18 May 2023

Shirley has moved to the front row which is nice. More star students under our choirmasters gaze. I opened up a blog post and listened to the hum and chatter of the choir. A giggle. A sigh. 

Then Ed sat at the piano. Today he wore shorts and looked like a PE teacher. GOOD EVENING he boomed after pointing out how little stage left there was tonight. And let us know there’s just one more practice next week before half term. Some of us warmed up while some of us trotted off for copies of Ave Verum Corpus swiped from the table at the back. Just pop some silver in the mini piano. 

A new date - 24 June is … another event with an odd name. Spelling to be confirmed. 

We dived into Ave Verum Corpus to see how much we couldn’t remember from 2022. Not much. Some choir members wanted to know what they were singing. So I googled and I’d have pasted it at the end of the blog coz it makes the formatting go all funny! 

Next up, I’m Into Something Good which is a lot of fun to sing. This is a classic three rehearsal song. A sing with the recording and then our backing track, to put Ed’s three rehearsal theory to the test. 

And from an ALW musical Requiem comes Pie Jesu but of course much lower than Sarah B. Phew. Ed was very happy with our beginning. Don’t forget to come in early when you go UP at the end of requiem. Proper run through next. Eeek. Lovely. Really getting there. 

Til I Kissed Her splits the room naturally. 

Fun to finish with The Wellerman and Uptown Girl. 

Cool beans DFS, you were amazing as always. But that’s not why I love you, keep singing x 

Ave real body, born
of the Virgin Mary
truly suffered, sacrificed
on the cross for man
whose side is perforated
water and blood flowed:
be predestined for us
in the examination of death.

11 May 2023

Sunday was sunny for DFS to sing on the beach. And we did very well Ed thanked us. The audience said it sounded good. 

There were three new songs printed out for us, and a concert to look forward at half term. Ed ran through a few dates at times but I didn’t keep up today. Head full of clouds. Isn’t that a song. 

We warmed up … but we didn’t sing happy birthday to me, and then we listened to Pie Jesu the first of our brand new songs. Ed went over the Latin pronunciations. We will be singing it in Sarah Brightman minus 6. Phew. Ed sat at the piano. Sheet music is available. Dig out your jam and Jerusalem voices and proper diction. 

Next I’m into Something Good blasted from the mini speaker. Then we had a run through and lots of people thought they knew it. I mean, my dad used to sing it. There are a few twiddly bits so we had another listen to some specific bits. Play this on Alexa when you get home! Time for another DFS run through. 

Everly Brothers next ‘Til I Kissed Her yipped I ‘know’ this one too. After a listen through Ed popped on the backing track and filed his nails! An auto harmony filled the room. 

Then Happy Birthday filled the room and it was lovely and there were no bun notes, where there Peter? 

We sang So Happy Together, The Wellerman and Song of the Sea just for fun. 

Superb singing DFS keep singing. And maybe dancing round the kitchen xxx 

4 May 2023

I made it this week, to grab the running order and sing happy birthday to Peter who usually just tells me not to breathe on the door glass. Oh well. 

So the running order for the kings ‘do’ on the beach is as follows …

So Happy Together

Uptown Girl

The Wellerman

Song Of The Sea

Africa

Top Of The World 

The Greatest Showman Medley 

So we put on our best diction for So Happy Together to kick off our run through. We are down on Harmony folk for this concert so Ed added some extra support and coaching for those of us here. 

Next we dived into The Wellerman and don’t forget your Way-allll in verse three, and end with a HO. All the other endings are Huh! 

Quickly onto Song Of The Sea when Ed pointed out the clever links from one line to the next. Obviously written by someone very clever. We ran through the harmony again. There’s a good guide on the backing track. 

Next up, stand if you want for a complete run through. So I stopped blogging to give it a go! Then I completed forgot to sign off the blog in a fluffy of folders and stacking chairs in 6s. 

I’m about to leave for the beach. And it’s a gorgeous day! Break a leg everyone xxx