23 February 2023

Dear Choir, 

Welcome back after half term? Did you have fun? I literally can’t remember what I did, but that’s why I blog ‘on the fly’. To think, 14 years ago I used to wake up the next day and blog the highlights before driving to playgroup with my tinies. 

Ed said the Wedding if Harry and Robyn was magical. We all said awwww. Photos to follow of course.

And it’s 6 weeks until our Easter concerts so that’s 5 more practices. Eeeeeek. Charity Will Does will be talking about what they do on the Dorch concert night. 

We warmed. Up. We were ready. Ed was missing some words so he had to borrow and we started with From Both Sides Now. 

This song needs magic, variety and proper diction. Feel excited when you sing this, and let it show. Moons and Junes should be sung as if you are on children’s telly. Well. Something like that.

Straight forward next, said Ed, it’s 9 to 5! Singing this song is like running up a hill. Take a breath when you can. We tried rapping it, to get the rhythm and work out if we really can fit these phrases into one breath, and discover where to snatch some air when you can’t. Phew. Shall we talk about accents? Maybe! 

We sang Two Out Of Three Ain’t Bad along with Meatloaf himself. Hope he isn’t turning in his grave. Please listen to the middle bit especially when you are doing your homework and of course listening to the whole song 20 times on Alexa or is that just me? 

Time for rain, and Africa … remember follow the direction and trump DFS Dorch. Hehe. And push the beat. And. Confident and wrong, is better for rehearsing the sing. Confident and right, is what we do on the night! 

Thanks Ed. 

Time is Now and Forever with himself singing along too. 

Don’t think Waitrose, think Walmart for Uptown Girl. Go! And we finished with Those were The Days. 

Wow superb singing, love you loads, see you next week when we have 4 rehearsals left before our concerts. Xxx

9 February 2023

Ed apologised for being absent last week. But please don’t turn up next week. It’s half term. 

Dum Dum diddle we didst go. La la la la la la laaaaaaaaa. Aaaaahhh AAAAAAHHHHHH Aaaaaaahhhh. You have to be there really. 

We whipped out Uptown Girl with a reminder to use proper American accents, please! After a run through Ed said it needed more energy. That’s rich coming from Mr-I’ll-just-take-a-nap-in-the-corner but he had a point. We downloaded some energy and stood to perform, and it was much more lively with a bigger sound too. 

A new song next, Now And Forever which appeared to be a lesser know song by Richard Marx. So we listened, probably to the YouTube but who knows these days, without a screen. Then at the piano, Ed sang it through pointing out all the pitfalls, and which twiddly bits we won’t be bothering with. Then it was out turn. Not bad for a first or second go.

Time for the weather, we do enjoy performing Africa. I listened coz it’s fab. Don’t forget to keep the rain going after the thunder. People seems to get swayed by the climactic rumbles! Such fun. We worked on our rhythm, and the syncopation.

And the lovely From Both Side Now filled the hall, just us, the choir master and the wibbly wobbly piano. Ed said this will have a simple guitar flavoured backing track for the concert. Sometimes there’s magic in simplicity. 

Power Ballad time, Two Out Of Three Ain’t Bad. Ed tried to give it his post covid best without losing his voice. It’s a challenge that’s for sure. 

Camp it up for I Who Have Nothing well, that’s what I do. Then we were in for a treat. Ed actually told us to Am Dram this. So we were actually required to camp it up after all! 

Super duper smashing, keep singing and keep smiling. Don’t forget to practice for four hours every day so you don’t let the choir down, Ed down and most of all yourself down. 

And have a nice half term break, Cat xxx

1 February 2023

News Flash - 

“ Am so sorry, but Dorchester Choir is cancelled tonight as I have tested positive for COVID and feel rather poorly.  Please would you let any non-Facebook members know, I'll keep you all posted but it's probably sensible to cancel Weymouth for tomorrow evening. Sorry again, lovely people.”

Ed Hintze, in our Facebook group x