13 December 2012

The Christmas concert ...

It is with great pride, and a glass of red wine that I sit to blog the blog about our enormously fun and successful concert, where we raised a healthy amount of cash for Motor Neurone Disease sufferers and families.Some of it while putting our hands on our bottoms, but I'll get to that in a minute! Thanks to Mary for  getting on the mic and telling us about the charity and her son Spencer xxx

It seems an age since we stood on stage at all saints school, and in fact we must have 'grown' as some of us were down on the floor again! And although the Christmas tree was not a patch on previous years' Christmas trees, it did mean that only the odd word was missing behind both it and one of the speakers used by the school. Of course, its no secret at all that we are all inclusive and make groovy power points so that the words can be seen at all. It sounds like many members have stopped staring at the screen now like rabbits-in-headlights, as I was asked by a member of the audience why the choir all stared at Ed. Well he was managing to conduct without his hands, rather clever id you ask me. MY favourite bit is when he mouths 'perfect' after a song finishes, while looking with relief at the notes on his keyboard ...

Well done from me to all soloists, I know what that feels like!

What fun we had playing heads and tails trying to win a Jeremy Bowen of champers, I esp had a giggle because of getting so close. Still not sure if I should stay Facebook friends with Richard now!

And after all our hard work, the treat of listening to Ed perform as his Alter Ego, during which I slipped away to relieve my lovely baby sitters and unwind from all that laughing at Ed's jokes.Well done DFS, love you so much, I cant wait to see you in 2013! Keep singing!

6th December 2012

The where the blogging was live...

Taking no chances this week against bad weather, sick children or forgetfulness, so blogging is taking place as we sing. Or not, as we haven't started yet!

All set up, and immersed in general chit chat, Ed and I worked out that the key for my solo is E minor.

Penultimate practice means a full concert run through, followed by a break, and some analysis. EEEEE-OOOOOR! The non-synchopators will be named and shamed again...The break was 4 minutes of speed-dating. Someone I didn't know did smile at me!

Next week, it's our concert and we will be back in the hall. The dress code is polo shirts and black bottoms, because we are indoors and do not need to wear our coats.

But for now it's back to the sofa for a hot drink, a bit of blogging, oh blogger me, I have already done it. Who wants to see a really funny pic of Michael and Ed?

The one where the blog was late ...

Hello nose-pickets, it's that time of year for coughs, sneezes and tummy rumblings to rattle round the hall as we dum-dum-diddly, and the like!

Have been having a very fat-head, so am stocking up on honey and lemon for our big concert, which is now rather less than two weeks away! Suggest you so same. Only coz I love you! Rather think though that a cash bar would be better.

Practice was filled with excited (paper) flutterings as charitable print outs of carols were handed out and my children tried to get one copy each because sharing sucks when you are KS1!

But we did get to Sing a good few of our all saints concert songs, and I hope you are all doing your homework this week. Keep singing/gargling and remember Maria Callas always used to eat tomatoes. Love you. The Cat xxxx

22 Movember 2012

MISSING CAT, STORMS ACROSS WEYMOUTH!
MISSING, CAT STORMS ACROSS WEYMOUTH!

One for the Echo there. And please accept this note from me best mate, who told me to stay home and stay safe. Linda sent me the low down on last night practice, as she and Jackie manned the doors and watched the choir folk arriving, wind swept and breathless before tackling the stairs to the common room. All the chairs facing the door, so anyone coming in late had the shock of everyone staring at them!

After the warm ups Ed decided that we needed a more intimate mood, so he turned most of the lights off. It was actually better to see the screen, which was right in front of the toilet door, so am Linda was glad everyone had `been` before practice, phew!

Then, the spooky bit! The lights in the staircase kept coming on and going off, so Harry was sent to investigate.... but he couldn`t find a light switch, like something from a bad dream. Every time Ed went to play on the keyboard the lights went off and on again several times. Perhaps he should have that organ looked at?

