14 march 2013

The cat that came back!

So sorry for the lack of choir blog, the cat and kittens returned this week after 4+ weeks of illness, when the cat stayed mostly on the sofa and the kittens pretended to be very good but really were drawing on the upholstered dining room chairs...

Lots of catching up to do, including trying to help ed find the right keys and being reminded of our 2 concerts and our being a part of the best of Dorset again, because we are. Truly. The best choir.

Then we had a run thru of this terms songs, concert style. And a bit of a vote on those for the best of, and promises to ourselves to practice those we don't know very well!

It was great to be back, even if I still can't sing very well, especially to be part of 'the angry men song' which the kittens love a lot! Looking forward to going to normandie with the cream of DFS! And no kittens, eh! Keep singing, I love you loads and thanks for missing me! Cat xxxx

7th February 2013

The one with completely no parking. And where the lap top arrived just in time. (Delivered by Martin and Blogged live from the common room, with love!)

Ed showed off his birthday purchase, then reminded us not to turn up next week. Or for a while, actually. We will be singing soon at the music festival on the 2nd March. Yikes! No Brian husband this time.

The Billy Joel number was much too high. Or maybe I can blame my scratchy throat. But Ed agreed to drop it down then introduced some harmonies, for the longest time.

'If I loved you' added a nice bit of cheese, cheese strings in fact. To be sung with ease, but also crisply. No sliding, this is a non slide song and leave out the flippancy too. Sorry about that. I laaarve you!

A dramatic change - from dreadful to wonderful, such as had never been experienced by choir before, was then followed by a bit of Karen carpenter.

I wonder if I should offer to store all the keys of the songs we sing? As well as blogger, and live blogger, I could be keeper of the keys. Key master. Run to me if you get locked out!

Finally, Billy Joel again. Whhooooaaargh! And then a grand finish with our Les Mis number, so we belted that out and headed out into a soggy bit strangely empty car park. See you next time DFS, have a nice break, and bring your trip money when we come back. Xxxx

31 January 2013

The one without the choreography please!

Tonight the Cat and Kittens returned, some said they were missed and some were given dirty looks by Mary, who didn't want to be acknowledged at all! Welcome back Adrian, who may have been around last week of course...

New songs tonight, including a dancing queen with some very large gaps and that lovely Adele number, only in a very in-Adele key!

House keeping included chatting about out European tour, which we must pay for when choir starts back on Thursday 28th February, after half term break. Also since we lost Michael's tech input, Ed has moved the DFS website so if you are reading this you must be a detective.

Common room next week, please bring folding car or walk/run ...

17 January 2013

The one were Ed turned 40, and nothing of any really proper singing work got done ...

It was nuttier than Christmas in the hall tonight, as Jack and Jenny worked the room with fizzy wine and only Harry stayed sober to press the buttons and slide the slider things to keep feedback at a minimum. While the buzz from the keyboard connections was mostly kept under check, the cheek given to the hour master reached new heights of annoying, and I'm very sorry about that indeed.

Am blogging from the sofa, in keeping with tonight's relaxed atmosphere, and with a nice glass of rosé! We had four new songs to have a go at including one which Ron sang at Wey-bay during one of our appearances there! We had a really good go at that as everyone seems to know the chorus of 'oh what a beautiful morning', and has sun it in the shower at least once.

Concert announced for the 10th may, at all saints church on Portland, so I pencilled it in on my iPhone at the same time as chatting with Jenny and Anna on a fresh photo of Ed. shared here for your enjoyment. Have a good weekend, In bed with the snow. Keep singing xxxx

10 January 2013 ...

The one where Michael got his tankard ...

Happy new year Dorset for singing, a bit of a croaky start for us all after all the seasonal indulgence, even yours truly had succumbed to the love that is Baileys, this Christmas! We had lots of lovely new songs to trial, and some of them were immediate hits and most of them were 'too low', but we got there in the end. As ever, we get a feel of new songs, sometimes in more than one practice, then sometimes kiss them goodbye and more on!

