17 October 2024

Poor Ed braved Big Man Flu to join us this evening! Everyone got their hankies out in a floaty salute. We warmed up. 

Hot news - we get to performing again with the Ukulele guys at Wyke Christmas early in December. ROCKING AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE, WAR IS OVER and SOMEWHERE ONLY WE KNOW. 

Then I got lost trying to type the songs out and missed some notices but i am sure we will have updates and reminders. 

Then with Ed at the piano, we listened to him singing the lovely harmony parts and overlapping parts. He guided us through the music, we don’t often follow dots but I feel very clever when we do. 

And so we sang. Slightly under-sung but Ed blamed his claggy ears. Nice. 

Some more nice long notes not for LOVE LETTERS STRAIGHT FROM YOUR HEART. After a run through Ed said we needed to be Elaine Page and add loads of emotion. Channel those inner divas. And go! 

We nailed it. It sounded good, so good, then Ed blew his nose before pushing through BANNER-MAN. Smashed it. 

Ed asked for a B Gees sound …. Ok then. 

Come bras out for Madonna, LIKE A PRAYER. Bottom d. Remember the overlap at the end folks. But we didnt worry too much about that one. 

Time for ATOMIC which we muddled through after being lead astray. 

Beatles mash up next, the first part needed some looking at then we stood to perform’TIL THERE WAS YOU / HERE COMES THE SUN. 

Cool beans DFS and thank you for buying and ordering Susie books, that’s not why I love you x 

10 October 2024

Chatter fills the hall as we all wait to start, and we started our warm ups, to be warmed up before new dates were revealed. 

Our next concert is 11 dec at the UC. 7pm for our formal Christmas concert. Let’s have suggestions for xmassy songs please. 

19th Dec is our huge Xmas party also raising money for Alzheimer’s. Yay. 

Christmas song along 21st December at the Island Garden Nursery. 

Onto singing with LOVE LETTERS STRAIGHT FROM YOUR HEART. T in the tinkle, said Ed, meaning its important to finish of the end of the words. It’s also good if we pay strict attention to the melody too. I’m having to be careful as I remembered it differently! Please practice at home. And don’t tinkle in the T. 

Next, deep breaths for BANNER-MAN! Ed was allowing two breaths per verse. I think we finished a little light headed, and with a few errant notes. Ed treated us to a few trombone impressions because we need to, too. 

The last choruses are different and must be leaned, even tho we are also overlapping, left versus right. As well as notes like trombones we need a super loud BANG like the drum, and to sing quite percussively to drive the song. 

LIKE A PRAYER produced a few groans. Ed sat at the piano. We get to have a free for all at the end, said Ed, when we were at the end. It’s ok considering we were winging it. 

Mash up time with FIRST OF MAY / I STARTED A JOKE yay Bee Gees! We did a good job of that. 

Staying with the mash up ‘TIL THERE WAS YOU / HERE COMES THE SUN and Ed at the piano giving us a few nudges. 

Lastly whipping through out dots to sing I WILL FOLLOW HIM. Phew. 

Super job DFS, you deserve a kebab now, keep smiling xxx 

3 October 2024

Bob wasn’t telling us which charity Dorchester chose to support last night, so we got on with our warm up. Up and Down, so we could get on with nominating this years charity ourselves. 

Lesley wanted to help Alzheimer’s and i nominated People First Dorset. Then Ed started to talk about Christmas, and our concerts will be 11th and 19th. 

Our first song I WILL FOLLOW HIM needs to be sung reverently. But it is very complicated with words, dots layers and singing and blogging at the same time. Ed popped on a backing track and waved his arms about a proper conductor and that made things easier.

We sang BANNER MAN with the sound track and Ed said no body come in early with Glory Glory Glory but some people did. One of them might have been me. There are a few different versions of the chorus. 

A bit of blonde next, as Ed put on ATOMIC and we ran through it. Lesley said it’s rude. Oh well. 

LOVE LETTERS STRAIGHT FROM YOUR HEART filled the hall. We also sang it a capela and discussed yodelling … 

With our choir master at the piano for LIKE A PRAYER and FIRST OF MAY / I STARTED A JOKE.

We stood to sing HERE COMES THE SUN before voting for our preferred charity and skipping out into the chilly night air! 

Well done DFS, that was hard work. Xxx

26 September 2024

Such excitement as we gathered together again, grabbing words and making sure we had registered our details incase of musical emergencies. 

We have 9 new songs and then cast them aside for Christmas and parties and food and kareoke, at the centenary club, Thursday 19th December. 

It was time to warm up, but we did it at superspeed because we have so many things to sing. Ed reminded us to choose a charity for nominations next week. 

We looked through all the new things and settled on BANNER-MAN. I sorta kinda knew it when we listened to it. There are a few traps to be aware of like gaps, and 6 beats at the start. And a tiny wee note, to help you to be in tune. The chorus in the middle is different to the overlapping ones at the end. 

Phew. Time for LOVE LETTERS STRAIGHT FROM YOUR HEART and we had a look at two versions. 

Our first mash up was TIL THERE WAS YOU / HERE COMES THE SUN but today we just sang it as two different songs. Ed played the latter on the piano, then later demonstrated the harmony parts. He told us he’d pondered for ages how to write doot-n-doo-doo but Jenny said we would know what to do.

Next ATOMIC was blasted from the mini speaker. A blast from the past. 

Then LIKE A PRAYER filled the hall, staying with the 80s theme. I rather like the spontaneous worship at the end, I don’t think I’ve ever listened to the whole thing, and we didn’t tonight either! 

On to FIRST OF MAY / STARTED A JOKE was mostly sung by Ed. 

