27 may 2010 ....

Full Fathom Fifteen ...

well for those that threatened to snatch the sheet from under my nose, or called me a toad, here is the WEY-HEY BAY order of service, version 1.1, and not including nay solos apart, from the one you are helping me out with! And I must squeeze in a thank you at this point, because it sounded great, just like the time you sang along to 'its getting better' at Christmas!

SOS, BUILD ME UP BUTTERCUP, THE ROSE, SOMETHING INSIDE SO STRONG, LEAN ON ME, I DREAMED A DREAM, HONEY HONEY, CHASING CARS, LET THE RIVER RUN, MONEY MONEY MONEY, THE PRAYER, SONG OF THE SEA, I'M A BELIEVER, YOU RAISE ME UP, and finally, JERUSALEM!

Yes, we sang all those songs last night, and more if you count DUM-DUM-DIDDLEY. And Ed never once crashed his head down onto his keyboard and wept desperate tears, at last not while we were still there. in fact, I think he's quite excited, and I am sure we all feel much more confident this time, and facing a concert to soon in the term. It has been a lot of fun actually revisiting some old favourites, and a challenge to find we can still improve our performances of those... we know which ones we need to work on, dont we?

i am so pleased to be part of this great, funny, not to serious, clever thoughtful choir, and no i have not been drinking and gone soppy. Its a sort of reply to Ed's FRONT PAGE the other week. And now, for the benefit of the person that left a grumpy comment on the blog, that wasn't the blog. That was a contingency plan. THIS is the Blog. But don't worry, I still love you even when you are grumpy. And now in off to find some grey wool and make a seagull-on-a-stick ...
Have a great half term, and let me know what you get up to ... XXXX

Honey Honey ... for the Cat!

Honey honey, how you thrill me, ah-hah, honey honey
Honey honey, nearly kill me, ah-hah, honey honey
I'd heard about you before
I wanted to know some more
And now I know what they mean, you're a love machine
Oh, you make me dizzy

Honey honey, let me feel it, ah-hah, honey honey
Honey honey, don't conceal it, ah-hah, honey honey
The way that you kiss goodnight
(The way that you kiss me goodnight)
The way that you hold me tight
(The way that you're holding me tight)
I feel like I wanna sing when you do your thing

I don't wanna hurt you, baby, I don't wanna see you cry
So stay on the ground, girl, you better not get too high

But I'm gonna stick to you, boy, you'll never get rid of me
There's no other place in this world where I rather would be

Honey honey, touch me, baby, ah-hah, honey honey
Honey honey, hold me, baby, ah-hah, honey honey
You look like a movie star
(You look like a movie star)
But I know just who you are
(I know just who you are)
And, honey, to say the least, you're a doggone beast

(instrumental)
So stay on the ground, girl, you better not get too high
(instrumental)
There's no other place in this world where I rather would be

Honey honey, how you thrill me, ah-hah, honey honey
Honey honey, nearly kill me, ah-hah, honey honey

(starts to fade here)
I heard about you before
I wanted to know some more
And now I know what they mean, you're a love machine

20th May 2010

This weeks list of songs is all lovely and typed out, not drawn with lipstick on an envelope this time, and very easy to read. This terms big charity concert looms, and now (with a break in the middle for half term) there remain two more practices before WEY-HEY BAY find out how much we kick ... Tickets and posters are now available, and once I have some text for Wessex FM I will contact them by email and phone. I am putting all the songs we do on the blog at the moment, to jog your memories until words and sounds and videos go up on Dorset for Singing propper. That's not my job, but I can help with a few pointers here until the Web Master does some fiddling ...

We started with SOS, and seemed to be missing some soloists - Ed hinted that many of them would also be at a Wedding instead of singing with us on the 12th of June!

It took us a bit of effort this time to get into our I'm a believer voices, to hit the rhythm on the nose - syncopation - but the ending was fab! Well remembered from last time, dear choir!