As the evening went on the room got very warm, but everyone refrained from stripping off. Choir sang all the songs quite well with some Dorset variations (laugh,passed etc), and we were reminded to be more American, esp since when we sang `Sing` it sounded Chinese! Nice. Keep singing folks, i missed you all. Thanks Linda see you for coffee sometime xxx

15 November 2012

The one where long ARMS can become a problem!

Ed does seem really pleased with us these days, told us off as usual, but we seem to be doing a lot of good singing. Sorry about the arms, its just that if you do sing a reeeaaally long one, and you are not careful about sounding that little 'M' sound in the middle, then you really are singing about lying in a very different place. and it wasn't the children that pointed it out, it was really me!

After a brief return of the Lobstickles, we belted out a good number of our new songs and felt very positive about our up and coming Christmas concert, on the 13 Dec. And were reminded that next week we are playing singing-sardines in the music block, so arrive at 5pm to ensure a parking space, and park near to the actual music block.

After practice, there was a wee chat about our Normandy tour, covering the possibly of exclusive tour t-shirts and whether frogs legs and snails could be served to vegetarians EVER. Fun. Still not sure who im sleeping with, but they had better snore more quietly than I do! Make sure you have passports as well as pyjamas, folks! Keep singing, I love you! XXXX

PS Ed is not really god, not even Buddha ...

8th November 2012

The one with the saucy wink!

Cracking on with this terms songs and not a feather boah or basque in sight! But Ed was seduced by our attitude anyway. He spoke about performing the song, as opposed to just saying the words in tune, and that if we are not affected by the songs contents with a shiver or a tear of emotion, then we are not really performing.

Our Christmas concert may clash with sparkle night but we won't let that put us off, everyone will need somewhere to come put of the rain anyway!

There will be a quick meeting at the end of next weeks practice, all about our up and coming European tour, and anyone who hasn't paid part two of their deposit will be sat on by Ed. just sayin'.

Keep singing, we are sounding ver pro these days, but that's not why I love you! Xxx

25 October 2012

The one with the feather boas!

Night was already beginning to fall as the Fuzzies and I arrived in the school hall, and I excitedly thrust the second payment for our spring-time choir tour into Eds eager hands. The Fuzzies had been doing their warm ups in the car, and shared with us their interpretation of one of our classics - Mama Mia Feta-Cheeeesey! There wasn't a dry seat in the house!

Last week we were encouraged to 'sell' ourselves a bit more and so there were a lot of earnest faces singing 'you're just too good to be true' and a bit of method acting involving red and purple feathers, during which I moulted over the entire from row, and the children were delighted. Amazing how a bit of frou-frou can make you feel all-woman. We really sold that song, and only sang it once so as not to peek too soon!

We sang 98 songs (well that's what Mary said) and sang them all very well indeed, poor Ed was so blown over as we poured fourth angelic harmonies perfectly split among us an beautifully balanced, enabling me to tag this blog post with Best Practice Ever! All that remains is for me to apologise for the moulting, and bless you all with a very good half term, Amen! Love you, The Cat XXXX

18 October 2012

The one with the best joke EVER!

The sun sets as Dorset for Singing gather in the school hall ready to sing a handful of songs, and enjoy a very special standing-up, ivor-the-engine flavoured warm-up too! And afterwords, during notices, our European tour was mentioned again, and we all who are going must bring a cheque for £80 next week being the second payment. I am now inundated with sleeping partner offers, so I'm going to be feeling very cosy indeed. Payable to "Dorset for Singing" please.

Some new songs for us today, the really fun one 'good morning sunshine' and then still on the weather theme, the one that had us rolling in the isles as we tried to visualise 'Lobstickles' which would need removing from our joyful paths! Just try running that one through your spell checker, folks!

Contender for best joke of the night was the addition of a REALLY big BUT, seen up above and helpfully pointed out by our lovely choir master! I am loving this new me-phone, can you tell? And there was a big discussion about the virtues of  ''off of'' and ''off 'a'' but we will be singing the latter so they we don't sound like we are spitting feathers. We have enough trouble with S's as it is! (Ducks and Runs away). Keep singing and have a listen to the new Alex Day song, remember I love you!

11 October 2012

The one where we found out who the trouble makers were...

