20 October 2016

The one with the naughty chair ...

Many members were missing tonight as the first of the winters lurgies is making itself known. And there was bad news and there was even more bad news. In bad news, please don't turn up next week because it's half term. In worse news when we do come back we will be in the common room. And nobody likes that. 

First song tonight, When We Were Young, was swiftly followed by Jack sharing some new links on the DFS website, including the opportunity of downloading me and popping me on your iPod (MYRECKLESSCAT.WAV). Nice. We have had some lovely feedback for the song that Ed and I have written, thanks everyone we won't let it go to our heads! 

When We Were Young might have needed us to be more warmed up, so we dived into our Beatles Medley next, after a quick reminder of the harmonies. We needed to break it down because the harmonies had disappeared. How lovely they echoed around the school upon their return! The 'last love' almost caused a flounce! Moving on to a reward, not any-oke yet, but Adiemus complete with a rewrite of the non-lyrics by Young Michael who couldn't follow the chop-ped-up-syll-a-ble-ver-si-on. Cool. Then, with full voice, up on our feet to perform.   

Ed was so please it was time to hit us with another part, time for some Aaahs again, before I Wanna Know what Love Is. works well with leg warmers and use of a hairbrush I think... the timing of the pre-chorus challenged us so we had to get into the groove. 

I sang live next for My Reckless Cat, haha, when Ed thought it would be fun to add harmonies in the bridge. And then American Pie still hasn't been split into solos, but I can't wait til it is because it's going to sound fab!

Tonight's treats were At The End Of The Day  and some Karen Carpenter, Top Of The World! 

Keep singing, see you after half term! Xxx

13 October 2016

The one with my new App ... which was nice because I like to blog and go! 

Don't forget as we warm up and sing, to vote for your favourite Any-oke, at the end of our session tonight. Then we warmed up. Nice. 

In notices, Ed asked us where we came from. Haha I knew where this was going, shout-outs for Weymouth, Portland, Dorchester and surrounding ensued. But who has travelled furthest? Kervyn won that one, coming from Perth along with his lovely wife Rhonda! They might well be the most distant blog fans we have ever had, too!

The choir meeting is still to be arranged, so look out for that. Then Ed plugged some of his up coming events including a very special one and I'll upload some links soon if I can. 

Beatles Medley first, starting with the last 'love' which we worked on last week. That sounded good until we actually came to sing it at the end of the song, when everyone was mostly too scared. Then we were introduced to a rather sweet harmony for the Ticket To Ride  section. Penny Lane came under the disection knife too! I was very happy to here those northern flat-vowels put firmly in place!

And when we sang it through on our feet, and Ed was impressed that we corrected our mistakes, and then he fancied a bit of Cat singing so I wore the Terry Wogan mic and fronted mine and Ed's baby, My Reckless Love.

American Pie will I future be sung by soloists, but tonight we had a run through and that was fun, although it felt very long. 

Ed said, feel free to improvise in this next one, so I did a bit. I Wanna Know What Love Is can be one of those songs everyone thinks they know until they try and sing it. This song requires .... The Fist of Pure Emotion ... Ed demonstrated. A bit less St Winifred's School Choir and a bit More Bon Jovi. It was oodles better. 

Everyone groaned when it was time for Adiemus and I got lines for forgetting my recorder again. Moving swiftly on ... to Never Let It Slip Away because Ed had to streak away early, to be a secret Elton, so we all went home happy to be part of the creative delight that is DFS! 

No one can leave though until we play Any-oke, and tonight's treat was Thank You For The Music! So on our feet were we, again! And we did it so well we did You Raise Me Up! Well done DFS and them down under, I Love You XXX

6 October 2016

​The blog refused to load tonight, so I texted Mike where he sat on the boys row. That wasn't very Helpful though ... so i had to upload the next day using a HUGE chuggy old computer ...

Anyway, around several app crashes we fitted an energetic warm up which was mostly because Ed made us stand up. It really seemed to help warm all our parts.

Our Beatles Medley was our first song-sing tonight, almost in the wrong key, but we always sort things out, here at Dorset For Singing! Ed gave us a huge choice of notes to sing for that final 'Love!'

