The Roots of Doowop: The Maennerchor
Created | Updated Sep 25, 2016
When you and your friends make music, do people complain or ask for more?
The Roots of Doowop: The Männerchor
Back in 1873, composer George F Root published a songbook called The Männerchor: a collection of music for men's voices, preceded by brief elementary instruction and lessons, suited both for quartet and chorus singing. German Americans taught everyone to make music at home, or Hausmusik. The Männerchor was a club for men who liked to get out of the house once in a while for beer, unsuitable jokes, no doubt, and some part singing.
The Männerchor gave rise to later groups of male singers, such as the barbershop quartet (same idea, different songs) and the street-corner groups of the 20th Century. In a way, this also produced the boy band, but we will try to forgive them.
This kind of singing differs from pub singing in a key respect: you have to learn how to harmonise. The books have lessons in them. There's practice involved. We're sure the beer helped make learning less like work. (Note to uni professors.)
This song is called 'Far, Far I'm Going'. We are not sure how ironic its intent is. Surely somebody once said, 'Yeah, keep going.' Get some friends and try it out next karaoke evening.