Ed was singing last night, actually singing our praises as we dove into new songs and tackled them head on and with gusto. Everyone present went away feeling like a million dollars, and resolved not to tell any members that had not bothered to turn up that their game was up!

No one has mentioned our European choir tour for a while, but I did feel a small twinge when my new passport arrived, the old one having run out in 2002! I guess I should get away more! Oh and two of Dorset for Singing said I could sleep with them. Cool. In the hotel room I mean.

Our songs were sounding really good, yay! It's good to be a 5year old choir. Has anyone else not seen sister act? I will put it on my to do list. Keep singing, and do t forget the coffee morning on Wednesday afternoon xxx

On the pelvic floor!

Pelvic floors really so not feature much I blog-land, although I may have made another reference to them once. A singing teacher I once had in Edinburgh (and I don't really mean 'had') told me all about my diaphragm and wonderful pelvic floor, and that in the Olden days singers often claimed that they could squeeze a longer note out by the additional clenching of the buttocks, and at the risk of saying Ed is wrong ... Ah well we could always do one of those sing offs. We split the choir down the middle and armed with a piano and a stopwatch, we get half of DFS to knot-up their bum cheeks and the other half to raise their pelvic floors and we shall see! My money's on the PFs, but it's anybody's guess!

So we voted tonight to support MND as this years local charity and ill put a nice link up for you soon. We heard all about Spencer, and so we will be singing our hearts out in memory of a fab musician that did what he could for MND them sadly lost his young life to the disease.

One hundred new songs tonight, and we were worked so hard that we did not even miss Dave, sorry Dave. Happily though, Jack and Harry did not squabble over the tetchy bits but we had a nice glimpse of the s** pistols to wake us up.

What a great night. Keep singing xxxxx

27 September 2012

Back to the Future ...

And with food jokes (and songs) buzzing in the air, Dorset for Singing gathered for the start of their 5th year together in their original haunt, the music room at All Saints School ... Having all recently enjoyed the roller coaster ride that was 'Come Dine With Me Dorset' I had trouble erasing visions of Ed in the Bath from my head but i got there in the end ...

Welcome new members, and don't worry, it's not always like this, we usually meet in the school hall, were we have a lot more personal space of course ...

Some great new songs to sing too, cheers for cheesy Karen Carpenter, and tears for Andy Williams leading  to a big debate on which of our styles and accents we were singing with ... Can't take my eyes offer-you?

Big 'thank you's to our dear Dave, who turned up just to say goodbye, and we blessed him with a few bob for the train to Bournemouth and back. Super job Dave, thanks from the bottom of all out hearts for all your hard work and esp for taking the flack off Ed at his finest! We wont miss you at all, being in the safe hands on team Harry-Jack-Michael so have fun xxx

Back in the School hall next week folks, so see you there have a great week, and KEEP SINGING!

19 July 2012

The Last Practice, of year-4 ...

If this was the olden days, we might be coming back to do O'levels next term, buts its not the olden days its just our awesome, feel good, all inclusive choir  .... Summer Holidays are all around us as i sit here writing a blog post in my pyjamas, watching the Fuzzies traipse sand through the house and thinking about what's for lunch ...

But we can't fully relax yet as we are professionals and must visit you tube for our homework, work on the most-up-and-downy hymn ever, and wash our polo-shirts ready for Wey-Bay on the 6th August. But give your selves a warm hand, as this year you rally have worked hard, learned thousands of new songs and proved just how strong and versatile your collective voice is.

I am going to miss you, but look forward to slipping into the school again at the end of September, for YEAR FIVE! and i shall verily go and ordereth myself a passport ready for our European tour next spring. ça alors! Keep Singing xxx

14 July 2012

The One at St Edmund's

With Grey clouds gathering over their collective shoulders, Dorset for Singing gathered together at one end of the prize-sheep competition pen, smiled bravely at their audience seated on straw, and launched into their 20 minutes of pure pleasure.

Doing it al fresco is always challenging at the best of times, but Harry H did a fine job with the Mobile phone (backing tracks) and the wind of course. Afterwards folk politely said it was lovely, and we mingled with torch bearers still in their pyjamas, and drank tea and did all the tombola type things!

