Language the Singer and the Song

The relationship between language and music has much in common - rhythm structure sound metaphor. Exploring the phenomena of song and performance this book presents a sociolinguistic model for analysing them. Based on ethnomusicologist John Blacking''s contention that any song performed communally is a ''folk song'' regardless of its generic origins it argues that folk song to a far greater extent than other song genres displays ''communal'' or ''inclusive'' types of performance. The defining feature of folk song as a multi-modal instantiation of music and language is its participatory nature making it ideal for sociolinguistic analysis. In this sense a folk song is the product of specific types of developing social interaction whose major purpose is the construction of a temporally and locally based community. Through repeated instantiations this can lead to disparate communities of practice which over time develop sociocultural registers and a communal stance towards aspects of meaningful events in everyday lives that become typical of a discourse community.