User Reviews

Just about anyone can relate to the dashed ego of Barney as we've all lost out on something we've badly wanted at least once - be it a job, lead roll, sport contest, etc. And although Gomer is usually portrayed as being naive, he was savvy enough to understand just how much the lead singing role meant to Barney. This episode has both funny moments courtesy of Barney, and poignant moments courtesy of Gomer. Boo to the choir director that makes Andy do the dirty work of telling Barney he will not lead.

As a child, I couldn't sit through the episodes of TAGS which featured the choir. Too much singing, not enough laughter. These days, I can tolerate these episodes. In the case of "The Song Festers", I can appreciate one particular performance for the quiet, perhaps hidden comedic undertones which the actor involved injected into the character they portrayed.

I'm referring to guest-star Reta Shaw's appearance as Barney's Voice Coach, Eleanora Poultice. Though her part in the story isn't large, it is highly entertaining. Shaw is wonderfully suttle with her touches of comedy. Eleanora is beautifully written and performed.

Reta Shaw appears in two episodes of TAGS, and unless you know to look for her, you may not recognize her when comparing the two characters she plays. Her two characters are astronomic opposites of each other.

In the season 3 episode, "Convicts at Large", Reta Shaw plays the part of the leader of an escaped trio of female prisoners. She portrays rough, tough and surly Big Maude Tyler (also known as her alias, Ralph Henderson!)

Big Maude and her cohorts, Naomi and Sally, hold Barney and Floyd the Barber hostage in a secluded cabin in the woods. Big Maude is one frightening, though thoroughly funny character. When Barney (not yet captured) calls from outside, asking if there is anyone in the cabin, Big Maude handles the situation with some quick thinking and answers, "There's nobody here!" Hysterical.

Reta Shaw appeared in countless television series' and movies through-out a long acting career. It's interesting that she had the chance to demonstrate her incredible acting range in two very different performances on "The Andy Griffith Show".

In this episode we see Deputy Fife's overly inflated ego come to the forefront when he sings a solo piece with a slightly out of pitch voice. The choir is rehearsing a number that will be performed in an upcoming concert. When he does his solo his voice is off but the choir director is too timid to tell him. And he can't hear how bad he sounds. This is an episode where Don Knotts showcases how good an actor he is. Singing off key is not something you just do. What confuses me is in other episodes he sings harmony with Andy and sounds good.

Youve seen Reta Shaw in 20 or more roles (if you're my age) and she doesn't disappoint here. She has unending faith in Barney, and he sucks it up like chocolate milk. Unfortunately, the choir director, perhaps too fussy for Mayberry, wants somome with a VOICE not just a guy who can sing on key. The scenes between Mrs. Poultice and Barney are priceless. So is the scene where Andy tries to break the news to Barney that Gomer will sing the solo, (because he just has the natural talent) which is something that amateur singers sometimes just don't understand, especially if they have someone like Mrs. Poultice encouraging them.

I am a lifetime singer/conductor, and I have to say that John Masters is a borderline fraud. He doesn't look to bring anything to the table musically as a choral director. Yes, Gomer has this wondrous voice, but that didn't mean he had to use him to replace Barney, who was doing a competent (certainly not good, but not terrible as reviewed earlier, in my opinion) job with the solo. And Masters makes Andy do the dirty work of telling Barney. What a worm Masters is! His conducting in the concert is clumsy and rudimentary. Barney's voice teacher, Ms. Poultice is fantastic. Creating the "legend of Leonard Blush" was a highpoint of the episode from a writing standpoint. Really strong episode!