15 January 2015

The one where Ed first did it twice in one week ....

Notices first from Ed, who was very pleased because lots of people turned up despite the horrid weather. Happy New Year. 

He woffled on about the 'other' choir, and the cantenbury trip. Two choir special rates. And a quick aside on the demise of Ed Zelton and last concert plug. 

Choir is booked for the Best of Dorset, again on March 22nd. Would choir like to sing at The Music Festival this year? 7th March for that one, the time varies. 

'Lean On Me' received a revisit while Jack skipped to the back of the room to play with his green lazer pointer and a fresh new power point. To make it sound good, we need 'Bart' not 'but'. Sounds odd but it works! Ed worked hard on getting gaps in the right places!

Jack demonstrated how to access your homework, and we hit up the karaoke version of Chicken-tikka, and had a mama-Mia moment! And I had a quick google to find out what we were really on about ...

1. "Chiquitita" (a Spanish term of endearment for a womanmeaning "little one") is a song recorded by Swedish pop group ABBA. It was released in January 1979 as the first single from the group's Voulez-Vous album.

Next up an old Petula Clark number, 'Don't sleep in the subway' ... We tried it in the original key then bumped it up a bit. 

We also soured 'On The Wings Of Love' for our final song and I slipped in last nights blog written for all by Chelsea. Cool beans. 

Love you all, keep singing, Cat xxxx

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7 January 2015

The Dorchester launch ...

The Dorchester DFS boasted a good turnout, both former choir members, and excited potential new ones! 

Ed introduced us, set expectations, and proudly showed off his wife and son, before leading us in a short warm up. That's the first time I have performed 'Dum-dum-diddly' and I hope it won't be the last!

Then the Weymouth-Portland branch sang So Happy Together and You Raise Me Up, then Ed dug a speech out of his pocket and gave a lovely history of DFS and shared the reasons behind it's joyous birth in September of 2008 - just ahead of this humble blog!

Flexible memberships were mentioned, along with flexible seating and the free session for new member plugged too. Also if you help out on the door, you can have that nights session for free too!

DFS Dorch can choose a different charity if they want to. 

With prompting Ed mentioned the weblinking-website chock full of useful information, and of course the blog. Any budding bloggers can contact Ed or myself and be added to the blogspot account so the exploits of the Dorch branch can also be published. 

After the very informative Q&A session all present sang you raise me up, apart from me who caught up with the written word.

11 December 2014

The one before our Christmas concert ...

Ed welcomed everyone to the last rehearsal of the year and challenged us to speak to someone we have never spoken to before. Nice. 

There were lovely letters to take away about the Canterbury trip, and Ed also thanked everyone who came to sing carols at the weekend. Oh yeah. And there was cider. 

Meet for 7.30 roughly start on Monday. Doors open at 7 of course. And we probably really start at 7.45. Running order is like St Abdrews, but with all our Christmas songs added. There was a flurry of folder flapping as we quickly added things in the right place. 

Our choir master recently spent some useful time with a speach therapist and extolled the virtues of a good gargle. This is something I often do with a tight/scratchy/tickly throat .... Sometimes badly making the water go the wrong way. Feels good though, so why not have a good gargle at the end of this blog post?

Woollies seemed to be absorbing most of the sound today. Oh dear. Time for an OY! Well several of them. And then some 'over the top' singing. Nice. It's all about  tehnics! 

Then we learned how to do a great big STAR but I can't blog that because it would give away our trade secret, and we are professionals after all ...

During break time I was very brave and went roght to the back where I talked to Nicky and Jo and swapped facts. Fun. People still ask about the wedding, which is lovely. Look out for some pics of DFS at that event, coming soon! 

Ed wanted to have a play with 'a little help from my friends' and put it to a vote. Motion carried. Ooops. Be brave!

Of course I'll be back on Monday to blog the concert, but I may as well say thanks and happy Christmas :-) keep singing and also, gargling. Specially in ASDA. XXXX

4 December 2014

A big thank you from Ed for rocking Preston last weekend! We will be invited back, and we may well pop Ed on a podium so we can all see him. 

Also, news on the up coming Canterbury trip and a brief itinery. £175 per person with lots of fun laid on. 

On Satrday, 12.45 at new bond street, singing our Christmas medley. And on Sunday 12.45 in Wyke! So a busy weekend for those that can make it. 

Applause all round for the congregation of St Andrews, who on sunday, during service, made our charity total up to £400 split between them and The Samaritans! Tops!

Also ed made a plea for as many of us as possible to get to the launch of Dorch DFS on January 7th at URC. We have a fabby extra practice. 

Then, gently and just for timing, we slipped softly into our Christmas medley also acting as a nice warm up too! All Saints had the tree up of course and those extra large baubles we all love do well. It doesn't block half the screen like it used to though ...

Then we sang 'When We Were Small' with the composer in the house!