We finished with I WILL FOLLOW HIM yippeeeeee. Some stood to sing and dance. 

Cool beans DFS. See you next week, Cat xxx 

4 July 2024

Ed started with a joke. To ease the blow of the last session. Please don’t come back until the 26th September, when we will sing new songs for 5 weeks before diving into Christmas. Pay as you go is going up £5 per session but there are discounts for yearly memberships including a polo shirt and music will be included in all fees too. No more cute piano money box. 

This Sunday please come and sing at Swing time at 1.15pm. Momouth 45 set. And again the following Saturday 13 3.30 at the village hall Osmington. Wear uniforms.

We warmed up. 

The big experiment - guess the note - and begin SECRET LOVE. After a verse we were allowed to start again with the back track. Hmmm. 

WALKING ON SUNSHINE now comes with options … to allow for breathing. Phew. Do look up and smile. 

TOGETHER IN ELECTRIC DREAMS A Capella - to discover which bits we hadn’t learned yet. Very telling. Then a treat. You guessed it. The backing track. Yippeeee. 

SUMMERTIME oh yeah. Baby. Choose a few notes at the end and do breath. Ed said it was alright 

And the timings in HALLELUJAH are very very important. 

RIGHT BY YOUR SIDE  - don’t for get to monkey around in that fabulous intro. 

Monkeying around again in I WANNA BE LIKE YOU. That last note tho. Oops. Ed also wants actions. He will be lucky. Rough. Please. 

Finally… ONE DAY LIKE THIS … welll anyway. It’s been a wonderful year. 

Will love and miss you choir, see you in September. Somewhere. Cat xxx

27 June 2014

I thanked everyone for helping to buy Susie post cards, and pointed out the new ones for sale at the back. 

Ed said how lovely the Flash Mob was even though we were all very nervous and worried. 

7 July Dorch borough gardens for our next appearance followed by 13 July Osmington village hall. Wear choir tops if you have them. Then it will be summer break

The running order 

SECRET LOVE 

We came in rather well with this we just looked at the first note. 

WALKING ON SUNSHINE 

It’s a marathon but stick with it. It’s such a crowd pleaser. 

TOGETHER IN ELECTRIC DREAMS

In this song we had to look at the ending, the harmonies and the overlapping. 

SUMMERTIME 

Ed gave us permission to breathe which was nice. 

HALLELUJAH

Timings were close …. 

RIGHT BY YOUR SIDE 

I WANNA BE LIKE YOU 

RUN 

then - finale - 

ONE DAY LIKE THIS 

Erm well timings right … 

For a treat we sang I WANNA BE LIKE YOU and my phone crashed mid blog. Such fun. 

We might be joining the Ukedelics at Wyke Christmas for another flash mob ssssshhhhh. After that exciting wee announcement we ran through the line up, then we went back and looked at specific areas, before having a treat of listening to the flash mob as recorded by my lovely hubby. 

Awesome sauce, choir, but that’s not why I love you x

20 June 2024

Wyke Ukedelics joined us for another practice of our songs together on Saturday. They filled the front of the hall and it looked like we had an orchestra. There was a lot of noise and energy. 

Jez runs the Ukedelics, and stood beside Ed ready to go. We flipped to ONE DAY LIKE THIS. I felt very nervous. If you think you should be singing … then sing! We don’t want any gaps. 

Right into UPTOWN GIRL and quickly into RUN, and another run through of ONE DAY LIKE THIS. 

As the Ukedelics left we sang I WANNA BE LIKE YOU and they danced out of the hall. We worked on the swing bit and also the bits were you make up your own boo boo babbly boo bits. 

Ed suddenly asked if we had 2 more rehearsals left, and we all confirmed we did. 

Next TOGETHER IN ELECTRIC DREAMS. Ed said it was beautiful. 

A lot of confidence needed for SECRET LOVE as it has a strong start. Ed said it was alright. 

WALKING ON SUNSHINE filled the hall. 

Relax into SUMMERTIME… and go for it! We did well. 

More energy now for RIGHT BY YOUR SIDE don’t forget that pause in verse three. 

And finally finishing with HALLELUJAH and leaving the chairs in place. 

Wow. Well done choir. See you next time! Xxx

13 June 2024

It was summertime, and our coats hung dripping in the main, outside the hall. Our jumpers were on again and there was one new song to collect from the table at the back.

The flash mob looms … veterans weekend too. See last week for date and time, because it’s a secret. The extra song was to build our 45 set for the swing time. Eeek that’s a long set. 

In super exciting news, some members would like to group together to see Gareth Malone at the pavilion. Hang left and get a discount in groups of 8 plus. It’s Friday 8h November.

We warmed up. 

The new song first, I WANNA BE LIKE YOU. No expectations. I didn’t really know it! The last note was a random choice to see how it worked, for a big finish YEAH. We had another run through. Not sure about that last note though… 

Back to my teenage years now TOGETHER IN ELECTRIC DREAMS. Prepared to be exposed at the end as the music fades and we don’t! 

SUMMERTIME slipped into the room despite the rain. Such fun. Sophisticated ending too. We sang it once then were invited to sing louder. Cue everyone going a bit shy and quiet. 

We swished our pages to SECRET LOVE. Then the ukulele version of ONE DAY LIKE THIS …. So different from our usual choir version. Much less call and response. 

And the ukulele version of UPTOWN GIRL also featured Ed at the piano. And Ed saw that it was good. HALLELUJAH! Please remember to drop all your Hs and not leave any gaps. 

For a fab finale … RUN! 

Well done DFS. Keep singing and always keep smiling  X