Well done choir, and see you on Thursday for our last practice before the summer hols, and our Wey-Bay concert too XXXX

28 June 2012

Feeling strangely tired this week, i have no idea where that most-outstanding-choir cup has gone, so he must be up to no good somewhere. If you fancy hosting him on your dusty mantel, do let the management know. I think Linda wants a shot? Come and get him!


We got some lovely feedback following our Sutton Poyntz concert, and polished some of those songs ready for the next open-air event! Banana whats-her-face is getting dropped from that line up, as well as the keene song. 


New songs included a Paul McCartney classic - watch the official video of you tube for a giggle (these  days he would have had an iphone buzzing in his pocket), and a Hymn, which sounds like all the other Hymns and which's name also escapes me. In fact, as if to prove they all sound completely the same (odd note-changes, swelling organ parts) I started singing 'great is your faithfulness' by mistake as I drove the Dum-dum-dibbley kittens home to bed ...


See you next week and keep that Fire Ay-burning! Love you XXXX

21 June 2012

From the 'Most Outstanding Choir' Cup ...

My wasn't yesterday and awfully long day? I Decided to try a spot of sunbathing, but that was a silly idea and all i did was get my lovely silver-self wet on the grass. I'm Still staying with the blogger, Cat, and Kittens, as no one else has invited me round, but you never know. The year is yet young.

Meanwhile, back in the school hall, DFS get lively with a concert rehearsal ready for SP on Sunday - weather permitting, of course. I stayed at home on the mantel, but according to the humans, its going to be a corker, a great mix of songs there. So long as DFS remember not to sulk at any point, and how to liven up again after soothing-down.

Good news is that our Normandy tour should be full steam ahead now, yippeee - that should make for some hot blogging. Sadly, as a Weymouth Music festival cup, i may have moved on by then but i'll be sure to pop by and see what's cooking. Banana Mouskouri, any one?

16 June 2012

The One with the microphone ... Back after half term, and back in the school hall, but so far from Ed that he whipped out a microphone, were Dorset for Singing, raring to go and strong of voice, with a new soloist for SING and their winter boots on.

Our foreign tour might yet not happen as we have only half the numbers required for those oh-so-reasonable costs! But I'm still not bringing my 'fuzzies' (children) to make up the numbers as I have never yet experimented with sitting them in a coach for a long time. We will just have to don some Red Coats and entertain some holiday camp veterans somewhere nice ....

Sutton Poyntz Street Fayre looms, but we were still having a look at some brand new songs, and rehearsing some recent new ones, with Another You and Run Away sounded really good, so good that we even got complements off Ed, and you know he doesn't give THOSE out lightly!

 

But what's this? No I am not making some hot chocolate, I am having my turn at hosting the Cup we won for Most Outstanding Choir at this years music festival, Just have a work with our choir management if you would like to fondle it next! Don't whatever you do photograph it in the buff, and post on the intnernet ...

Love you Lots, keep SINGing xxxx

31 May 2012

Back to the Future

Tonight, tonight we found ourselves stuck in the middle with you back in the old music room, where passions temperatures soared, but the singing was good. The tambourine playing was even better.

Tonight was almost unplugged, with Ed squeezed into the corner with the battered grand piano, and although Dave and Michael blew the dust off the computers, there was not an internet connection to be had, until Michael plugged in his android and we listened to some lovely layered harmonies.

Prize for funniest warm up of the night went to our attempt to sing twinkle twinkle little star, in a different key to the one Ed was playing at the same time. This just happened to be the bit where Fulvia and Jenny walked in to the room after door duty, and wore theatrical matching frowns at the awful singing!

Still time for some last minute deposits to be made, so get yours in, i wont be bringing my well behaved kittens, because I don't want you to see them when they get really grumpy, and spoil that lovely image in your collective head. Enjoy half-term folks, and keep singing xxxx

24 May 2012

The one with the lonely hearts ...

