Do you remember when....

Well, oldgoat - I'm sure it can be done, but it would take time and practice!

oldgoat i too am a sixty nine year old growler! I used to like to sing - i adore choral music - but these days my voice sounds increasingly as if it has been through a cheese grater! The only one who likes to hear me is DGS who likes me to sing him to sleep when he stays here (at eight, i hoped he would have grown out of it by now, but no...). He likes gentle Scottish, and some Irish, folk songs, the Eriskay Love Lilt being a favourite, and the Skye Boat Song.

I love to sing, and have the tune in my head, it just comes out differently.

I used to sing in church choirs and choral societies but haven't for a long while and I think my voice has rusted over. However I have put my name down for something called a Rock Choir starting here in in the New Year - I'm a bit apprehensive as its classical music I really like to sing but I'll give it a go as there are no auditions and individuals are not picked out.

Has any of you sung 'While shepherds watched' to the tune of 'Ilkley Moor'. You have to sing the third line of the verse twice and the fourth line three times. A great improvement, I reckon. As the organist of a village church, when I'm feeling like being controversial, I sometimes play it with a mixed reception from the congregation.

But jackyB is there a cure for a 69 year old growler?

Yes, I remember it well!! . Lucky if I can stay in tune nowadays, such a shame as I love to sing.

I have always sung in choirs and recently did a course in church music, which included playing the organ, piano and conducting choirs. We also did a theory section on children's choirs. Growlers can be "cured" - or rather, trained, if done with care, to sing like the other kids.

As an alto since I was 11, I never sung the descant, but my sister did, and I know how it goes!

If anybody would like to find out how fast they can run or even just move, ask me to sing close to you. You may be surprised at the speed at which you can move!

oldgoat... I could have written that myself! Grunt, grunt

I would love to be able to sing with other people but am scared of them hearing my voice. This stems from my junior school days when our teacher used to walk past listening for'growlers' who were then thrown out of the choir. In church I just mouth the words but occasionally emit the odd grunt by accident.

Don't do what I did once when singing in the car - driving along on a lovely summer day singing "Summertime, when the living....." at the top of my voice, and drove straight across a cross roads without stopping to check
Luckily nothing coming.

I'm with ONW - I've often thought how weird I must look to other road users ...... LOL

When I was in the school choir, I could sing the descant to Come All Ye Faithful beautifully (or so I thought) and judging from the looks I used to get from my fellow choristers, very loudly.

I have never been able to, so nothing new! I would love to be able to sing.

Not sure whether my singing is any good, as I would not dare inflict it on anybody, but it feels good when I'm alone in my car, bombing down the motorway with something loud to sing along to at the top of my voice ...

I recently joined U3A music makers in Perth and I absolutely love it, am regaining my soprano!!

I too remember singing descant in the school choir. Sadly, nowadays, I'm in the alto, rather than the soprano, section in our community choir.

I agree with you dahlia that there is nothing to lift the spirits - and improve your physical and mental health - as much as singing in a choir.

I belong to a community choir; great fun, no auditions needed (or I wouldn't be there!), and at this time of year we sing in local churches or, as tomorrow, at Truro Cathedral for their lunch-time shoppers' concert. We all really feel the benefit of singing together, our ages range from 40 to 94, and our choir master is very, very patient! Look out for your local community choir, you will have great fun and even get your breathing back!

I used to sing second soprano but certainly wouldn't even attempt it now!

I agree AllieO, it is therapeutic (so long as it isn't me doing the singing!)
I do occasionally sing when I'm alone in the car....

You can also sing Once in Royal to the tune of Hark the Herald. That gem of information is free by the way. The choir master might not like it though.

I want to get back to my U3A singing group after Xmas. I hope the new leader is an improvement! I dropped out when my daughter died last May but I think I am ready now....feel it would be therapeutic for me.

TriciaF me too. I never could sing descants I am definately a second alto.
I do now know the alto part of Once in Royal better than I know the main tune, same with a few other carols.

I love a good sing, it cheers me up or reduces me to tears but I don't do it very often in case I frighten the neighbours!
It's very therapeutic.

I've always had an alto voice so can't reach descants.
But I can still rememeber and sing along with the alto line in many classical pieces.