11 June 2026

 Cold choir members gathered to sing once again. Summer starts soon apparently. Ed warned us that in 2 weeks time spa road will be closed again so we will cancel that weeks rehearsal. Next week is fine, the 25th June, no choir at all that week unless you pop to Dorchester! 

I’ll remind you next week. We sang happy birthday to Sonia and Karen in place of a warm up. 

We dug out the lyrics for IMMORTALITY and sang along with Celine Dion … roughly … then Ed slipped behind the keyboard for some thrashing things out. 

Immor - MASSIVE GAP- tality also comes with two harmonies. We did very well with those so we sang with the backing track again. 

Choir all finds YOU MAKE MY DREAMS tricky so we sang along with the lead vocal. Those of us that felt able to. The great big OOOOOWW def took me by surprise. 

Pick a part for THE RHYTHM OF LIFE? Ed said he might split the room but he wasn’t sure yes. We sang along with the recording and tried not to fall out with our neighbours singing different things to us. Eeek. 

It gave me hiccups. 

With Ed at the keys, and playing it a little slower we split the hall in two and then added in the sweet and low Go Go Go part. 

We continued onwards … doobi doobi etc … 

Cool down time now with GLORY OF LOVE best power ballad of all time haha. Ed even did his best 80s power ballad impression and we were impressed. 

Cake time now with MACARTHUR PARK which is another challenge. Well it sounded better than last week. 

We finished with TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART and stood to perform. Well done everyone - have a nice rest everyone! 

Xxx 

4 June 2026

 Welcome back after half term, and good evening. We had six ‘new’ songs including some we have sampled before. 

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Cuq6XRtaa/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Feedback was that everyone melted at Fayre in the very HOT Square. 

Our social is 9th July, venue tbc. Save the date. 

We sang happy birthday to Sandra then warmed up. 

Our first song tonight IMMORTALITY beautifully sung by Celine Dion, we we listened. Then Ed slipped behind the piano to break it down and see how much we knew. Concert ready. Haha we sang with the backing track. 

THE RHYTHM OF LIFE lead to Ed handing out dots ready to go. He pleased play on the backing track and it’s faster than you think it will be! The soprano parts are in brackets and low voices are BOLD and there are also …. Odd parts! 

Ed sat at the piano with the promise we could do it slower. Phew. 

It was going very well until he got very excited and sped up again! Meridy and Bob said it sounded better than last night, but we can blame Ed for the dodgy lyrics. 

GLORY OF LOVE by Peter thingy we sang along with the backing track. Concert ready. 

Backing track blasted out MACARTHUR PARK which I didn’t know was the cake-out-in-the-rain song. 

Still jumping around we sang along with YOU MAKE MY DREAMS 

21 May 2026

Don’t come next week. It’s half term. But do turn up on Saturday at 11am, even though we don’t all fit on the stage to this day.

We also pondered a return to the Ringstead cafe to hurt everybody’s ears with our karaoke. Again. As an end of term treat. 

What followed were warmups and exercises in singing loudly in preparation for Saturday… Then we sang our songs in running order for that very same event. 

We shouted HI at the wall … yes that one! Then we made big loud sounds, found a convergent note and played sirens before LAY ALL YOUR LOVE ON ME. 

Articulate! Ed gave us an alternative to those hi notes end-of-lines. 

UNDER THE BOARDWALK needs us to follow Ed and not just forget to come in. Dancing or being seagulls is optional. 

It will be what it will be. IT’S NOT UNUSUAL. We did three endings, you know, just to be happy. We need to be happy.

I ONLY WANT TO BE WITH YOU needs a HUGE energy input. 100pc in it. 

Now give 110pc to THE LOGICAL SONG …

VIVA LA VIDA requires rhythm. We attempted a second time with no music. Fun. We went over the ending quote. 

Big big big energy so we might ask the audience to help sing FREEDOM. Lots of fast do do doooooos

PHEW. I’ve definitely peeked, in life. Or was it peaked? 

But we just had time for TAKE ME HOME, COUNTRY ROADS. We stood to perform. 

Well done and as far as Saturday goes, be there or be square. Haha. Gettit? Xxx

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