17 October 2013

The one with the brand new warm up that lasted rather a long time and ended up in the jungle (breathe now).

In news, Downton abbey are looking rather full, but Blenheim Palace have booked us... Downton abbey might squeeze us in next summer, wait and see!

Keeping the dream alive might still need some arrows, but I used my finger in the interim. Hmmm. You really have to be there to know what I'm on about, don't you? What ever would 'Blog Reader' say?

'I love it when you call' causes us a few problems again when we tried to add in extra letters all of our own. We should have it all! We really do because we are the best choir in Dorset.

We had a listen to Babs singing that King And I number, following the words as we went along, and as the choir joined in all hairs stood up on the back of my neck. I promise it wasn't the thought of Yul Brenners shiny head .... All new to me! But I still just want to sing 'if I loved you' during this song! My bad ...

In the original key we were in the mood for dancing! The YouTube seemed to be sung by a 5 year old Michael Jackson. So key from B down 4. Phew. Then back up 2! The words will have an update.

We finished with a groovy kind of love, them went home to our night caps! Keep singing, and keep listening to our songs on you tube, paying attention to the bit you know you really don't know. Love you, Cat xxx

10 October 2013

The one with the photographer!

The photographer smiled with satisfaction after each shot, zooming here and there and swinging from the rafter to get that perfect composition. And then demonstrated how to navigate Youtube on the big screen in order to facilitate your homework! Thank you Jack. Please remember not to get too excited that you don't change the words! you know how much we are all addicted to staring at them!

We kicked off with uptown girl, key-original again, and some work on some harmonies. And the knows, noz and knooooowz! Ouch!

Ladies only for the start of a song I don't know from the king and I am very sorry for not knowing it. Some parts were very high even for the ladies! And sorry also for attempting to sing 'if I loved you' over the top, and it's performed in the original key. On YouTube look up the Barbra Streisand version (king and I medley)She sings both parts herself. 

We tackled the feeling number, no not the wine one! And it's in the key of F. Vava voom needed! Drop me a line if you like this fun song, 'cause I love it when you call!

Dropping down again (see last blog post - back down a key) we sang 'groovy kind of love' and thought of Jenny. Well I did. But please sing it from the boots everyone, as we need more volume, especially the last chorus! Julie's high harmony is lovely :-) Well done Julie and Ed on the duet, getting to be a habit ...

In other important news, DFS needs an admin and PR body, which could be me if i have a bit of training, and also know how to chat up the folk at The Echo, and at Wessex FM already ... Better offers apply through Ed or Jenny please! Love you, Cat XXXX

26 September 2013

Happy Birthday Dorset for Singing!

Ed greeted his lovely choir with ice creams on arrival... And then we sang to ourselves, most excellently, and Jack cut our very special cake!

Then in notices we talked about this years Christmas concert, already booked in the pavilion! And Ed tried to get sympathy for his man-cold! We will also be back at All Saints Church next May, and next week we may bring information on charities we wish to support this academic year. I wont be here, so I will pop some information up here for your consideration :-)

A choir meeting is long overdue, especially as there is talk of us performing at Downton Abbey! (During a school holiday, and cheers all round from choir at that idea!!)

We met some new songs and revisited some old ones! The first old fave was the freiheigh number, Keeping the dream alive, in the key of G. Ed would like us to get out heads round the three part harmonies. We had to improve our diction, and we also need some help with the ends of lines, as some of them go down and some of them go up!

A favourite of Jen's was next, 'groovy kind of love' in the key of C. Rapidly followed by the key of D, on account of Lesley! Mind bendingly good!

Then 'Uptown Girl', firstly in the original key, and with massive potential for harmony parts of course, and very quickly performed in the original key, and on our feet!

Do check out the DFS you tube channel, as demonstrated by Jack, for all potential songs - and to have a practice. Tonight's showcase ballad was to be 'Right here waiting for you' but not before we gave ourselves a big round of applause, and one for Jenny too! (In the original key!) See you soon, keep singing XXX

29 July 2013

The one with the free lunch ...