With Dave back in the cupboard we were good to go, and previewed some fun new songs, with live internets again, and some really wonderful typos in one of the new videos! Another You was joyously received and we even sang it as our finale, before going home without any popcorn.

Notices were interesting tonight, we have never been approached as a collective, to provide accommodation, so it will be interesting to see if anyone has a spare bed for our new fan, Keith! And if you are reading this Keith, hello from DFS :-)

Poor Ed, with chairs still in the gym, we were a million miles from him and his bared-knees, unless he picked up his music stand and stood before us, looking for anyone who might not leave any gaps in I-I-I-I .... Just so long as my kids dont ask me to explain 'make love to me, on the floor' I'll be ok!

Now go to you tube and listen to FIX YOU! its awesome. Look out Dorset, Here we come! Keep singing, Cat XXX

17 May 2012

The one with Dave in the cupboard, and Jack-in-a-box ...


Just kidding, it was really the one with the meerkat, the earring, the extra information, and no internets, again. So we dug up You Raise Me Up again after a very hard warm up involving much tummy work and spitting on peoples heads again, or was that just me? My tummy feels used and abused, but our awesome voices were praised indeed by lovely Ed, after all the exercise paid off. Why not do some of these while sitting in the dentists waiting room or on the bus to Dorch?


Ed was on top of us last night, with all the plastic chairs removed for exams, and Dave being somewhere out of county on very important business, so it was all nice and cosy indeed. And just to prove how loving and supportive Dorset for Singing is for its collectives, we had a sale of popcorn in aid of LEPRA, and the opportunity for Rachel to let us know about Art Workshops she is setting up. Watch this space and ill try and sell you all the copy of The Children's book I'm working on ... cough ...


And of course we had a chat about out up-and-coming  Tour de Normandie 2013, which could make for some seriously interesting blog posts, I am sure! We did sing our songs too, and we thought about Barry Manilow and we went home, all aglow. Keep singing! Cat xxx

10 May 2012

The wrong with all the wrong things ...

Well not really, but Ed did cause a bit of a giggle when his copy was the only one not up to date (ours is on the big screen of course), and some frowning and looking in diaries after Ed announced some 'alternatives' to our up and coming gigs ... If you fancy the Belgian tour, there will be a meeting before next weeks rehearsal at 6.30, and information made available to the rest of us after this. All the other correct dates and things will be on the website thanks to choir management!

Great though is the awesome amazing solidarity of DFS, who will either ALL fit into a lifeboat, or we are not coming ... ah the amount of times we have been offered to perform on top of a pampers box instead of a real stage just makes me giggle! That will be Sutton Poynts and The Beach! Don't they know who we are? Scheduled to be on telly at the end of June, and all!

We revisited our songs from last week and added in the Keene song too, and worked very hard. We all have enormous repertoires now, well OK, Just Ed then, but we knew that anyway. I am still looking out for the kebab sponsorship and hoping I don't have to dress up as one, the lobster was bad enough!

Keep singing, and You Tubing - that's your homework! Love, Cat xxxx

3 may 2012

The one without a dongle ...

Dorset for singing back in the school hall after an ENORMOUS Easter break, were keen to start and had kept their voices fresh and strong from all the singing in the shower and made a very beautiful sound indeed!

One of the fun things about our very modern and hip and trendy choir, is the internet tie-ins we have including the ability to download song lyrics, play our chosen songs on you  tube and connect with each other when we are going to do some secret filming. But tonight, the modern technology let us down and for lack of a dongle, we had no internets and could not play our new songs on the big screen! At least with Dave in the hot seat, and not on his phone, we had words on the screen and Ed tinkling in the corner, so we had added three lovely new songs to our repertoire by the end of the evening. Then we performed them too!

The you tube choir songs are listed onthe right there, so click on and remember your Dad trying to sing along to Banana Mis-whats-her-face and get to know our new songs. Or is that just me? Keep singing, we have an RNLI gig at the end of this month, LOVE YOU! Cat xxxx

8 april 2012

The one where we didn't really know what we were doing!

