The shout is one of the simplest and most readily available communication technologies designed for reaching large groups of people or carrying sound further.
The shout is something that nearly anyone has the potential to do.
The shout can be tailored to a number of purposes but is always employed to garner some level of attention or interaction.
The shout can also be a visual action. It requires the body to alter its mechanics in a specific way in order to perform the sound and this reorganisation is externally visible.
The shout requires a hightened level of energy to be invested on the scale of verbal action sitting somewhere between a stage whisper and a scream.
The shout is also an act of imagination. The more you can manipulate it in those terms the further you can send your message, or point it in the right direction.
The shout is often perceived as a reactionary tactic and can be employed thoughtlessly, impulsively and organically.
The shout is also used as a rallying cry. It can gather a broad stroke of people connected by their presence in a specific place.
The shout is taxing and takes its toll on the body quite swiftly. If it is to be turned to regular use this does take preparation, practice, training and skill.
The shout is a technique that works in a lively dialogue with the space in which it happens. Learning this spatio-vocal language is important if you wish to be heard.
The shout can also be used as a name for a gathering of shanty singers.
The shout may be incredibly loud but there are many times when it can’t compete with other sounds in a space. Like motorbikes growling down narrow streets.
The shout is always fun when performed though the window of a moving car.
This is down to the security that transience of bodily self in that vehicle offers, allowing the shouter to negate responsibility for their words as they are whisked away.
The shout is at home out in the world but it is a different beast when located on the top of a breezy cliff and directed out to sea.
The shout finds a comfortable habitat in the town centre. There are avenues to travel down, elevations to lift it and carry it further, walls to bounce off of and spaces specifically built for gathering and exchange.
The shout is often initially perceived as a warning or threat. The attitude and presentation of the shouter can soften this impression more quickly than the words being shouted.
The shout can be a singular action or it can be shared amongst many, transformed into a battle cry, a chant or a cacophony.
The shout can be a selfish action but a properly trained voice can also be turned to convey the messages of others.
The shout often contains text. I wonder if it has to, but if it does not is it still a shout or rather a cry, whoop or yelp. In this context is the title “town crier” genuinely appropriate?