Adele next, When We Were Young! We had a full run through, then we were asked to run through using over the top voices, and open throats! And then after sounding like a drunk crowd we sang it nicely again! We really put something special into it!

Adiemus found me recorderless, but we seemed to have remembered quite a bit of it, and Ed showed us a new harmony but then he mixed up his right from his left. I think the lack of recorder solo threw Ed out a bit. A you tube video play helped lots.

A new song next, Nobody's Side, but it sounded a lot like Frozen if you ask me. Maybe I should've Let It Go, but I couldn't resist! Then Jack told us that the singer we were listening to on YouTube actually played Elsa. Ooo, I'm good! I hadn't heard the song before, so I listened while the choir sang on.

 A slice of American Pie next, although I found it rather high!

I Wanna Know What Love Is was also about finding a key to fit, as it really does have a big range! This is going to sound awesomely wonderfully! Our karaoke choice was Fields Of Gold followed by Red Red Wine.

Keep singing, until next time, when we look forward to a little something from down under ...  I Love You All, Cat x

29 September 2016

The 'nother one without the blogger ...

 So here is a quick update on this years charities, Dorset for Singing Dorchester will be supporting Diverse Abilities and Dorset for Singing Weymouth & Portland will be supporting the Dorset County Hospital Cancer Appeal this year. I wasn't there because i was drinking in the sights and sounds of WVS with my year 6 cuties, but i was with you in spirit of course ...

 Ed had provided some helpful tracks here, and lucky you - you might get to hear me sing! New songs I missed included Foreigner 'I wanna know what love is', and a nice slice of American Pie!

See you tomorrow XXX

22 September 2016

The one were we got reckless, and choir turned 8 ... 

This term there will not be any singing, we will be doing Zumba. Or maybe beer testing. Everyone had had a good summer and cheered when Ed said welcome back ...

Gremlins were in the building as there was no almost no working sound system, and a lack of bulb in the projector. Look out for an open meeting coming up, and the opportunity to choose this years charity next week. 

Housekeeping including info on how we buy water and printed sheets and some info on the door duty rota, and also some really good hand outs detailing symptoms of ovarian cancer, and raising awareness too.

In brand new things, Ed introduced My Reckless Love, born this July and written by Hintze and Greenaway .... Cough, yes that us. Then we got down to a propper warm up. And the sound system was working after all so jack handed me the radio-mic. 

We had When We Were Young as our first song this term. It's not on the bag, but it had lots of enthusiasm! Ed worked on the split part were some people sing a very high note, and the others sing 'when we were young' until the last chorus. Ron wanted to know who sings this song at this point. Adele of course! Then we stood for a run through ...

Then Ed asked us to turn to our Hello, Goodbye (Beatles Medley) lyrics. And pointed out some anomalies so everyone with a pen could scribble some corrections. Then we were ready to go, ready that is, when our choir master activated the right key! Sadly I'm so young I had to listen carefully to some of these but hubby was ok! Don't forget your jazz hands, but don't drop your words! The key is down three semitones!

Next I got to be really impressed with the speed at which DFS can learn a new song, as Ed called me up to front My Reckless Love. Maybe it's our love child. I felt very nervous even though I once laid it down, during a live video on facebook! Choir made it sound smashing, joining in with the chorus and bridge, and adding some ooooohs, and Ed was right in suggesting it for choir, as it can build nicely. Thanks everyone for joining in!

Our final new song was Never Let Her Slip Away which we have tackled before although a search of this blog might reveal when as Ed didn't know. 

This weeks winner for 'you vote we sing it again' was our Beatles Medley, and we dived into that just before 8pm. 

Well done DFS, I'm so glad to be back you are all fab! Just need to wave to Kervyn on the way out, haha more about our friend down-under soon! Keep singing, love you, Cat xxx

7 July 2016

The last one ...

Choir assemble in the common room, the warm and moist room, on the last session of the academic year. Red wine and lemonade were on tap, as were the nibbles! But there were no computers or screens and therefore no any-oke or words to be seen. Ooh, a rhyme!