And being also the one with all the Birthdays, a very special day for 4 of our lovely choir members, three of which were too young to be in the filming! Choir members formed a neat semi-circle around the stage at Wey-Valley school again, and were conducted by a rather well dressed Ed, one-handedly, whilst playing the rather glossy grand piano, to sing half of 'Let The River Run' about 6 times in a row!

Did everyone remember their BIG SMILES? Time will tell! Especially the dirty-wide-shot!

Suddenly Dorset for Singing were treated to an impromptu Elton John concert and then equally suddenly required to join in and even include hand actions! Confused? WE were, especially when ominous clouds began to billow out from between our choir-masters legs, accompanied by odd sounds indeed. Ed sang an Elton song several times in a row, and then we had to sing our parts with no piano at all. Hope its in tune.

and why on earth did we do all this? Because two lasses and a bloke with a rather large piece of equipment told us to, they seemed to know what they were about. If you want to know more, stay tuned, that's all I can say. Happy Easter Blog readers, love you, Cat xxxx

25 March 2012

The One That Drew a Large Crowd!

From deep within the collective souls of Weymouth's best-est community Choir, there came an awesome utterance of purest sounds, Great Big Cheesey American Grins, and a handful of sneaky snakes. But we wont mention the snakes!

I don't think I am just saying it because I am nice, but I do think our choir continues to get better and stronger, and sometimes even manages to erase the bum notes we have picked up! Ed Hintze and his lovely wife Jenny are extremely proud of their not-so-little choir, and who knows, with the new Kebab-related sponsorship, we may even get a tasty reward soon!

From the stage, the audience sits in almost darkness, but I could see at the back door, people continuing to be drawn in by the angelic and uplifting voices. For some of those in the front row, the singers were hidden by the banner, so perhaps we can get a few bricks and hang it off the front of the stage next year. Its lovely to have it though, and not just to hide my legs.

Well done Dorset for Singing. Have a lovely chocolatey filled Easter - see you in - May? That's far too long. I shall go nuts. Remember I Loves you, and keep singing. Cat XXX

22 March 2012

In association with ... KEBABS? What?

Well its seems as if Ed number one vice has lead to a bit of sponsorship, i can hear the voice-over man now, at all our concerts - And now, in association with Ed's Favourite Greasy Takeaway - Dorset for Singing! (crowd goes wild - Ed stage dives - emergency services are called).

Back to out last practice until May, we ran through a sweet little set chosen by the lovely Mrs Ed Hintze and will full approval of all members,and Ed gave us a demonstration on how to use words on sheets of paper, not talking in between songs at all, and remembering everyone is watching us. It seems even as a four year old choir, we still have much to learn. Cheesy grins at each other maybe allowed while Ed makes obligatory jokes between songs about no auditions, etc. No wry smiles allowed.

See you at the Pavvy for 1.15 on Sunday, I will be the one lining up my children in seats, and giving them food to sit still. Always half worried that the foldy-up seats will consume one of the small people while I'm trying to hold a long note. Sing Well, Songsters! Remember I love you, Cat xxx

16 March 2012

The Most Outstanding concert!

"Thank you all for another uplifting fantastic concert, £180 was raised for our 2 charities and £180 for the church. You all sound amazing together and made my spine tingle. x" Jenny H, the Choir-masters wife.

"I had an extra £5 given right at the end, so using my clever maths skills, make that £185. I'd like to add that in my humble opinion, that was by far the best performance Dorset for Singing has ever done, thank you all so much xxxx" Ed H, our proud Choir Master!

A princely sum indeed, the church may well need a new roof after we finished raising it! I think some of our great power came from deep within each of us, from knowing just how awesome and lovely we all are, and some of is came from trying to out-do the backing on that amazing wand of a speaker. The folk at the back who felt that they would not be heard can rest assured, the sound heard in the body of the church was a brilliant blend of well rehearsed and strong, clear young voices!

Father Fionn was very glad to welcome us back, for the third time now to All Saints Church, and I'm certain sure it wont be the last time! There will be much more tingling to be had. I think i was thr only one in the pew doing the backing for Ed, and people looked at me funny. Never mind. Love you, see you Thursday for our last practice xxx

15 march 2012

The one with the acoustics which were pants ...