And had fun again with 'Fairy Tale of New York' ... It's harder in monochrome I have to say. Ladies in italic. 

The timing of that was just over 15 minutes so it was decided to perform '500 miles' but with every one singing all the parts! Starting softly we built it up all nicely till we are marching together those 500 miles in big, stompy boots. Oh yes. Stage right take a breath at the end of the line and stage left take a breath at the  start of the line, missing out the words found there, and all will sound great, and none shall pass out from lack of oxygen!

One more run through of When We Were Small with Ed bashing out the melody in true school teacher style! Choir did a lovely version A Capella when Ed stopped bashing, which was nice. He encouraged better diction, and we stood for a final version. 

The backing track is on the website if you have a spare 5 minutes tomorrow!

Then it was time to look at the medley again, which was very quiet in some places. Well he did tell us to start gently, in leu of a warm up! Ed let us stand to facilitate more energy and less politeness!

Wey valley are allowed to add all the funny bits into Rudolf The Red Nosed Reindeer and we are not to glare at them in a superior, grown-up sort of way. Nor leave the melody behind and join in. Hehe. 

All in all it's beginning to sound a lot like Christmas! Keep singing. Carols. Cat xxx

29 November 2014

The concert at St Andrews...

Lots of bright, well practiced and enthusiastic members of Dorset For Singing showed up at a new venue for a concert and jacket potato supper. Along with some lovley raffle prizes, the event benefitted both the church and this years charity, The Samaritans - we raised £180 pounds for them! Awesome!

Ed and other members recived lots of lovely feedback about both the choirs performance and that of the soloists too. We were singing many songs which were brand new to us, and our voices filled the church in an amazing way. 

All the soloists, both the seasoned and the brave did a sterling job. But something really magical happened when Linda began to sing about the bird-lady seated by a London cathedral. St Andrews on bells began to peal and one could almost imagine the greatdul pigeons and the cockney sparrows on the grey streets!

The jacket potato supper went down a treat too, DFS also get 10 out of 10 for creativity too. Come and see us next month at the Pavillion! 

Love, Mrs Cat, the blogger xxxx

23 November 2014

The one where the blogger got married!

And blogged a huge thank you to dear Ed and awesome Dorset For Singing, for blessing us and all guests with your singing. I love you, but not because you came to my wedding. Keep singing and Love from Mike and Cat XXX

27 November 2014

The one with the sexy new folders. 

The words for 'You raise me up' and 'So happy together' have been added to the folders, and of course our song list, otherwise our concert would have been a little short. 

After the warm up a spot of concert etiquette for any of those feeling rusty. Ed demonstrated how to hold a folder, not easy if you have small hands. Also, when to page turn, please don't do it while the audience applaud. Receive it with grace and a smile. Then, on mass, flip those lyrics! No discussing success or lack of successful delivery in between songs.  

Then most of us used folders to run through the songs, practicing reading and memorising a line, and looking up to sing it. 

If you are not sure of the timing for Stars please have a listen to a recording of the song. You tube is always an ecellent place for homework!

Lots of songs that need a lot of energy here so that they don't sound flat. Be aware of the key change in 500 Miles as that can be an area where our weariness can show!

Fairy tale of New York to end with today!

See tou Saturday potato lovers! Much love from The Cat xxx

Thurs 20th November 2014

The second one in the common room. And closely followed by one in the dining room next week. It's found underneath the common room but boats better acoustics, peas in the corners and chewing gum under the table!

Looking forward to next may which will be very busy. A bit like the end of this term. Ed reminded choir of our two concerts and of course a small, fun wedding on Sunday where I will feel really blessed if you sing two DFS classics as Mike and I sign the register!

1pm on the 6th December for a concert at Victorian show afternoon! And Thurs 18th around 6pm for a special concert to bless the elderly. 

Extra rehearsal on the 11th December with nibbles and fun. Oh and singing. Maybe. 

Then it was time to sing. And this week we had the smashing new tyros 5 to accompany us with not a floppy drive in sight. Ed wanted to have a good whizz through. So we did. Jack had to add some extra words to San Fransisco. 

We haven't sang Take Me Home Country Roads for a while so we sang it through while Ed played live, and did really rather well. We skipped Mr Blue Sky for now, going straight into our awesome rendition of Old Friends, clinking imaginary tankards as we went. Well ok just me then. Sounds like a good new year song to me. Or maybe an end-of-the-wedding party... Just sayin'.

Sadly we found we had rusty Stars so we quickly moved on. 

400 miles later we were toting our Scottish accents and havering like pros! This one builds in a really effective way, when we all sing the right parts!

Time for a Fairy Tale of New York, and all the ladies got the tune wrong and we had to start all over again. Naughty. 

And our grand finale was the Christmas medley, now with backing track and a brief word about new sexy black choir folders, which should be available soon if you want one!

And the extra bonus was running through the song Ed wrote about The Christmases We Had When We Were Small. Sprouts don't get a mention once I don't think ...