diff --git a/grants/culturehub-la-2026/macneopolitan/bin/announce.mjs b/grants/culturehub-la-2026/macneopolitan/bin/announce.mjs
index 66b03736ae..bde3d0e29f 100644
--- a/grants/culturehub-la-2026/macneopolitan/bin/announce.mjs
+++ b/grants/culturehub-la-2026/macneopolitan/bin/announce.mjs
@@ -12,23 +12,37 @@ import {existsSync,mkdirSync,readFileSync,writeFileSync,statSync} from 'node:fs'
 import {join} from 'node:path';
 import {homedir} from 'node:os';
 import {spawnSync} from 'node:child_process';
-export async function announce(text,{voice='neutral:0',speed=1.0}={}) {
+// `sing`: a melody (MIDI notes) — the spoken line is lifted onto it with WORLD
+// f0 replacement on neo (bin/sing-proof.py under pop/.venv; the envelope stays
+// Jeffrey's, so it is his voice singing the title as the piece begins).
+export async function announce(text,{voice='neutral:0',speed=1.0,sing=null}={}) {
  const dir=join(homedir(),'Shelf','announce-cache');mkdirSync(dir,{recursive:true});
  const body={from:text,provider:'jeffrey',voice,...(speed!==1?{speed}:{})};
- const hash=createHash('sha256').update(JSON.stringify(body)).digest('hex').slice(0,16);
- const mp3=join(dir,`${hash}.mp3`),f32=join(dir,`${hash}.f32`);
+ const spokenHash=createHash('sha256').update(JSON.stringify(body)).digest('hex').slice(0,16);
+ const hash=sing?createHash('sha256').update(spokenHash+'|'+sing.join(',')).digest('hex').slice(0,16):spokenHash;
+ const mp3=join(dir,`${spokenHash}.mp3`),f32=join(dir,`${hash}.f32`);
  if(!existsSync(mp3)||statSync(mp3).size<1000){
   const res=await fetch('https://aesthetic.computer/api/say',{method:'POST',headers:{'Content-Type':'application/json'},body:JSON.stringify(body),redirect:'follow'});
   if(!res.ok)throw Error(`/api/say ${res.status}: ${(await res.text()).slice(0,200)}`);
   writeFileSync(mp3,Buffer.from(await res.arrayBuffer()));
  }
+ if(!existsSync(f32)&&sing){
+  const wav=join(dir,`${spokenHash}.wav`),sung=join(dir,`${hash}.sung.wav`);
+  let r=spawnSync('ffmpeg',['-hide_banner','-loglevel','error','-y','-i',mp3,'-ac','1','-ar','44100','-sample_fmt','s16',wav]);if(r.status!==0)throw Error('ffmpeg failed: '+r.stderr);
+  r=spawnSync('scp',['-q',wav,`neo:/tmp/announce-${spokenHash}.wav`]);if(r.status!==0)throw Error('scp to neo failed');
+  const cmd=`cd ~/aesthetic-computer/grants/culturehub-la-2026/macneopolitan && ../../../pop/.venv/bin/python bin/sing-proof.py /tmp/announce-${spokenHash}.wav /tmp/announce-${hash}.sung.wav ${sing.map(n=>String(n)).join(' ')}`;
+  r=spawnSync('ssh',['-o','BatchMode=yes','neo',`bash -lc ${JSON.stringify(cmd)}`],{encoding:'utf8'});if(r.status!==0)throw Error('sing-proof on neo failed: '+(r.stderr||r.stdout).slice(-300));
+  r=spawnSync('scp',['-q',`neo:/tmp/announce-${hash}.sung.wav`,sung]);if(r.status!==0)throw Error('scp from neo failed');
+  r=spawnSync('ffmpeg',['-hide_banner','-loglevel','error','-y','-i',sung,'-ac','1','-ar','44100','-f','f32le',f32]);if(r.status!==0)throw Error('ffmpeg failed: '+r.stderr);
+ }
  if(!existsSync(f32)){
   const r=spawnSync('ffmpeg',['-hide_banner','-loglevel','error','-y','-i',mp3,'-ac','1','-ar','44100','-f','f32le',f32]);
   if(r.status!==0)throw Error('ffmpeg failed: '+r.stderr);
  }
  const seconds=statSync(f32).size/4/44100;
- return {text,mp3,f32,seconds:+seconds.toFixed(3),hash};
+ return {text,mp3,f32,seconds:+seconds.toFixed(3),hash,sung:!!sing,melody:sing||null};
 }
 if(process.argv[1]&&process.argv[1].endsWith('announce.mjs')&&process.argv[2]){
- announce(process.argv.slice(2).join(' ')).then(r=>console.log(JSON.stringify(r))).catch(e=>{console.error(String(e.message||e));process.exit(1);});
+ const args=process.argv.slice(2),singArg=args.find(a=>a.startsWith('--sing='));
+ announce(args.filter(a=>!a.startsWith('--')).join(' '),{sing:singArg?singArg.slice(7).split(',').map(Number):null}).then(r=>console.log(JSON.stringify(r))).catch(e=>{console.error(String(e.message||e));process.exit(1);});
 }
diff --git a/grants/culturehub-la-2026/macneopolitan/bin/fleet-trio.mjs b/grants/culturehub-la-2026/macneopolitan/bin/fleet-trio.mjs
index ccc45c6c5e..c51e54833b 100644
--- a/grants/culturehub-la-2026/macneopolitan/bin/fleet-trio.mjs
+++ b/grants/culturehub-la-2026/macneopolitan/bin/fleet-trio.mjs
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ const root=resolve(dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url)),'..');
 const args=process.argv.slice(2),command=args.shift();
 if(!['plan','prepare','check'].includes(command))throw Error('Use fleet-trio.mjs plan|prepare|check [--out=DIR]. Playback remains held.');
 const options=Object.fromEntries(args.map(a=>{if(!a.startsWith('--')||!a.includes('='))throw Error(`Invalid option ${a}`);const at=a.indexOf('=');return [a.slice(2,at),a.slice(at+1)];}));
-for(const key of Object.keys(options))if(!['out','score','receipts','announce'].includes(key))throw Error(`Unknown option ${key}`);
+for(const key of Object.keys(options))if(!['out','score','receipts','announce','sing'].includes(key))throw Error(`Unknown option ${key}`);
 const out=resolve(options.out??'/Users/jas/Shelf/culturehub-trio');mkdirSync(out,{recursive:true});
 const scorePath=resolve(options.score??resolve(root,'scores/trio-chorus-doowop.mbscore'));
 const score={...JSON.parse(readFileSync(scorePath)),slug:scorePath.split('/').pop().replace(/\.mbscore$/,'')};
@@ -100,7 +100,10 @@ if(command==='plan') {
  // lead-in; the singers start after it (run-full-trio adds plan.leadIn).