Dorset for singing gathered in the school common room, place of non swing-able plastic chairs, one en-suite toilet and a great deal of gain. Faithfully we battled the soggy acoustics, lively preschoolers, and noticeable hum, to complete a run through of Friday nights Portland gig! All notes were perfect, all timings were just right.

The second half of the concert is Ed's slot, along with us flash mobbing with out backing tracks from the pews. Its going to be awesome.

Well done to Ed and Dave for coping with the change of room, lost backing tracks and no car. Big kisses to jenny for being a DFS roadie again! See you at church at 7.29pm, rainbow colours and black bottoms all around. Love you, Cat xxxx

8 March 2012

The Outstanding Choir!

Ed shared news of our Music festival success, perhaps we can all have the CUP for a week on our mantles until we have to give it back?

A new warm up inspired by Bryan husband includes trying not to wet the heads of choir members in front of you, while singing in consonants! And we ran through a few of our songs in the lead up to out Portland concert on the 16th.

Back in Way Valley school hall tonight, are Dorset for Singing, to give a tip-top rendition of 'let the river run' and with absolutely no words at all! We cam always pretend those humming parts were meant all along. I am a bit worried about the missing 'let' but after our closing rehearsal, Daisy-little-person said, 'It was good Mummy, I didn't think you had any troubles...' So there you go.

Smile! Cat XXX

3 march 2012

The one with the Most outstanding Choir!

A great gaggle of songsters gathered in Wey Valley School on Saturday, when they should have been battling the bargain hunters in ASDA, but there we were, Dorset for Singing, our name etched in everyone's mind bar the organisers, ready to do musical battle with the best quarter of Wey Valley School choir!

Another Fun day in the presence of Bryan Husband, giving us fresh tips and guidance and a musical master class to rival Hannah's - sorry Hannah. And not only were we lovingly encouraged but we also won a sexy prize, a cup for The Most outstanding Choir, which I am sure we can collect on Saturday. I will make sure Ed has a beautiful speech written for him, with no naughtiness in it, not like usual choir practice anyway.

so that means see you all on Friday, well hopefully, but at least if the best quarter turn up we will be OK!

1 March 2012

The one without the words ...

In preparation for the lovely music festival on Saturday (arrive at 1.30pm folks) we ran through our two 'run' songs in the right running order, and were not allowed any words! We got them back later of course, but not before we proved that most of choir knows most of these songs anyway!

We worked very hard, looking towards our next concert in Portland. but we didn't look at this one, and it's not on our song list. Ed wants a bit of flash-mob style backing singing from our pews, so do have a listen to the chorus and have a stab...



OOoooooh-AAAaaaaagh ... And the other part of your homework is learning the words for Satuday's music festival, or taping them to the back of your polo shirt. And we all know what Bryan Husband is going to say - Smile, and why aren't we all wearing the same colour this year? Probably. If you want to be advised and maybe even touched by Mr Husband, turn up with a solo act in your head for his master-class after our sing-off.

See you saturday folks, Big love, Cat xxxx

23 feb 2012

The one with all the votes! Ed was back in the hot seat again after half term, and although a bit rusty was OK after a few slaps around the face with some old gloves. Self inflicted of course. Thanks for the reminder from Linda on where Eds brains actually are! A lesson to us all.

And its all this month, with a concert, a music festival and The Best of Dorset all happening before march is out! Make sure you are there a week tomorrow for a master-class with our old friend Bryan Husband, when we will sing the two songs that god tonight's votes, Let the River Run, and Run, or was it Run Rabbit Run? Might be nice with Easter on the way!

MMM Chocolate ... still we wont get into trouble for performing 'with or without you' in front of Bee!

Free on Saturday? Pop into the palm house for psalms/coffee/a lovely bit of social knitting, if you bring your knitting you might keep your hands warmer, as its pretty cold, and arrive at 2pm. Keep singing, and remember I love you lots! xxxxx

9 February 2012

The one with Hannah's Hire People!

