"[Pete Seeger] was essentially a figure in the Oral Tradition, versus most
musicians who belong to the Written Tradition in the sense that their
music is edited, perfected and sent one-way to audiences. They’re part
of a print approach although they use recorded sounds instead of words
on pages. Even on his recordings, Seeger strove to capture the ambience
of interaction.
"This is especially subversive in the concert context because it breaks down the cash nexus. You pay to go but you perform....
"“I’ve never sung anywhere without giving the people listening to me a
chance to join in,” said Seeger: “as a kid, as a lefty, as a man touring
the U.S.A. and the world, as an oldster. I guess it’s kind of a
religion with me. Participation. That’s what’s going to save the human
race.” You could say the singalong was a metaphor for all that, though
you could also say the singalong came first in his life (as son of a
musicologist) which extended outward and took in politics."
Medium for Pete Seeger's message was the singalong: Salutin | Toronto Star