Ed does realise that we have to sing both poppy, lively songs and nice sweet ballady sings, and appreciates that we might get mixed up ... it doesn't sound so lovely though when we hang onto our roungher voices for softer songs. So then we tackled three gentler songs, The Rose, Song of the Sea, and I Dreamed a Dream. Strangely enough it was the latter that sounded screeched, to Ed. Were we all trying too hard to be Susan Boyle I wonder?

Next we sorted out the over laps in Let the River Run, so that sounded much less confused.

Big Finale, we make such a lovely job of this song, Chasing Cars, the harmonies sounded lovely. I am sure Ed went home with a little warm feeling inside, and slipped in yet another Tena-Lady joke without so much as a blush! Which does bring me to my last reminder of the day, mind you don't "we" too early...

Keep singing, remember we love you, yes you! .... XXXXXXX Cat XXXXXXX

13th May 2010

six of the best ....



I dreamed a dream, kicked us off tonight, I suspect that some people who still sing the first line up and down after being told off about it lots are actually having trouble hearing it. I know, I had that trouble once. it actually does sound a bit like it pops up and down, but really, it doesn't. The rhythm is fooling you! I found you that little piece of music, but its a bit small because the internet doesn't want you to have too much for free!

Remember for the low notes, do not put your head down and try to create lots of chins, because it doesn't help...

something inside so strong seemed to have been well remembered. Ed wants more passion for this one, so I'll expect more hugs from all members!

Down to softer voices again for the prayer - I need to get my CD back off Ruth so I can tune in to some of the parts again.

yippeee - Honey Honey from Ed's copy of ABBA GLOD was the surprise item, and much better than everyone singing Happy Birthday which was someone else's guess! sorry it was a bit wobbly, I was very nervous especially as i keep coughing. Winter-bugs, be gone! I'll try harder next time, and hopefully Ed will have in blue type some lovely baah-baah-baahs for you all to sing. Eeh I do love Dorset-for-Singing, don't you?

For Hot finales we belted out Jerusalem, and I'm a believer but the oooh-ooh-ooh/oi! bits had gone a bit astray!

And as soon as I have some minutes from Mondays meeting, I will pop them up for you! I must be getting old, as I now steal Eds notes from the end of his organ to help jog my memory, there's an interesting shopping list on the back ...

keep singing, love you, Cat xxxx

6th May 2010

Too Many Concerts! Too Many songs! Don't Panic!

I am thinking of issuing BINGO cards, or frequent flier cards; get a stamp for each concert you attend, and at the end trade them in for a Dorset For Singing Thong! That ought to keep the attendance numbers looking good ...

Tonight we heard just how hard we will be working this term, just how hard, is reproduced here, from the Back of Ed's envelope, with thanks ...

Weymouth Bay Methodist Church, 12th June 7.30pm
St John's Fun Day, 19th June afternoon-ish sort of time
Sutton Poyntz Fair, 4th July 4.15-4.45pm (then scones and jam ... or jam and Jerusalem?)
Beach Live 11th July, time to be confirmed. Bring a seagull on a stick.
And as for out own end of term concert, well that one will have to be thrashed out next week ... i wont be able to be there, but i vote we give it a miss and leave the punters hungry for more!

And so the other important thing is to attend the meeting next Tuesday, 11th May, at the Admiral Hardy. I wont be there as i will be at the Artwey Meeting, Old rooms, discussing other creative things ... There will be many points to discuss, including whether tops can be black or trousers brown, in case we don't have enough clothes for all these performances!

And as for singing, no new songs tonight, but a good old romp through some old friends - The Rose, Build Me Up, The Prayer, Money Money Money, Song of the Sea, and You Raise Me Up, while the last voters fought to get into the polling stations, and the sun began to fade in the sky.

Who enjoyed smiling at their new friend, when Ed gave us a little exercise to do? I managed it actually but the eye contact was very hard! A long time ago my singing tutor told me to look around the room at the tops of all the heads while singing, not as scary as eye contact yet still makes the audience feel loved, included and warm inside ... remember too, those over the top smiles don't look over the top when you are out there performing, and will make your jowls look smaller and your cheekbones bigger. Lovely!