10 July 2014

Back in the common room again, DFS followed on from the oxford exclusives and started with notices insead of a warm up. 

Ed asked for requests for lyrics, so that he can bring them on concert night. This was our very last rehearsal and we had the song order ready to run through. I will be printing mine last minute as usual and hoping I don't run out of ink!

Big changes next year to folders for lyrics, and less use of the big screen. I did notice last week just how much you stared at the thing instead of looking at me!

Finally our warm up was singing happy birthday to Jigsaw-Jenny then right on with our songs!

Secret Love - mind the gap!

Dream a little dream - nice big, confident BUMS please men! Ba-ba-ba-ba-Bum!

On top of the world -  ooops bit of an unsynchopated start there! I wonder if that's even a word?

Long and windy road - fine, I fixed that one last week! When I had such fun!

Heaven is a place on earth - free 'woo' too! Nice a Capella too!

Sing - with Linda as Catherine's stand in for Pavillion night. Very nice too Linda. It's always nice to hear new soloists at DFS, even this late into the academic year. 

So happy together - we were tired tonight perhaps we wore ourselves out cracking this one last week too!

The shoop shoop song - hold those lovely long notes. 

You make me feel so young - mind the gaps!

First of May Edge - we did ok it was just two lines missing from the words!

A nightingale sang in Berkeley square - it will be alright on the night folks.. 

Somewhere over the rainbow - our official last song. A very controlled song. Enough of the beery sliding!

You raise me me up - our secret encore. I'll make sure Mike shouts MORE very loudly!

Big round of appluase anyone. You made sure you didn't peak too soon! Email Ed if you want backing tracks and call me if you need a conductor. Love you xxxxx

3 July 2014

The one with the Cat conductor ...

Well you guys, I have had by now a number of occasions to be proud of Dorset For Singing, and tonight was definately one of them. I really mean it when I say I would like to honour you, for all that you do for our choir. I mean, if it was just singing you like, you could do that in the shower. But you give up your time for both practice and concerts, and help to change lives too with our fund raising as well as our amazing entertainment! I can promise you I'm sober writing this and I haven't got tears rolling down my cheeks. 

So anyway, there we all were, and this is a pic of me wondering how I ended up as front man for the evening or even how it was all going to work out! I even had a look back on the Facebook thread to see if I had said anything vaguely along the lines of 'pick me I can conduct a choir', but no - I only found the comments where I had nominated two teacher friends for the job!

So I still have no idea what made Ed ask me last week, and even less of an idea that made me say 'yes of course' but I'm glad I did because I learned something new, and we all got to see Dave again! Yay Dave!

We had a folder of 7 nice backing tracks, but had to hunt to find the words. well done Dave for ferreting out some from the website and well done Ed for giving me a nice yellow folder of all the other songs that we weren't going to be singing tonight, but that's fine i will keep it for our concert on the 22nd July, and i will be bringing my kittens so get your laser pointer out, Jack Von Trap!

Also in notices, Oxford trip dinner choices need to be mailed to  dfs@live.co.uk, and next week would trippers please be in the common room for special practice at 6 pm. Everyone else please at the usual time and in the same place, and with an awesome raffle prize or two, so that Carol can make up those lovely baskets that did so well at the Pavilion last time!

By the end of the Last sing of the King And I, when you all stood up and could barely see me, i think i had really got the hang of this old conducting lark, but i also want to thank you for being kind to a novice and laughing at all my jokes. When Ron popped out to call his agent, i really thought there was going to be a mass exodus to the chip shop, but instead me and Dave got a round of applause and we all had a good sing through which is good for the lungs as well as the soul! I also know why Ed gets to 'glowing' so much out there, because i was cooking when we finished! Thank you for soldering on bravely when i got it wrong and showing me all your super powerful long notes too! You are, truly, awesome and i love you to bits! Keep singing, Cat XXXX