Then we had the best warm up in the 7 year history Dorset For Singing. Puppy dogs and washing machines. Let's hope we do that again, because I really enjoyed it. Wink, wink. 

And we sang When We Were Young and Ed shared a harmony line for the chorus and reminded choir to take sides for those lovely overlaps.

We had one run through of Adiemus so I whipped out my recorder! Then it was break time ... Wine flowed more obviously and fuelled by biscuits and good coveraatoon we sang Total Eclipse Of The Heart and because Somewhere has been swapped with Video Killed, we sang that too. 

Our time for any-oke came around and Jenny picked Make You Feel My Love. Summer Holiday a Capela style soon emerged and we all got the clap. 

The dress code for Saturday is coliurful. Bottoms don't have to be black. They ca be quite summery, and as flowery and you like. 

Have a great holiday DFS, very well done thanks for all your hard work and remember I love you xxxx

30 June 2016

Our piano was back on the stage again, next week we will be back in the lovely common room. All booed. Then we all dived into a dum-dum-diddley-duuuum. And some more warm up. Ed sat under the screen.

Ed is looking forward to spending the weekend wth Gareth Malone, during a gig on a Welsh farm. And our final rehearsal is next week just preceding our final concert in the rose garden. 

Thanks to all who joined in on Sunday, we will look forward to being in a better space next time because Ed will insist on it. 

When We Were Young is tonight's first song. After a run through, we went from the top changing youuu-do to ya-do! 

Restless has far too much ssss, in fact before we thought about it, I thought it was all ss! We broke down all the hard parts including that shocking high note! Then we stood to run through the backing track. Always so great to have a conductor up front. 

Total Eclipse Of The Heart next. It hasn't improved with age. Confidence needed for this number, and maybe making like divas would help. 

Adiemus meant the attempt at my recorder solo. Well I did threaten to dig mine out. Sorry about the odd squeak. One needs slightly less breath for blowing a recorder than for singing I think! After the first run through we worked without the backing track. Or the pesky recorder, and Ed went over some of the parts including some important notes in the alto line. And we stood for final run through before our favourite treat, any-oke! Jack pounces on you tube for Sing.  And Story Of A Heart, and Ed dives behind the piano for Bridge Over Troubled Water, it's almost a sexy segway. 

Top work again DFS, see you in the on room next week for cheese and wine and possibly a bit of singing too. Love you xxx

23 June 2016

The one were we started by watching an atmospheric video of Adele singing When We Were Young in The Church Studio. Nice. 

Due to a huge assembly for the school tomorrow, there wasn't a piano to warm up to, and several rows of seats were also out of bounds, although people sat in them anyway. 

Updates - 'Out loud' now finds us moved on from The Sausage Factory to The Golden Lion at 3pm. And St Edmunds also will see us singing at 3pm, on the 9th July. There is are events in Christchurch for those missing choirs in the summer holidays, and Ed will possibly find something to fill the gap left by Easter. Keep your eyes pealed for more information. B

Then we sang Life On Mars as a gentle warm-up, and then with a new backing track Adiemus, and groans. Then Ed broke it down a bit, I quite fancy blowing the dust off of my Hornby Recorder for the solo to be honest. Jenny pointed out that we had two do's and a coo, but that there's was a descrepancy between sheet music and words-on-the-the-screen. More to follow no doubt. 

Then it was our turn to tackle the new Adele song and Ed told us all about middle-eights and The-Truckers-Gear-Change, and talked about how excitement builds in this song. And not only that, it has a great chorus, great verse and knows when to stop. When it starts off the piano sounds like Worshipmob, or Hillsong, but that's just me. 

A spot of A Capela next, Only You... Ed played guess the key. And it was fun. But also truly bad. So we quickly chose a new soloist for Sunday's concert and dived into Video Killed The Radio Star. 

Jacqui asked for a run through of Somehere so we did, men only first of course. (And me too but don't tell anyone). "That weren't half bad," said Ed. 

And for tonight's treat Do You Hear The People Sing? So Dorset For singing all stood. Whoo. Now please un-squiffy your chairs.... 

Good luck on Sunday, sorry about the sausages but keep singing! Love you, The Cat xxx