Some odd buzzes and crackles tonight, not from out throats but from Ed' and Jack's struggles with some dodgy leads and dusty projector filters, long overdue a good cleaning!

Really good feedback about of Christmas concert has come to me from a couple of sources, so just passing it onto share the love, we just get bigger and better every time. So well done DFS, pour your selves another!

Someone suggested a choir social to see Les Mis, and I think that would be a marvellous idea, esp as our other socials involve food, alcohol or too much coffee! But don't talk to Michael about organising that, as tonight he stepped down as choir manager and had to try very hard to unwrap his groovy tankard! He can bring that next week when Ed celebrates becoming 40. Don't knock it till you have tried it. 40 is fun! Turn up next week in your best dress, and find out! Please drink responsibly! Now get your you-tube out, and get singing! love you, Cat XXXX

13 December 2012

The Christmas concert ...

It is with great pride, and a glass of red wine that I sit to blog the blog about our enormously fun and successful concert, where we raised a healthy amount of cash for Motor Neurone Disease sufferers and families.Some of it while putting our hands on our bottoms, but I'll get to that in a minute! Thanks to Mary for  getting on the mic and telling us about the charity and her son Spencer xxx

It seems an age since we stood on stage at all saints school, and in fact we must have 'grown' as some of us were down on the floor again! And although the Christmas tree was not a patch on previous years' Christmas trees, it did mean that only the odd word was missing behind both it and one of the speakers used by the school. Of course, its no secret at all that we are all inclusive and make groovy power points so that the words can be seen at all. It sounds like many members have stopped staring at the screen now like rabbits-in-headlights, as I was asked by a member of the audience why the choir all stared at Ed. Well he was managing to conduct without his hands, rather clever id you ask me. MY favourite bit is when he mouths 'perfect' after a song finishes, while looking with relief at the notes on his keyboard ...

Well done from me to all soloists, I know what that feels like!

What fun we had playing heads and tails trying to win a Jeremy Bowen of champers, I esp had a giggle because of getting so close. Still not sure if I should stay Facebook friends with Richard now!

And after all our hard work, the treat of listening to Ed perform as his Alter Ego, during which I slipped away to relieve my lovely baby sitters and unwind from all that laughing at Ed's jokes.Well done DFS, love you so much, I cant wait to see you in 2013! Keep singing!

6th December 2012

The where the blogging was live...

Taking no chances this week against bad weather, sick children or forgetfulness, so blogging is taking place as we sing. Or not, as we haven't started yet!

All set up, and immersed in general chit chat, Ed and I worked out that the key for my solo is E minor.

Penultimate practice means a full concert run through, followed by a break, and some analysis. EEEEE-OOOOOR! The non-synchopators will be named and shamed again...The break was 4 minutes of speed-dating. Someone I didn't know did smile at me!

Next week, it's our concert and we will be back in the hall. The dress code is polo shirts and black bottoms, because we are indoors and do not need to wear our coats.

But for now it's back to the sofa for a hot drink, a bit of blogging, oh blogger me, I have already done it. Who wants to see a really funny pic of Michael and Ed?

The one where the blog was late ...

Hello nose-pickets, it's that time of year for coughs, sneezes and tummy rumblings to rattle round the hall as we dum-dum-diddly, and the like!

Have been having a very fat-head, so am stocking up on honey and lemon for our big concert, which is now rather less than two weeks away! Suggest you so same. Only coz I love you! Rather think though that a cash bar would be better.

Practice was filled with excited (paper) flutterings as charitable print outs of carols were handed out and my children tried to get one copy each because sharing sucks when you are KS1!

But we did get to Sing a good few of our all saints concert songs, and I hope you are all doing your homework this week. Keep singing/gargling and remember Maria Callas always used to eat tomatoes. Love you. The Cat xxxx