Selected members of choir only and their significant others went off one blustery day for a free lunch, on Portland, with cameras in our faces too! Some folk went into the restaurant and pretended to chose from cooked food, while the elite went outdoors for a cream tea ...

The views were nice, from the roof garden, and the plates looked like they were going to blow off too ...

Ed found the cups and plates strangely disturbing as you can see ...

We felt sorry for the 'dead cat' who was doing all the hard work and ....

so we gave it some eyes!

And dear jenny laughed and laughed with delight!

The hot scones followed the posh sandwiches, and were washed down with lashings of ginger beer, sorry, tea ...

And the pots of jam and honey we didn't use went home in our hand bags of course!

It was wonderful darlings, do come again!

Term Dates for DFS!

Hello me dears, here are all the term dates for this our 6th accedemic uear togeter! for when we meet on the 26th we will be 5 wonderful years old! I guess we will all start getting wobbly teeth.... so on Thursdays from1845 until 2000hrs, we will meet on the following days to practice doing what we do well-

Sept. 26th
Oct. 3rd, 10th 17th, 24th...
Half Term
Nov. 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th
Dec 5th

Jan. 16th, 23rd, 30th
Feb. 6th, 13th
Half Term
Feb 27th
Mar 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th
Apr 3rd

Apr 24th
May 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd
Half Term
Jun 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th
Jul 3rd

Add those to your lovely smart phone, now! Concerts to be confirmed and subject to change if we feel the venue is beneath us ...

13 July 2013

The last post...

It is with great sorrow that I blog the last blog, detailing the honest exploits of Dorset For Singing, aged 5 years! The blog began in the January of 2009 when choir had been going for one term, and only had one blog post to boot! So I offered my dubious wordy services, and these days I am not even moderated!

This blog post is about a hot windy day in the rose garden, where songs were dropped, timings were changed (organisers fault) and handbags were applied to the music stand as stand-in sand bags! (Weather fault)... Sophie even weighed her folder down with a lump of cake.

I am going to miss sharing our adventures with you until halfway through September! The summer holidays looms large and long. I suppose I should finish putting that new zip into Mrs Ed's waterproof trousers before the rains come...

This delightful panorama I shall leave you with, another iPhone greatness featuring disjointed ropes and children with missing parts. Some things just can't be improved upon ....

Have fun, and keep singing, I will always love you xxxx

4 July 2013

The one in the common room!

It was very hot in the common room, so Jack fetched out a wobbly fan and my kids sang into it for that crazy Doppler effect! But it was still hot, and very little warm up needed, as Ed did not have a key board. just that wheely-boogie- box speaker and a smarty-pants phone that goes on and plays the next song all by itself, for that seamless concert pleasuring .... 

So due to the fan blowing warm air about, we all sang our songs looking like babes from 80's pop videos. Even the men! and we had a good go at all the problem areas, as this is our last practice before the rose garden, on the 13 July. Because next week is party time, so get thinking what karaoke number you will do! around the mouthful of Jenny's lovely buffet ... I will be back to blog all the best fun from the old music room, of course ...

And in September when we finally reconvene, its party time, 5 wonderful years have passed since we met in that music room to learn out first songs together. i joined three weeks in, and them began to blog in the new year, how long have you been a DFS babe? See you Thursday, BIG LOVE, Cat xxx

29 June 2013

The one in the rectory garden...

When Linda dragged back the audience....

She wrote in our facebook group, "Well done choir again at our latest gig! Thanks Ed and Harry for the musical assistance, we all had a great time and looking forward to The Rose Garden do in July.

"I managed to stop some people leaving before we sang and made them `go and sit down or you`ll miss a treat`! I don`t know if they`ll get over being forced `fed`! I think they liked it !! See you all Thursday XXX"

Just sharing the love, here!