7 May 2026

 Tonight the blog was playing up and ate itself while I was trying to tell people how to find the aforementioned blog. Two people had asked me so I I thought it was time for a reshare. Then I scrambled to save some text and reload the blogger dashboard. 

Ed reminded us that our concert was looming, and that there were about 4 tickets left for the MAMA MIA trip so grab them if you want them. 

We will be singing at 11am on 23rd May at Brewers. Not the paint shop. The Fayre in the square. 

We had a notice from Jenny about some fundraising for this year’s charity, Chesil Sailability. On 15 May 10 - 3 they will be at ASDA with collection buckets and a lovely raffle. Good quality gifts would be appreciated. 

After our warm up we started with LAY ALL YOUR LOVE ON ME. No sliding until Ed does that things with his hands. He demonstrated the harmony parts again.

UNDER THE BOARDWALK started a tad falteringly that Ed restated the backing track with the vocal for a bit of revision. It’s also quite low for a lot of choir members to sing loud, being ladies who sing higher! 

Batteries clattered to the group and Ed lept behind the piano for VIVA LA VIDA. One glaring error of a syncopation kind had to be rectified. And so it was. Then it was time to sing with the backing track. 

Before singing IT’S NOT UNUSUAL we sung along to the ending, with the backing track slowed right down. Fun. 

Easy peasy song next, I ONLY WANT TO BE WITH YOU. Lovely lovely said Ed. 

Pristine annunciation required for THE LOGICAL SONG. Sandra wondered where it even ends. We needed one and we created one. Boom. 

FREEDOM …

TAKE ME HOME, COUNTY ROADS was sung with gusto. Digging deep to find the energy tonight! 

Climbing the mountains tonight. Oooooh. And yes lots of OOOH too! Xxx

30 April 2026

 Good evening said Ed, as everyone was still collecting the new song, THE LOGICAL SONG and there were two versions available, to add to the fun. 

In three Saturdays time we will be performing in Brewers Quay so Ed said we needed to get through eight songs tonight. Just a quick warm-up. 

The speaker then filled the hall with the funky sounds of LAY ALL YOUR LOVE ON ME hmmmm should we really sing about smoking these days? This song needs over the top, over annunciation to make those lyrics cristal clear, and the volume will go up. Everyone must be a diva and everyone must drive the bus.

Ed demonstrated the harmony parts including the base. This is one song we are aloud to slide in wheeeeee. 

We flipped the page to UNDER THE BOARDWALK. Only low voices for the eponymous words, and lots of energy for the overlapping parts. No passengers aloud. 

Next, keeping it simple we went with I ONLY WANT TO BE WITH YOU but not that simple. Ed came in too early this time. We need to be ahead of the beat for this one. Practice performance and looking up and out. Don’t be glued to those lyrics! You might miss Ed dancing. 

ITS NOT UNUSUAL and keep looking ahead. 

And VIVA LA VIDA splits the choir in two for that beautiful overlap. We had a run through using the backing track then Ed slipped behind the piano, to slow things down a little and see how some of these words actually fit! Ed said it was sounding rather splendid. 

Another song we may remember doing before, THE LOGICAL SONG. A volunteer for a kazoo solo is needed. 

Woah woah woah and do do do do FREEDOM freeeeeedooommmmmmmmm etc.

Are you ready to party? TAKE ME HOME, COUNTRY ROADS! And then LAY ALL YOUR LOVE ON ME to finish! 

wow super smashing and mostly concert ready DFS but that’s not why I love you x 

23 April 2026

It was a sunny evening so Ed welcomed us to Summer and our seven new songs. Brewers quay 23rd May 11am requires 10 songs eeek that’s not scary. Three more songs will arrive soon. A ukulele flash mob is a possibility too. 

So we discussed our new songs, and possible new songs, then warmed up. I made some terrible jokes but you are better off not knowing … 

We started with Dusty, I ONLY WANT TO BE WITH YOU. This is an old friend of DFS. Concert ready. 

We flipped the page to IT’S NOT UNUSUAL. We had a few listens to the ending which is very free-fall sounding. 

We are having the Hermes Dance Band version TAKE ME HOME, COUNTRY ROADS. 

I love Coldplay, we have sung VIVA LA VIDA before and we looked at that next. We have a nice little overlap in the last chorus with some oh oh ohs. We practiced with Ed at the piano. 

Back to the fun backing track for UNDER THE BOARDWALK. 

Get your Wham! on with FREEDOM. Massive outro, I was very tired but Ed said no time for a nap. 

Classical voices for LAY ALL YOUR LOVE ON ME. 

EEEEK well done DFS. You did very extremely well. Even Lesley thought so xxx

Easter Concerts 2026

 Here’s what Ed said about both of our concerts - 

“Huge thanks to those who sang and supported last night at our Dorchester Easter Concert. You sang so well and sounded superb raising a lovely £389.83 for Weldmar Hospicecare. Tonight we're doing it all again at St. Aldhelm's Church, Spa Road, Weymouth in aid of Chesil Sailability. The concert starts at 7pm and lasts approximately one hour, it's free with a retiring collection, please come along!”

