By Marci Cohen, Head, Music Library, Boston University Libraries (retired)

Communal singalongs have been notable features at recent events, both colossal and tiny. At a World Cup match, US coach Mauricio Pochettino and several of his players joined the stadium crowd in belting out John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” following the US win over Bosnia-Herzegovina. At the Solid Sound festival at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, headliners Wilco and Billy Bragg wrapped up a set of Woody Guthrie numbers by leading the audience of thousands in a singalong of Guthrie’s best-known tune, “This Land Is Your Land.” On his club tour with a full band, Robyn Hitchcock has concluded his shows by walking out into the audiences with an acoustic guitar and leading a singalong of “A Day in the Life,” taking advantage of the ubiquity of Beatles songs, being able to count on everyone knowing all the lyrics. All three incidents are examples of how singing together can bring people together. For years, Bragg’s standard stage patter has been preaching against cynicism, and this was one way he put his words into action.

This isn’t just artists falling back on the arena rock cliche of milking the audience by turning the choruses over to the crowd to sing. And it’s not – even worse – a tactic for aging rockers to cover for their reduced vocal range. No, it’s about the magic that happens when people feel a sense of unity when singing in unison, the power of musical voices coming together.

Especially since the dawn of karaoke and the American Idol era, many assumed that anyone who sings in public wants to be a star. But no one ever assumed that everyone who, say, plays softball in a beer league is doing so in hopes of reaching the majors. Many have forgotten that it’s possible to enjoy the process of singing without an interest in performing for others. And that process can bring people together, finding connection in the age of loneliness.

Of course, organized religion has known this for centuries. Churches and synagogues have supported choirs but also congregational chanting of prayers and singing hymns and other devotional songs. Yes, it’s nice if you can hit the right pitch, hold a note, or harmonize, but no one gets kicked out for being off-key or rushing a phrase. And congregants feel uplifted by the experience of hearing the swell of the assembly and being part of it. This also explains the power of national anthems and school spirit songs.

But there are plenty of opportunities even for those with no desire to fill the pews. There’s a long history of “scratch” or “do-it-yourself” performances of Handel’s Messiah, where the audience members bring scores to perform Handel’s work and bellow the “Hallelujah” chorus. Since 1976, Chicago has hosted one that attracts thousands, and it has become a Christmastime staple. Many other communities offer similar events.

Secular opportunities abound. For example, the Australian-based Pub Choir held a string of US dates earlier this year. Focusing on well-known pop hits, the massive audience singalong bills itself: “No auditions, no pressure, just 90 minutes of chaos, comedy and a room full of strangers sounding incredible.” Sing Along Broadway toured in the winter, luring ticket buyers with the chance to “belt out songs like Defying Gravity, Seasons of Love, One Day More and You Can’t Stop the Beat with a theater full of fans just like you.” The Ravinia Festival in the Chicago suburbs is hosting a Grease singalong, and movie houses will offer singalong screenings of classics like The Wizard of Oz and Mary Poppins. The Rocky Horror Picture Shows continues as an enduring cult classic known for its audience participation including singing. Theaters had to designate singalong showings of Wicked in response to mixed audience expectations of whether audience singing was acceptable.

On a smaller scale, Fergie’s Pub in Philadelphia hosts Philly Pub Sing nights twice a month, attracting attention from the Philadelphia Inquirer and Fox 29. “For most of human history, people have sung together with strangers,” organizer Ben Fink told the Inquirer. Describing the events, reporter Mike Newall wrote, “You definitely don’t have to be a good singer. Because, as the pub singers believe, the Philly Pub Sing fulfills a basic human need: It’s what the world needs now.” Attendees bring whatever songs they want, ranging from labor anthems to contemporary hits like Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club.”

Unlike the wide-ranging Philly event, Seattle’s Pub Sing focuses on British and American traditional folk songs. For those across the country with such interests, the website for folk music magazine Sing Out! has a list of community singing events; sadly, it was last updated in 2015. Some events, such as Berea College Folk-Roots Ensemble’s Ballad Night, are still running, so the list can serve as a starting point for finding extant events. The link on the Sing Out! site for the Wild Asheville Community Chorus is dead, but the group now has its own website. Emphasizing the “community” in their name, their summer open sing events start with potluck dinners before embarking on “traditional songs from a handful of different countries that are both sacred and secular/social justice in theme.”

If your tastes run more towards mainstream pop, seek out a dueling pianos show. Two pianists take requests from the audience for singalong songs and keep the evening rolling when they land on a dud tune that not enough people know or are willing to sing. Expect hits like “Don’t Stop Believin’” and “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me).” Howl at the Moon is a chain of bars with locations in many cities that amps up the concept with a full band, and they schedule theme nights such as ‘90s and Emo if Journey and Whitney Houston aren’t your jam. They also provide entertainment on Norwegian Cruise Lines.

Some people may harbor assumptions that singalongs are simple-minded, only entertaining to the preschool set and the elderly. And I have long predicted that there will be endless Nirvana singalongs when Gen X ages into retirement communities. But singalongs have something to offer for people of all ages, and not just on the occasion of gathering around the fire on camping trips. No matter the level of your singing talent, singing with other people rather than for other people is a way to connect with folks from all walks of life and feel the exhilaration of creating something bigger than yourself.

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