18 October 2018

Back in the Hall after last weeks alternative venue, we met for the last time before half term. Ed took some shout-out requests for Christmas songs, which will appear in our rehearsal sessions as soon as we return on the first of November. 

Then we warmed up. The lack of blog posts reflect the lack of Cat but I was back on the front row under the watchful eye of the choirmaster. In news, Ed had a really bad cold and Jack was at a 6th form open evening, and also sent apologies for being absent. 

We began to sing from our booklets, starting at the back with Rule The World. It all went well until we split into two parts. And tried to swap halfway through, so Ed broke it down for us, before we stood to perform. 

We began to sing Run from our boots. It was the useful version with up and down arrows which gladdened my weary heart. Ed got the clap for his playing and we got a reminder that only low voices must start. Much work was done on the notes of the chorus until it sounded rather goosebumpy to me on the front row, sitting as everyone stood to belt it out. 

And new to choir this term we sang Nights In White Satin and Don’t Stop Believing then I Dreamed A Dream zipping rappidly backwards through our booklet and missing out a few numbers. We looked more closely at the latter’s notes, and the harmonies too. Ed was pleased and said we sounded like a proper choir. 

Can’t Take My Eyes Off You bust fourth from our collective lungs! 

Well done DFS I see why I missed you so much! Keep singing, Cat The Blogger! Xxx

Important Practice Information type of thing ....

From our Choir Master Ed -

"Please spread the word!!

"We will be rehearsing at -

St Aldhelm's Church Hall,
Spa Road,
Weymouth DT3 5EW

on Thursday, 11th October from 7pm until 8.15pm.

"There is a group using the hall until 6.45pm so please do not arrive before then (car parking space is limited). You will need lyric sheets, there will be plenty available tonight at All Saints. Thank you!"

Be there, or be at the wrong venue! I love you, Patched-Cat XXX

20 September 2018

Due to far too generous amounts of prosecco the blogger was almost too drunk to blog. But she did make a marvellous video!

Plans for this year include a fabulous Christmas concert, a super beefy 10 year celebration concert and a cider filled trip, with some singing as well. 

Today we kicked off by singing Blue Moon from our lovely new booklets .... The Street Where You Live was followed by the emotional I Dream A Dream while we anticipated Jack on the drums, and Harry on words. 

It was more than A Little Respect that we showed the lads and we all felt On Top Of The World after that. And perhaps because of all the orange juice. 

We are still addicted to ABBA so we sent out an SOS and it wasn’t for more booze. We love Rosé and we won’t Stop Believing! We also probably gave our new members a Run for their money, and showed them that me may not actually Rule The World but we sure know how to have a good time! Jack joined us on the drums again for our final song and then this blogger headed home to edit the video and get it uploaded. Tomorrow ....

Love you DFS, here’s to a great year of being 10. Xxx

5th July 2018

So for the last time this academic year we gathered in the hall with that end of term feeling, with our last concert on the 14th July at 1.30pm St Edmunds. 

When we return in September we will be having our 10th birthday celebration just ahead of the right royal 28th. 

Today’s warm up for old times sake was our Forever Motown one of our medleys. Just for fun. And after fluffing our way through that Ed slipped behind the piano for a crack at Dona Nobis Pacem which he quickly ran through before splitting up choir into three parts. 

This Is Me came with a brand new backing track and a HUGE hiss. The backing track is part of a medley, such potential fun. Ed declared it ‘over ready’ then sat at the piano to iron out the little creases. We were told to hold our Aaaaaah not our sssssssss. We stood to perform. Ed also reminded us to hold onto our parts. 

And Jacks choice next, the quirky little number that is Life On Mars but only once our choir master’s hands were ready. Then we had a snack break followed by a rousing Viva La Vida, another notice, and a mystery medley after some jokes and thanks from Ed. A HUUUUGE round of applause for Jack. 

In a very clever and honourable link announced his love of The Sound Of Music. We dived in, with Pringles Brownies and booze. Some of my favourite things ...

Well done DFS have a great summer, we all love you XXX

28 June 2018

A warm hall filled respectfully as videos from DFS recent concerts filled the big screen with the sound of Hallelujah and Build Me Up Buttercup and more, filmed around Weymouth and Dorchester. 

Ed thanked everyone for lasts weeks celebrations, but look out for our official celebrations when we return in September. I see from the very first blog post that our official birthday is the 28th. 

Choir heard the story of how Ed’s wife Jenny ruptured her Achilles Tendon doing a Miranda gallop at last Saturday’s party. We all sent our love. Such not fun. Very ouch really. 

We began singing on the dot of 7pm Viva La Vida. The blog App crashed as I hit publish to join in singing. Happily I dug it out of the offline folder. But everyone was very hot and the singing sounded tired. Ed woke us up with This Is Me and it had lovely added brakets so we could split into two. Then we went over some of the timing without the distraction of any music. Holding onto some notes made for a lovely overlap. Then we stood to perform...

Next week Ed will have a new backing track and we will sing This Is Me at our final concert, and suddenly it was time for The Classics beginning with When We Were Young. And Ed said, lovely. 

A backing track for Let It Be Me and so with a note for each part, we sang it Al Fresco, due to persistent lack of a piano. 

Next the marmite-song, You Raise Me Up. We can almost do this without having the words. Almost. The Impossible Dream might not exactly be a classic for DFS but one Ed has a soft spot for so we sang that and really rather well. 