  let lead=0,announced=null;
  if(options.announce){
-  announced=await announce(options.announce);lead=+(announced.seconds+.6).toFixed(3);
+  // --sing: the title sung on the piece's own opening — the first lead line's notes
+  const firstLead=(plan.lyrics||[]).find(l=>l.role!=='hum'&&(l.syllables||[]).length);
+  const melody=options.sing&&firstLead?firstLead.syllables.slice(0,8).map(y=>y.note):null;
+  announced=await announce(options.announce,{sing:melody});lead=+(announced.seconds+.6).toFixed(3);
   const shift=e=>{e.t=+(e.t+lead).toFixed(4);};
   for(const e of plan.events)shift(e);
   for(const l of plan.lyrics||[]){shift(l);for(const y of l.syllables||[])shift(y);}
diff --git a/toolchain/mcp/ac-venue-mcp.mjs b/toolchain/mcp/ac-venue-mcp.mjs
index 143b270b73..6e5754917f 100644
--- a/toolchain/mcp/ac-venue-mcp.mjs
+++ b/toolchain/mcp/ac-venue-mcp.mjs
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ async function status(out) {
     dmx, singers, display, lastReceipt: (() => { const r = latestReceipt(dir); return r && { runId: r.runId, completed: r.completed, error: r.error, seatWarnings: r.seatWarnings }; })() };
 }
 
-async function prepare({ score, out, stage = true, keepPiece = false, allowPieces = "", announce = null }) {
+async function prepare({ score, out, stage = true, keepPiece = false, allowPieces = "", announce = null, sing = false }) {
   const dir = outDir(out); const steps = [];
   const scorePath = score ? (score.startsWith("/") ? score : join(LANE, "scores", score.endsWith(".mbscore") ? score : `${score}.mbscore`)) : null;
   if (scorePath) {
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ async function prepare({ score, out, stage = true, keepPiece = false, allowPiece
     await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 2000));
     const plan = await sh("node", ["bin/fleet-trio.mjs", "plan", `--score=${scorePath}`, `--out=${dir}`]); steps.push({ plan: plan.out.trim().split("\n").pop(), err: plan.err.trim() });
     if (plan.code) throw new Error(`plan failed: ${plan.err}`);
-    const prep = await sh("node", ["bin/fleet-trio.mjs", "prepare", `--score=${scorePath}`, `--out=${dir}`, ...(announce ? [`--announce=${announce}`] : [])]); steps.push({ prepare: prep.out.trim().split("\n").slice(-4), err: prep.err.trim() });
+    const prep = await sh("node", ["bin/fleet-trio.mjs", "prepare", `--score=${scorePath}`, `--out=${dir}`, ...(announce ? [`--announce=${announce}`] : []), ...(sing ? ["--sing=1"] : [])]); steps.push({ prepare: prep.out.trim().split("\n").slice(-4), err: prep.err.trim() });
     if (prep.code) throw new Error(`prepare failed: ${prep.err}`);
   } else steps.push({ note: `no score given: using the plan and bundle already in ${dir}` });
   if (stage) {
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ async function runQueueOnce() {
       const c0 = await check(item.out); already = c0.ready;   // singers still hold it, seats and SUB still match: no render needed
       if (!already) runnerNote = `re-preparing ${item.label || item.out}: ${c0.tail.slice(-1)[0] || "stale"}`;
     }
-    if (item.status !== "ready" && !ownConductor && !already) { mark("preparing"); runnerNote = `preparing ${item.label || item.out}`; await prepare({ score: item.score, out: item.out, stage: true, keepPiece: false, announce: item.score ? item.announce : null, allowPieces: item.allowPieces || "spatial-rehearsal,notespatial-controls,culturehub-rehearsal,red,connection-check,connection-controls,say" }); }
+    if (item.status !== "ready" && !ownConductor && !already) { mark("preparing"); runnerNote = `preparing ${item.label || item.out}`; await prepare({ score: item.score, out: item.out, stage: true, keepPiece: false, announce: item.score ? item.announce : null, sing: !!item.sing, allowPieces: item.allowPieces || "spatial-rehearsal,notespatial-controls,culturehub-rehearsal,red,connection-check,connection-controls,say" }); }
     await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 4000));   // the seats settle after a jump before the gate reads them
     mark("checking"); runnerNote = `checking ${item.label || item.out}`; const c = await check(item.out); if (!c.ready) throw new Error(`not ready: ${c.tail.join(" | ")}`);
     const baked = !!readJson(join(outDir(item.out), "plan.json"))?.leadIn;   // the announcement rides the stems: no Mac TTS