What is this short story?

[ToSeek]

I had lunch with someone over the weekend who said she was trying to remember the title of a science fiction short story about a ship that was powered by the singing of the crew, and that it was very important that they maintain good harmony. It didn't ring any bells with me, but I promised to ask around. Any ideas?

[Doodler]

The plot device is one I've heard before, but it was a Star Trek novel, Tears of the Singers.

[ciderman]

I thought of Anne McCafferys The Ship Who Sang, although I've hadn't yet read it.
So I had a look & here it is;
http://www.scifi.com/scifiction/classics/classics_archive/mccaffrey/mccaffrey1.html
It's not a precise match, but it is a short.

[Nowhere Man]

Nah, TSwS was about a ship that liked to sing. Well, the human brain that ran the ship liked to sing. Just a detail, not a plot device.

Fred

[Redtail]

Could there have been an anthology based on the Sumaria novels by Sharon Shinn?

[ToSeek]

I thought of Anne McCafferys The Ship Who Sang, although I've hadn't yet read it.
So I had a look & here it is;
http://www.scifi.com/scifiction/classics/classics_archive/mccaffrey/mccaffrey1.html
It's not a precise match, but it is a short.

That was my first thought, too, but it doesn't sound like what she's talking about.

[ggremlin]

It may have been a cross connect of two Anne McCaffery stories set in the same universe. The crystal singers had to have perfect pitch in order to find and cut the Branyan? power crystals used for communications and other high energy operations, the brain ships often act as transport for the singers.