A special request from a younger member was to sing tonight was Wings so yeah. We did. And with the England and Belgium match still without a goal between them, we gave ourselves the clap for singing it so well.

Freddie next. We Are The Champignons according to some. Do You Hear The People Sing is another marmite-song, and for the finale, a surprise. Not that tonight’s running order lacked surprises. 

Something Inside so strong burst fourth from our collective lungs at one minute to eight. I love you DFS, you rock! See you next week with nibbles and a relaxing last session before summer. The Cat xxx

21 June 2018

In a hot, summery Hall, DFS gathered in the place of no-piano to sing, following a short warm up and with instructions to finish early.

Ed read notices including an itinerary for Sutton Poynts street fair, a concert in December at the fire station and a reminder of our last concert this year at St Edmunds. 

Suddenly without a warm up at all, we launched straight into Under The Moon Of Love, too quickly infact before the lyrics had even hit the screen. It wasn’t quite patronising enough so we had to try again while Jack gave us an update of the footy. 

I Got Rhythm came next. Argentina had almost scored! Watch the timing of ‘birds in the trees-sing’. This also needs lots of energy, and Ed demonstrated a solo to try, and we did. On the computer screen, a man sank to the ground. We stood to perform. 

Ed asked Have I The Right and we almost did because the words were up ready but the tune was Hallelujah. Only Ed rose to the challenge of fitting the words and tune. 

We skipped Voulez Vous in order to fit in This Is Me, but not before singing an actual Hallelujah. We worked a little more on the ‘ad lib’ section at the end of the song. 

And to Rocking All Over The World we went, including the dance routine in our chairs. Well. Or played air guitar. Ed said it was too nice. But it was time for This Is Me. We had been doing our homework because Ed was quite pleased. 

The slightly slower Viva La Vida popped into our screen, while on the other, a man was down and a crown of white and orange people gathered. We sang on. The whoa-whoa-whoas were split into two kinds some the sang the end and some the beginning of phrases. 

Then I got my camera switched on ....

you can watch the result HERE!

And after that delight stood and sang Voulez Vous while the sweet cake got cut, and the proseco poured, and remained on our feet to sing I Believe. 

What a lovely night DFS, isn’t it great to be 10? The blog won’t be 10 until next January but you can always dip into the archives to see what we got up to when we had a naughty corner and met in the old music room. 

Keep singing, I love you, The Cat xxx

14 June 2018

Ed thanked everyone for the fantastic concert last week, when £250 was raised twice, both for the church and for MV FREEDOM too. It was hailed as our best concert ever. Well done DFS! 

Jackie and Linda came forward to promote the coffee meetings that take place at Gould’s Garden centre on Thursday afternoons 2-4pm and we will put these sessions on the blog to remind you. 

And so we sang without warm up Hallelujah and it’s not the same not sung in church, and then we learned the super nice high part which overlaps and oooo it was nice. 

Under The Moon Of Love was quickly followed by a bland new song This Is Me. We began with a you tube run through before Ed sat at the piano to break down the overlapping parts and play as we sang, and then stood with a backing track to perform. Have a little listen to it for homework everyone, and well done. 

And next Ed thought our next song was new but it was fabulous revision for choir of All About You. 

And in a fleeting moment when we thought Ed was announcing his retirement he was actually launching a new, slower version of Viva La Vida, and he played the piano, standing to perhaps cool himself off a bit, on the balmy eve. 

And as a special treat we got to choose a song for a treat and we chose I Believe and sang from the heart, then stood to dance to Voulez-Vous and Rocking All Over The World!

Well done DFS, Hard work on a hot night, now don’t forget your homework and proudly say, this is me! Cat xxx

7 June 2018

So feeling fresh after half term choir gathered for a full and fruity dum-dum-diddly and other assorted warm-ups. And all the electric windows were opened because summer has at last arrived in All Saints School Hall. 

Jack and Ed admired our bright summery colours as Ed detailed tomorrow’s concert. I won’t be there this time as I have child duties, but I wish you well DFS. We congratulated each other for the singing at Fayre In The Square, so well done all who aired their lungs there. 

Songs in order as follows ... 

Under The Moon Of Love and after the first run through, came with instructions to sing as if singing to school children, to make those words very very clear, and off we went again! 

I Got Rhythm sounds lovely and we only sang it once! It sounds very lovely, even the ad -lib section. 

Have I The Right also benefitted from less grows and more ‘aggressive purrs’ but I can’t roll my Rrrrrrrrs to save my life so I’ll pass thank you.  

Voulez Vous we stood to perform but sadly we forgot to layer our ‘Aha’s and we performed it again seated, following the delight of Ed’s dance routine! 

Hallelujah lacked the end top note, indeed, probably lacked half of the last Hallelujah as the room of bright people ran out of air. Then meant not leaving the somg until we had achieved it, especially the high note. 

Rockin All Over The World couldn’t start without a demonstration of new dance moves that DFS Dorch felt the instrument section really needed. We prayed folders wouldn’t go flying, and stood to perform, going a bit Milwall in the choruses! High people got to try the harmony part separately so that it might be included at the concert tomorrow. And it was nearly perfect. 

Viva La Vida has a number of options in order to facilitate breathing at the end. But Ed got a little lost trying to demonstrate those! Never mind - we all got it and sounded fab. 

Song Of The Sea went really well and we quickly followed by the secret encore, I Believe. 

Well done DFS, you are CR! Have fun and keep singing, that’s not why I love you xxx