27 March 2025

Hello, called Ed, inviting us to work intensively on some of the songs, including HYMN which will be sung in the Dorchester Easter concert. (Next Wednesday 7pm). 

This time next week we start our concert at 7.30pm. Don’t forget your raffle prizes. Wear bright and pastelly colours. Plain tops, no patterns. 

There are a few places left on the workshop on the 16th and it has a cute we performance at the end. Come back on the 24th April for the summer term. 

We warmed up then we started with HYMN. Ed counted us in. We muttered before hand about a little rusty. 

The intro of ONE OF US needs a big blast. We didn’t do too badly actually but we did discover Lesley had had a bad day. 

LOVE LETTERS we sang all the way through with Ed marking the ends of words. 

He sat at the piano for most of ALL MY LOVE then switched to the backing track. 

We got to sing the whole of TIL THERE WAS YOU / HERE COMES THE SUN with the backing track too. 

And I WILL FOLLOW HIM too. 

We had three goes at the intro of YOUNG AT HEART. 

AVE MARIA requires big monster breaths so we sang the whole song and then went through again looking were to take big breaths and snatch small ones. 

FRIDAY IM IN LOVE needs a funky ending that fits but it needs to go up at the end. 

Finally, BANNER-MAN, looking out for timing and huge breaths! 

Wow. Well done, see you next week for the concert xxx

20 March 2025

2 weeks until concerts! No panicking aloud. 5 songs, solos and then 5 more songs. But don’t forget one of them is the encore. 

Please hand raffle prices to the lovely Carol. 

The fresh and lovely running order … 

ONE OF US 

LOVE LETTERS 

ALL MY LOVE 

TIL THERE WAS YOU/ HERE COMES THE SUN

I WILL FOLLOW HIM 

solos and duos 

YOUNG AT HEART 

AVE MARIA (or HYMN for Dorchester)

RUN FOR HOME

FRIDAY I’M IN LOVE

BANNER MAN

we begin at 7.30pm. 

We began without a warm up to sing the first five songs. Had a two minute break, then sang the second half. That took us to 11 minutes past 8 and Ed said we had to tackle some of those songs again but he did let us a one minute break. And we did bits of songs, not all of them. 

We did brilliantly, now go home for a well earned biscuit xxx

13 March 2025

Ed welcomed us all … telling us we had a lot to get through tonight, all our songs! Next week we can look forward to singing our songs in concert order. Concerts at the start of April! 

There were tick forms at the back of the hall for the workshop day too. Grab your early bird tickets as a DFS member before it’s opened up to the public. 

We had a little warm up … 

Then we rang through all the song in this order… 

TIL THERE WAS YOU/ HERE COMES THE SUN 

Sounded lovely but just needs a little lift. 

IT’S FRIDAY I’M IN LOVE 

The ending could be the beginning but to do and da. Or some doo-do-dos of your own invention. Maybe. 

ALL MY LOVE 

Ed sang harmony, and he very much liked our efforts here. Practice in the kitchen is paying off. 

AVE MARIA 

Needs to be smoother. More big breaths. 

YOUNG AT HEART

Coming on beautifully 

ONE OF US 

Lovely 

RUN FOR HOME 

Dramatic

LOVE LETTERS 

This one has a bit of country. A hint of a yodel. 

I WILL FOLLOW HIM 

THE BANNER MAN

And after that we had a treat - getting to sing ALL MY LOVE with Ed at the Piano. 

eeek. Didn’t we do well? X

6th March 2025

Welcome to no roadworks, welcome to Thursday evening. Ukelele Dave is keen for a new flat mob so don’t tell anyone it’s Saturday 28 June, time to be conformed. 

2nd and 3rd April for our Easter concerts, with lollipops and prizes. More details next week about the singing workshop, but it will be running 10 to 4pm. 

One song needs to go tonight, to whittle 9 down to 8. We warmed up with I WILL FOLLOW HIM. Don’t forget to hold those long notes. No passengers allowed. 

Ed slipped out from behind the piano to fire up the backing track and conduct. It went well. 

Next, BANNER-MAN blasted from the speaker and from us too. Breathing is essential for this song, and don’t forget to fully participate in the competition between stage right and stage left. We worked quite hard on this one tonight. Was it concert perfect? 

Then we ‘relaxed’ with LOVE LETTERS as you do. The first record Lesley ever bought.

We dug out copies of TIL THERE WAS YOU/HERE COMES THE SUN and spares were shared. Ed slipped behind the piano forte and sang along too.

ALL MY LOVE was played by Ed too. On the second run through he blasted out the harmony before letting us lose with the sound track. Lovely love. 

Up tempo nest with YOUNG AT HEART. Ed said that were lovely too, and we flipped to AVE MARIA. He was also very pleased with that. We might have to persuade Dorch to try again, or just wow them at the concert! 

Abba to finish, ONE OF US. Yes indeed. Be careful with STUBBORN AND MISCONCEIVING !!!!! 

Fab singing, you have all obviously been practicing in ASDA etc. but that’s not why I love you x