Ed was busy with Joseph this week, and so it was time for another carefully structured Musical Master-class with Hannah. Why is it Ed never does a  Musical Master-class? With him its always 15 new songs, and merely a practice! Never mind, we all go for the bad jokes anyway!

You know, after tonight singsters, I might even deicide to like FLOOD by TAKE THAT, except I will never ever like the bit at the end with the odd notes. That someone's idea for a laugh and a deterrent from fine karaoke performance! And I don't even mind not being one of the Hire people, or the higher people, for that matter!

The harmonies in Annies song were superb, we really are a cracking choir, even Hannah said so ... we shall see  what Mr Ed has to see when he next returns, although our recent and wonderful concert will be but a distant memory by then!

Can anyone sing the 1-2-3-4-5 warm-up without going onto 6? No, me neither! Don't forget the coffee morning next Thursday afternoon at the Psalm House :-) and have a nice Half-term XXX

2 February 2012

The one were we performed well at our old venue again ...

How lovely and tingly to be singing live again, back in the bosom of All Saints School hall, adoring fans brandishing their lighters, and drinking beers! We looked great, all the colours of the rainbow and, with the daring among us perched on all manner of wobbly benches, made a beautiful tier of ever-smiley faces!

Feedback from adoring fans included how much stronger we had all become, and how seemingly professional at all time, never for one moment giving anything away to the audience!

The cabaret section included some new soloists, which is always nice, as well as Neil playing his guitar to accompany his lovely wife Carol. Huge thanks from me to all the soloists, because without you I would be the only one, and although I enjoy it hugely, I would need a lot longer with my hairbrush and CD collection to gather a full set, for half time! Thanks to the smashing audience for joining in with me and Ed for his bits ... not so sure about the evil laugh, I was thinking more along the lines of a fatherly chuckle, but hey, it's all live, and it's all good!

Well done choir, as ever, you sang your socks off, and I love you loads! Cat XXXX

26 January 2012

The one with the Dance routine!

I didn't come to choir last week, me and the fuzzy-kittens were off jet-setting, but I did go to Ed's house a few days later hoping to catch the latest choir gossip. I also wondered if Ed would get his Organ out and try to impress me, but instead he gave us a puppet show and a cup of tea so I didn't complain. My epic solo was also confirmed - there will not be a dry seat in the house!

But this week here we was (doing that on purpose to annoy the teacher part of Ed), all warmed up and ready to sing, and sing we did as we rattled through many of our songs, not all of them embolded here. It seems that 'life on Mars' is still with us even though nobody really likes it, but that all bodes well for a good opening night next week when it will sound awesome, for some odd reason! I am not sure of some of the notes, so I will be on you tube after bedtime most nights this week, ingraining my poor brain.

Well folks, it the big night next week, seems an age since we trod the boards at All Saints again, watching jenny handing out beer and crisps, and trying to peer round the Christmas tree until some one aligned all the words on the right hand side! Don't forget your polo shirt, and to warm up on the bus on the way over! It's going to be a riot!

12 january 2012

With-or-withow-CHOOOOOO!

Happy new year and get read yo to rock and roll with our first concert on the 2nd February! EEEP! It's at All Saints school, where we don't seem to have performed for an age, being as we are so popular and always get asked back to other local events ...

I brought my kittens last night, and happily they did not climb the curtains or cat-call Ed like so many of us grown ups do, like Ron putting in his order for full philharmonic backing, with extra strings! I was actually tempted to wear pyjamas since I got such lovely ones for Christmas, but I might as well leave that to Ruth.

A bit scarey learning new songs last when when all our old ones have gained litle post-mince-pie errors that have crept in, even 'breaking up is hard to do' which had the most beautiful singing and dancing just for Mr Husband at last years music festival, had got a few wobblies in it!

WEll its time for your homework now which is
1 - watching you tube to get the songs all learned in your head
2 - singing while doing everything
3 - warm p first, dot forget, do a few EEEEE-OOOOOOORs while on the bus/queue as ASDA
(I am allowed to mention ASDA now since; a - our Dave works there, and; b - they did eventually put some money in our charity pot!)
Love you lots, be good ... and try not to miss me next week when I am not here!