23 March 2017

The one where Ed got his organ back, and played us in with The Pink Panther which was nice.

Next weeks concert is for all DFS 

Members to sing, and we will be standing at the front of church without any chairs this time. No playing stand up and sit down. Our running order I will paste later from the Wobbly-Web for your folder-ordering pleasure. Right here -

Running Order!!! DfS Dorchester Easter Concert Wednesday, 29th March, 7pm United Church,
Dorchester

Part 1 Can’t Help Falling In Love With You
It Must Be Love
When We Were Young
Annie’s Song
Solo/Duo Act 1
It’s Getting Better
Do You Hear the People Sing?

 Part 2 Wings
Uptown Girl
Solo/Duo Act 2
Solo/Duo Act 3
Let It Be Me
We Are The Champions

Please don't come here next week, because it's the end of term for DFS, but do come to URC Dorchester if you are performing in the concert! 

And so after a quick Dum-Dum-Diddle we dived into Can't Help Falling In Love following a demonstration of the into we will next week, and a reminder to give it some oomph, so it doesn't go flat! 

Next It Must Be Love and we fell into it as we went, and Ed said that It Was Good, and we sang When We Were Young like there was no tomorrow. It was well remembered, just a little more confidence injected please. 

Come in slightly less softly in the softly bit of Annie's Song and indeed please don't forget to stop oooooo-ing and start singing. Dorch are very good on the harmony for this so we might balance each other out a bit. 

Time to see if It's Getting Better during which I was pleased to notice the blogger-phone was remembering our song titles and suggesting capitalising ahead of me which was rather exciting! Keep your eyes on Ed folk! 

And for the rousing end of Act One we sang Do You Hear The People Sing which DFS always do a good job of belting out! And then of course is interval time with virtual tea and all round. Please bring some next week if you feel so inclined. 

Next our voices took Wings and we did find some bits that need ironing out, but we carried on with Uptown Girl and gave that some propper welly too and had a new cheese-free ending. A very giggling section of choir appeared some where around the second row, but don't Let It Be Me please. ''Tis a sweet gentle number this one. It's sounding lovely by the way, just watch the notes for 'each time' and 'I find'. 

A few mistakes popped aptly into We Are The Champions and set off a ripple of amusement again. There was definitely something in the water tonight. And so completed our full-setto. 

And then it was time to go live. Were you there? I'll put my blogger-phone away!

We revisited We Are The Champions because of the odd timing. I think we might have to fake it to make it on the night. Mike thought we should mine. It Must Be Love seemed to come in flat but we must be thankful that anyone comes in at all, and Annie's song harmonies were looked at again. 

And for Any-ole, out well deserved treat, we sang Hallelujah! 

I love you DFS have a great Easter see some of you in Dorchester next week xxxx

16th March 2017

The one with the New Chair Layout and the return of Tony Leach ... 

Following his rather helpful diction-flavoured  warm-up, we did some scales. Our piano was perched at the back of the hall, so we were going to be very inventive this week! 

In news, Ed updated us on polo shirts, concerts and the up coming choir trip which is full steam ahead, and we sang Its Getting Better and it really IS getting better! Everyone was very happy to hear that. 

Annie's Song had a lovely harmony, and we put on our smiley faces to sing it through again. Then after looking quickly at another choirs version (my lips are sealed) we sang Uptown Girl and gave it some welly. 

After rather a lot of welly we remembered that  We Are The Champions! Still a few words we don't fit in so well. 

And it's not that You're So Vain but you might think this song is about you? Just Let It Be Me and all will be well. Our Carly Simon number will not be ready to perform in two weeks, but the everly brothers were sounding well balanced in terms of harmonies. 

Then it was time to cosy round the piano for a couple of re-dos before Any-oke!

 

We had to get into the ragae for Wise Men Say and then became Champions again! 

Suddenly though, Ed remembered we should do Wings so we did. And for any-ole we sang Mama Mia and I do apologise if that's not  two words. Until next time!

How I love you all, keep singing! Cat xxx

9 March 2017

Back in the hall again, with our chairs in our favourite semicircle, and 428 songs to get through, we watched the choir master hump his keyboard back into the right spot. From next week, the chairs will be further back to accommodate a larger front end. 

And then it was warm-up time, without any special guests though, when we redirected the angry hamsters of old, and played the counting game too. Such fun. 

Our first song today was Wings. It was sounding really lovely, and Ed only had to point out a few things. Then he had everyone stand to perform it, this time with the backing instead of the piano. We worked on the ending and the harmonies too. 

And It Must Be Love that is the reason we sing together. Do you like what I did there? Ed decided a fade out might be a fab ending but then wasn't too sure. 

Moving swiftly onto Moondance. The wee chorus tripped us up. Jack made a lyric change, and we moved on to Let It Be Me, and then to It's Getting Better. But I am not sure if it was. Ed crushed an invisible violin on the floor and left it for the cleaner to deal with. Then I believe it got better. Come on. And everyone stood to perform it. 

And we know The Things We Do For Love and we pressed on towards the end of the night, put up and coming concert and our next cup of tea ... we made the decision to pop this one on the back burner but I made mental note that Ed felt the key was too low. 

On with Annie's Song we galloped. Ed recapped the harmony, and we made like a proper choir, then someone asked if we could 'do Elvis' so we did Can't Help Falling In Love, and then it was time for notices. Just to spell it out that choir are jolly well invited to the Wool concert on the 21st April at 7.30pm in the D'Urberville Hall. 

Please do come to support the Dorch concert on weds 29th March at URC. 

Tonight's Random-Oke was the beach boys number, Sloop John B, which we have sung as choir before of course. Tops! 

I love you DFS, keep up the super-duper-smashing good work, and definitely keep singing! Xxx

2nd March 2017

Back in a common room due to yet another last-minute parents evening, we beheld on the screen the delight of a brand new vocal warm ups ... Ed had found a new friend, Mark Baxter, to help us along from plan A to plan B. Loses points for entertainment but plus points for finesse. Maybe. 

Then choir stood to warm up with The Grand Old Duke York. This would definitely be fun if people were OUT when they got it wrong but that might take all night, and we had to fit in a 1-2-1, 1-2-3-2-1 etc again. Once we get to ten we tend to slip into the teens. Dum dum diddle!

Our first song, with kareoke backing, was The Things We Do Love. Another classic I thought I knew really well, until I came to sing it! We did on according to Ed, then we cracked on with Let It Be Me. We had a few errant notes, and a bit of a sad sound, so please raise those cheekbones as high as you can. After another run through we were still a little harmony heavy and I don't mean too much hairspray. Ooh, that's an old one. 

And to see if It's Getting Better we sang it loud and proud! Cheek bones everyone! The key change was MUCH better but we still needed to work on the ending. There will definitely not be a 'star-pose' at the finish. 

Our other newish song Wings next, with a new backing track too. Ed introduced a harmony as we sang along. After breaking it down we had another run through, and did rather well. 

Next Annie's Song, done in two different keys just for fun, followed by We Are The Champions on our feet! Which was proper singing, it was. 

Out any-oke song buy audience vote was Sweet Caroline and it was duly tackled with such enthusiasm it fair cancelled out my memory of Tom Jones last week. 

Well done DFS you worked hard, and I know you are going to home and do your homework. What is it anyway? Can I copy off yours? Love, The Cat xxx