So we all went along of course … then Ed shared this on Facebook -

“ Another great concert with massive thanks to Dorset for Singing and their supporters. I'm delighted to announce that we raised £390.46 which will go straight to Chesil Sailability to help fund the fantastic work that they do.  See you next term x”

Mike G said it was one of the best sets we have ever done, and the harmonies were brilliant. 

Well done DFS XXX

26 March 2026

 It was to Monica’s birthday so of course we sang. Well we are a choir. Just one week until our concerts so check you have all the words and fire up your printers to plug the gap maybe. 

Please come along on to the Wednesday concert 7pm united church, numbers are a little low and we are raising money for Weldmar. Our Thursday concert is in the church not the hall. Wear choir tops or pastel-ish tops and dark bottoms please. Ears? Maybe. 

And then we return on the 23rd April ready for Summer!

The running order was shared in last weeks blog. But here it is again … 

Kiss Me

Bright Eyes 

Hold Me Close  

Seven Tears 

Shine 

((( Cabaret Singers )))

The Riddle 

Weather With You 

Breaking Up is Hard to Do

The Prayer 

I Know Him So Well

We warmed up. Then ran thru the concert with a few helpful hints. Hintze. Have a happy Easter x 

19 March 2026

 Provisional Running Order, Easter Concerts 2026, with  notes by Ed after our run through. 

Kiss Me

No staring down at lyrics like they are a crutch. More melody please. Yippeee that’s my part. 

Bright Eyes 

Look ahead and keep your eyes on Ed so you hold the notes for the right length. Enjoy your selves in your bright eyes and bunny ears. 

Hold Me Close  

More confidence in the second verse. Not bad so far, said Ed  

Seven Tears

Ed will probably miss out the spoken parts but you never know. 

Shine 

The ending is a free for all so go for it. 

((( Cabaret Singers ))) - not a song folks! 

The Riddle 

The middle of The Riddle needed looking at. 

Weather With You 

Breaking Up is Hard to Do

Backing tracks are great, we need a strong, strong melody! 

The Prayer 

Isn’t that far of! 

I Know Him So Well

Needs a few little GAPS so we talked through the song to see how the words get chopped up. 

I copied this off of the facebook group and Ed ran through it before we started. I had forgotten my lyrics so I had to borrow some. 

It was that time again, just before the concert where we sing our running order in … er running order. Ed even gave us a short break where there would be a cabaret. 

We stood to sing I KNOW HIM SO WELL 

super smashing it’s ok it’s not the concert yet love you x 

5 March 2026

 Good evening wailed Ed as he fumbled for his microphone. He gave away 2 hot copies of THE PRAYER but in dots. Get a copy from https://pdfcoffee.com/andrea-bocelli-the-prayer-pdf-free.html

We warmed up after agreeing we should include a Neil Sedaka song follow the recent sad news of his death this week. 

Ed stayed behind piano to sing SEASONS OF LOVE with us. Who remembers singing this when choir was still quite young. We will look at that again in the summer, it won’t be in the Easter concert.

WE BUILD THIS CITY rang out from the speaker as we all tried to come in at the right time. This version was shorted too. 

And with harmonies, we sang KISS ME. We sang it a capela a couple of times before Ed asked for more life and expression. Smile. Then Ed said we would leave it as it was nearly perfect. 

Also needing animation is BRIGHT EYES and Ed said LOVELY and we moved on to THE PRAYER with him at the piano. He said it could have been worse. We worked hard on the middle bit. 

Mumbles as we found the lyrics to THE RIDDLE and Ed loaded up the backing track. There’s a cross over part where the chorus repeats which makes us sound very clever. Oh yes it does. 

Light entertainment from HOLD ME CLOSE next and our new old song BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO and what fun that is. 

We stood to perform I KNOW HIM SO WELL …

Well done yipppeeeeee etc  xxxx 

26 February 2026

Ed welcomed us back after our half term break and hoped we had a lovely time off. We have 5 rehearsals and then our Easter concert (in the Easter holidays) when we hope to be able to raise lots for our chosen charity. 

23rd May we have been asked to sing and Brewers Quay Fayre in the Square again this year. It’s at 11am if you want to pop it in your diary just now. 

Please do not look at the new lights in the hall the dimmers are on order apparently. Dots before the eyes make it hard to read your lyrics. We warmed up before Ed asked for feedback for each song by making appropriate noises or grumbles after each one. Should be fun, we all said while flipping in our folders to HOLD ME CLOSE. Probably pile.

I KNOW HIM SO WELL  splitting the room into two again. Ed went over what we were supposed to be doing before our first run through. Ed hoped the piano would not fall over. Positive noises for that baby. 

KISS ME we ran through with the backing track and then Ed had us sing it again with only the clapping of his hands, phew. A little more harmony was required and mixed noises followed.

Bunny time BRIGHT EYES backing track filled the hall and we sang. 

Ed had forgotten to print some dots for THE PRAYER but at least we had our coloured print-outs. We didn’t sing rise. Honest. Just a few winges but it’s honestly coming along nicely.

We flipped to SEVEN TEARS and got ready to oooh and sing. Mixed sounds, possibly football crowd. 

Gary time and time to SHINE! 

To finish WEATHER WITH YOU and some stood to preform. 

Well done DFS wooop hooooo yeah etc … x