church, we sang at the kitchen sink doing the dishes, we sang while dusting and cleaning. I loved to sing opera, and I thought I was pretty good, but my sister would tell me to shut up. Later on when I joined a group, we sang til our ears rang -- you can get pretty high from singing, all that breathing. You've got to wonder, seeing all the performers singing their lungs out, smiling their heads off .... it's not just for the audience, they are actually very euphoric!
 
Well, I tried starting up the tradition, but people keep reaching for their headphones or turning up the volume of the tv when I start belting out tunes, I can't imagine why when I have such a silver sweet sounding voice:dunno:

As a kid when living with my parents, singing was as natural a thing to do as breathing, I remember for a short while we had a piano and my mom would play and we would sit around and belt out songs. Also, at the Y I used to go out here, they sing during several of the pool the workouts, it's more of a senior group, so it's those old time tunes like, Old Susana and such and some really old tunes, but, I would learn them as I did the exercises along with the rest of the group, I really enjoyed that group of people, some really great people from the community participated. I think come again this winter, I may try joining again, that's when the pool is heated.
 
My mother was very musical. She played the piano and sang beautifully. She often played hymns like Amazing Grace or Old Rugged Cross. Sometimes Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. She'd play and sing old standards, Broadway tunes, and Christmas carols. We would sometimes sing with her but she was actually such a good singer, people tended to stop singing just so they could hear her solo. I was so proud of her.
 
I sing, play guitar and harmonica at a local pub on open mic nights, at parties, etc. I'm not a professional by any means but sometimes people buy me a beer.
 
I could never sing and my family didn't, but many people had a piano in their house when I was young, and one of my aunties would occasionally sing. Many pubs in England have regular folk club nights, where people would bring various instruments and perform. I think the pub singalongs depicted in old movies, died out long ago.
My daughters have joined a local singing club, where they sing mainly modern songs and seem to enjoy themselves.
 
QuickSilver said:
The Big Band thread got me thinking about my parents.. I remember as a kid, people used to always visit one another. The phone would ring and mom would say.. "We're having company tonight"... It was always people from the neighborhood that my parents met at the local tavern, or at some sort of gathering in the neighborhood. They also had lots of house parties.

I remember, that into the evening, after a few cocktails, inevitably people would begin to sing. They sang all the songs they knew of the 40's and 50's and did their best to harmonize.. I know they thought they sounded great.. Us kids knew that by the time my mom and their friend Al thought they were Jeanette McDonald and Nelson Eddie singing "Indian Love Call".... the evening was almost over.. lol!!

Anyway... that's how I know all the words to almost all the songs of that era.. I love them and I still sing them to myself.. But.. it doesn't seem like people do that now. Did anyone else's parents and friends get together for one of these song fests? Did anyone do that with friends, or was it a phenomenon of that era?
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Mom had an upright piano in the apartment. We had great fun.
Now any music over two years old is mocked, and everyone wants to be a soloist.i
 
I sing all the time...I mean almost all the time because I don't in my sleep or walking around in public but otherwise I do...the fact that most people would feel they were under some kind of punishment for listening to me is immaterial I still sing and I love it. ( I was a member of the school choir tho')

I grew up in Scotland as part of a big family and parties were a regular feature in one relative or another's home and everyone sang..everyone.!! Children were also made to stand and sing solo to entertain the elders..and from the age of about 3 my granny would teach me sentimental songs to sing at the parties which would always make the elders cry.

''Och the wee bairn singin' sich a sad wee song wae sich a sweet wee voice, it wud jist brack yer Hert''

Other than that tho' the parties all went with a swing, all the adults singing, thinking.. as someone said above, that they were singing in Harmony.

I miss those family parties to this day..
 
My dad had a beautiful tenor voice and I grew up listening to him singing around the house and at the many parties we went to when living in Kuwait. I still have his record collection ... Caruso, Di Stefano, Gobi, Gigli, Bjorling... etc. But my most treasured possession is a recording of dad himself singing which I listen to every now and again and think of what a talent he had and what a lovely, modest man he was.

Although his first love was opera, he also enjoyed musicals and we used to go and see the different shows that were put on by the musical society. Eventually, he was persuaded to join them and took part in various productions.. I think his first one was South Pacific where he was one of the sailors and he also played the part of Curly in Oklahoma.

Fast forward to the present... youngest son's partner's family love to have gatherings and parties and invariably his partner's mother will start off the singing when she's had a few drinks.. unfortunately she is tone deaf... but, what the hell! :cool: All good fun.
 
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