Were you a loud singer? (page 3)

Swamboozled

My husband used to just hum and make sounds in the same tune as the song as if he were singing it and only say words like "rod" or "staff" or anything that could be remotely connected with sex. He would belt out those word so loud that I would laugh all the way through the prayer. I'm shocked that we didn't get counseled.

Mincan

I used to sing "if you keep your eyes on your fries" instead of "on the prize". Hehe

Abaddon

I remember this snobery about whether a congo was loud or quiet.

The loud ones always felt is 'meant' something.

A few 'singers' stand out. The wife of David Muxlow, PO of Chelsea (London), Undertaker by trade (I shit you not); she used to have the sort of vibrato that if heard from an engine makes mechanics make that expensive 'pwhooo' sound. Flabby and wobbly, with gusto. It paid to sit away from her. William M'bgo on the other hand had a bass voice to die for (think of a continent humming). Mavis SImmons was like unto having ones eardrums flossed with barbed wire. Happy days.

Paddington and Marlylebone were loud; lots of Afro-Carribeans, singing like you meant it was expected. There were one or two songs that completely foxed everyone though; some malarky about Lazarus maybe? No one knew the melody. A few of the sisters sang like a V8 muscle car in a traffic jam... you could just hear they wanted to let it come out, but that was alas 'not done'.

Did make sing-songs at Congo get-togethers (before they became unto something bad) great fun though. Punting along the river in Oxford one day with the twins Ruby and Ruth (Rue-B! and Ru't) bawling out 'The Greatest Love of All', tipping our straw hats at the people on the bank. Jamming on guitar with Chris Ivy singing 'September' (he used to be in the disco band USA).

And you know what this little tread down memory lane slaps me around the face with? All those good fun things were disapproved of, really. Sick cult.

exwitless

There was a sister in our hall who was notorious for singing loudly. Seriously, if you stood next to her when singing, there's no way you could hear yourself sing, even if you tried. After many years, she moved to a different congregation. I thought, 'wow, now we can all actually hear ourselves sing". Then soon after, another woman moved to our hall. She purposely held out notes longer than anyone else did, just so she could be a soloist (even if just for a second). It was very noticeable to everyone.

I actually liked singing the songs because I enjoy singing and it was a whole lot more interesting than hearing a 'brother' drone on and on for an hour. I always wished they would have choirs like other churches do, because I wouldv'e joined in a heartbeat. But no, that would be something a little too fun for the dubs to have at the KH. Someday, I may join a local classical choir we have in our city. For now, I'll continue on with my voice lessons and sing all by my lonesome.

DanTheMan

The wife of David Muxlow, PO of Chelsea (London), Undertaker by trade (I shit you not); she used to have the sort of vibrato that if heard from an engine makes mechanics make that expensive 'pwhooo' sound.

Hilarious!

I can carry a tune ok and I usually sang along, but never loud cuz I thought the Klingon Mudlodies were crap, one of the 144,000 or so reasons why I never invited people to come to the KH.

P.S. I thought 'I shit you not' was strictly an American saying, guess I've learned something new.

aarque

This reminded me of an incident: One particular sister had a strong voice and lots of time would close her eyes while singing. It was during the last song. She was holding her baby and looking over to the person next to her who was holding the songbook, singing away, eyes closed. The baby had his head turned. She shoved the bottle into her baby's ear instead of his mouth. He jumped and started to yelp, milk running down his neck. I saw the whole thing and had tears streaming, trying not to laugh.

Narkissos

Another memory from the "new" songbook in the mid-80s.

The Branch coordinator's wife was, theoretically, on the translation team. I only met her a few times as they were living in the small "historical" part of Bethel near Paris (Boulogne-Billancourt), most of us were in the newer and larger facilities some 90 miles away (Louviers). But she was known as a very "difficult" person, often sick, unable to accept any criticism -- and as a result she only did the work she wanted to do, that is, not much (fortunately). However... she wanted the songbook, and my "boss" let her have it.

The result was... impossible lyrics. Full of awkward word inversions to get the rhyme at all costs, with mute syllables on strong beats or sustained notes, etc. And nobody would dare say anything. So for years the French songs were particularly weird (I don't know if they revised the songbook since).

Gregor

When "Keep Your eyes on the Prize" was the song chosen, (and it seemed to get chosen a lot) my wife would give me a look and sometimes an elbow because I always sang the words "if you keep your eyes on her thighs".

LongHairGal

No, I guess I was just average with a contralto voice. But, what I could NOT stand were those who felt they had to stand out and show off their voice by singing just a bit louder and holding a note for a second or so longer than everybody else did. There is always one or two in every congregation.

I can't stand show-offs.

LHG

Were you a loud singer?

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