We kicked off with our usual uninhibited warm up, I think we are getting used to this now and don't feel quite so silly, the warm up being an important thing, do it on the bus or in the car on the way and you will be star quality by the time we start singing.
This week Jack was huddled to the side of the room at the controls, he is so quick when extra information is needed, great stuff Jack.
The room was more highly populated on one side, turned out, they didn't want to sing in Italian so thought they would stay British, The Prayer wasn't sung so it was funny when our lovely choir members owned up, the Italians were wondering what they had done and felt very alone.
I had to phone a friend to confirm what we did sing, gets confusing going to both choirs, first was Chicken tikka, followed by The King and I medley, then we all Got Around with the Beach Boys, May led us in the harmony,that girl is on it !
Looking forward to next week, it's great to know choir is now on two nights, busy people that we all are, means we have choice, I'm just greedy.
Carole M x
26 February 2015
The one with the very elderly locusts...
Harmonics today for our lovely warm-ups. Mmmm-ooooo-eeeeee-aaaaah! Then we hung out in the jungle and the village. Such fun!
Lots of notices tonight. A lost card was reunited with Ann. Coffee afternoons continue of course ... Then followed a few plugs. Jenny plays mah Jong at night and you can too. See Yvonne for more info, and see Ed for new choir shirts and folder orders. Jack to change website so that the email address is clear, and new member James is looking for a lift to and from choir. And this year we have been asked to 'do' the rose garden again.
On with singing, starting with one of our songs we have chosen to perform at The Music Festival, The Street Where You Live...
The harmony was missing - the one that comes in at 'lilac trees', and the gap was marked by Jack adding a (2,3) to the lyrics. Please don't sing the numbers!
Ed worked on building our energy and confidence. Because we need to sing without folders as much as possible, the words on the screen were taken away and those who had 'words' printed out sang from those. Hmmmm.
Please also remember flat northern vowels, it's not jam and Jerusalem for this number. Jack complemented our volume even when we had turned away from our conductor!
Let's Go to San Fransisco next. Ed thought that we were sounding very successful, bigger and better than ever I fact! And I wrote that down right away so he can't deny it later.
Please come to the dining room next week. This time it is not a lie, so please don't come to the hall for practice.
Chicken tikka next, focussing on the low harmony. Ed demonstrated by singing the wrong words but the right melody.
And to end, the ledgendery anthem that is Living On A Prayer!
Thanks everyone! Keep singing! Cat xxxx
12 February 2015
D.F.S. Dorchester 11/02/15
Lots of friendly faces from both sides of the hill, getting to know each other a little more .
Ed and his manager Jack all set up and ready for the off, thanks go to the kind lady who stepped in at the last minute to do the door keeping duty.
We panted and we grunted, then pretended to be Italian again for our warm up, followed by the Vicar, or was that Ed ? giving us the parish notes.
He reminded us not to turn up by mistake next week as it is half term. We return on the eighteenth to begin a five week term culminating in a fund raising concert for our chosen charity for this year, M.N.D..
Ed asked us to consider coming forward with a solo or a group performance for this event, this was greeted with a terrified silence, five weeks is a long time in this choirs short life so, ever hopeful, I bet there is some real talent just waiting to be unleashed, so, this could be your chance !
We rehearsed five lovely songs, everyone has their own favourite, all too soon it's eight o clock and time for home, and the night still young. Keep singing, Carole M x
12 February 2015
The one where we got on with the music festival songs....
Today's word is 'contrapuntal' and if that's not how it's spelled I apologise on behalf of my smart phone!
In notices, Cantenbury came up in the form of a nice spread sheet detailing who will be sleeping with who. Nice. See Ed at the end if you need it all explained!
A date for your diary is Fayre in the Square 11.30 - 12.00 Monday 25th May (Hope Square).
The Music Festival have given us a time slot, so Jack was given the task of finding the email with that email in. The old joke about stapling words to people's shirts was aired. We need to arrive at 10.55 and learn your words off by heart if you can. The less stapling going on the better really. 7th March is soon going to come around.
So we sang it through very nicely, then everyone tried to think of someone that could play piano so that ed can conduct that day. Then for fullness, ed taught us a nice low harmony. Then ... The Sway was mentioned!
We went to San Francisco ... In the key of C as last weeks might have been have been too low. After the first sing through it needed Breaking down. Lots. And it was much better even if Jackie didn't agree.
A special request song next. The amazing Bon-jovi-livin-on-a-prayer! Nailed it! Frankie Howard sings Bon-jovi-livin-on-a-prayer!
After singing along with you tube Ed sat at the keyboard changed the key but told me not to blog that incase it didn't work out.
And chicken tikka. My favourite ear-worm! Some one was a little premature tonight, probably a good curry overdue! And I don't know what happened to that meaningful gap but there you go!
Ed was happy with that because it's coming on very nicely. Ed reminded us to do our homework in half term!
Anthemic song to finish, a brand new ear-worm to soothe you to sleep! We are the Champions! Yes I know DFS ROCK, but i mean the Queen song.
Well done everyone. You deserve a break xxxxx
4 February 2015
D F S Dorchester 4th February
A very good turnout considering the chilly weather, but as we all know, we will be warmer and full of the joys of Spring by eight p.m.
We had a good old warm up that consisted of shouting at the big window, and some improvised harmonies, I was actually trying to contact my dear departed Auntie Lil but the vibe wasn't right, sorry Dorchester but this strange humour is how they roll 'tother side of the ridgeway.
I think the order we rehearsed the songs was, The Prayer , free Italian lesson, thanks Jack, followed by, Get Around? (Beach Boys, not sure if that is the title) and then, the lilting and marvelous, Street Where You Live.
Lots of smiley, and increasingly familiar faces at the end, we are the toddlers of the D.F.S family, but we'll be running soon !
See you next time , Carole M x
5 February 2015
The one were we weren't really in the dining room after all, and some people had a nice walk...
After a lovely lively assorted warm up, Ed sat at the piano to see if anyone had remembered anything from last week about the beach boys song! Erm.... Time for a lot more coaching. I still can't work out why bread-making gets into this song.
Ed shared that he was considering this number for the Music Festival. How everyone laughed then Ed said it was the winning. (It must be the pulling-apart then). Many choir members wanted us to chose another song.
So we moved so sing my all time longest-standing ear-worm... Chicken-tikka! But Ed didn't think it was festival worthy, just nice to perform in one of our usual concerts.
Don't sleep in subway next, and has a little bit more 'sparkle' than chicken-tikka.
We tackled 'on the street where you live,' and I always visualise a scene from a muppet movie as this song kicks off! It's not that I think choir are a bunch of muppets, it's just that sort of feeling and I know muppets can tap-dance 'cause I've seen Kermit's feet! Rudely Ed cut the song a line short...
'Down-town' was given an airing next because we like it. Jackie threw in 'so happy together' and 'Imagine' is also in the mix. Then we all got excited about San Fransisco but we will never get a choir trip there, to be sure! Jack made a list on the white screen and we all got two votes! On the street and San Francisco won!
So we sang the latter. Then got you tube out I listen to the Beatles song, 'here comes the sun' but it was in man-key.
The prayer next, one choir sang many moons ago. Yep. Many moons. Then finally 'rule the world' ....
Well done choir. Keep singing. Lots of lie and thanks for eveyone who came to the last Ed Zelton.
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