7 October 2021

Beaking news - Jack is getting a hair cut tomorrow! 

Concert is still going ahead and getting closer. The backing tracks are ready and waiting in Dropbox 

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/j5xtil6hd6eeocq/AABJRU4ApiOsnKImZgsZeTvAa?dl=0&fbclid=IwAR36wSRpMwYkdY0v-QV50qeR9e6XqKUP_MPuCBsuxX9Fb3XdfmivxL8SonE

We started tonight with California Dreamin’ and I hope Dorch don’t read this. He said we were worded, but we decided to count that as a warm up. Off we went again, from the top. It was better. 

With a brand new backing track and Ed out from behind the keyboard we sang I Have Still Faith In You. After a run through we broke it down because it does have interesting gaps and beats. This song needs us all to be soloists, in effect. Make like divas DFS. We do have in it us, we do. Have Faith! 

Don’t forget that wonderful overlap, and come in gentley with the ‘I still have …” And we stood to perform, and Ed was happy with the way that’s progressing. 

Make You Feel My Love will be out opening song. The start of verse two either needs some work or the audience will think, oh what a dynamic overlap. So there’s that. Do sing it a lot smoother. 

The War Time Medley has a backing track too. And wow what a lovely thing it was. Apart from our key change. And our ‘so’ … 

We had a sing of First Time and I really wanted a fizzy drink for some reason. And just for fun God Only Knows which was nice. 

Well done DFS, I still have faith in you. Aaaaah doooooo. So! Keep singing xxx

30 September 2021

Ed and Jack did a thorough sound check and someone told me I got the month late. So I edited that. It’s a little cold in the hall so we might be in need of a more physical warm-up as winter approaches, with all the ventilation requirements. 

But we did do some vocal-sizes and no star jumps. 

Ed gave is a recap of Jack’s life since lockdown started (nice) and reminded us about our concert (read last week if you didn’t come) and announced that the new ABBA song will have to go up a pitch or two to suit our young fresh voices. 

First song of the night is an old friend California Dreamin’ but it rather lacked the melody and the brightness of higher cheek bones! Do sing winner and not winter otherwise it sounds a bit jam and Jerusalem. 

Christmas Concerts are not on the radar yet. But we could do an outdoor thing. We slipped into Make You Feel My Love don’t forget your aaaaaahs in the second verse. We agreed that the key was comfortable for Ed to make a backing track or two, and that Jack will get some links on the website on Saturday because the weather will be pants. Blowing in your face. Best stay home and sing then. 

Time for a Wartime Medley with rats, cats and bats to sing about. What fun we had in the olden days! Oh we did have fun packing up our travels and smiling those cheeks higher! 

ABBA song time, but first and anecdote. ABBA recently made a comeback but they are going to come back all holographically so we might go to said hologram concert on a coach together. Won’t that be fabulous. 

I Still Have Faith In You lead to a two man tinkering on the piano, and we were off, in a new key. I don’t mean we were off key. (Plus 2) (transpose is function and f sharpe and f in case Ed forgets). 

We decided to top and tail If You Could Read My Mind which I still don’t know oops, mind you I had members sitting nearer so my own mistakes as loud this week, hooray! We stood to perform. Well, when I said we I was bending the truth a bit. This song is my homework, what’s yours? 

Wow well done DFS. It’s so good to be back isn’t it? Keep singing but only where it’s safe to do so. 

23 September 2021

Back! Back we were. Even if no one sat near me, it was so good to be back. The piano was a little wobbly and we had to do a quick google to find out how to transpose. Perhaps Ed was a little wobbly too. 

Ed welcomed everyone and reminded everyone that we already have a concert booked on the 31 October which will feature a brand new wartime medley. It will be for the festival of remembrance. 

We were going to be singing old songs and new songs again tonight marking the end of the odd ‘nearly two years’ and kicked off with a Dum Dum Diddle together. Yes! 

The first song in our concert will be Make You Feel My Love and we were off singing a real propper song! Considering we had not sung for a long time, well together, it sounded pretty nice and Ed just had to revise timings with us. It was so lovely singing that I was tempted to forget to blog. But then where would we be? Dorchester probably read this to see if we were as good as them, for starters. 

This will be our opening number … we stood to perform. And Ed said that it was good. 

Wartime Medley was our next piece of fun, for me it was the rats but for some of the guys it might have been the marvellous harmony part. And Ed said it could have been worse. We stood to perform!

Homework may have been to listen to I Still Have Faith In You but it was very new to many so Jack looked out a lyric video for us. 

We had a stab at the beginning with Ed at the piano, held back by Jenny’s handbag. The piano I mean, not Ed. 

Next up was If You Could Read My Mind familiar to many of DFS. We ran through that and the first verse of First Time and ran out of time. 

Wow DFS, didn’t we do well? I loved it. Keep singing and definitely keep smiling, Love, The Blogger x 

Lockdown parte duet ....

From our dear Choir Master - 

"It is with sadness, yet again, that I have to announce the suspension of rehearsals for Dorset for Singing. I will, of course, resume the live sessions through Facebook on Thursdays at 6pm and hope that we will be able to get together and sing before Christmas. Although the 2nd lockdown doesn’t become law until Thursday, 5th November, due to rising rates, there will be no rehearsal this Wednesday for Dorchester. I really don’t want to put anyone at risk so hope you understand. It has been so good to get back recently, and we WILL return! Much love to you all, Ed and family x."

15 October 2020

Well, well, well. We are back. Masked, Brave and ready to sing! Peter helped us to set up, and perhaps we may enjoy more space next week. 

Ed removed his mask and welcomed us warmly, saddened us with the news of no Christmas medley, and the news that Jack has passed his driving test we cheered. We cheered at everything apart from the sad discovery that our DFS website had been taken away by the webbly hosts. But there will always be a blog. I’ll pop any updates Ed requires on here. 

Ed announced a warm up then tried to hit us with an ABBA number, but Jack put him right. Thanks Jack. Singing seated so separately made some of us feel shy. I sang into a sock and Jenny had her head in a bucket. Can’t wait to look back on this in a few years time! 

On to SOS and encouragements to sing louder! We even tried some harmony parts. 

Born Free is a very good singing exercise. It starts relaxed but builds tension. It is a little low for the men but there was only one male member tonight. Of course Ed sang with him. Be careful how you sing grass, it can come out a bit too Dorset. Free fall harmonies in ‘Ahhhs’ seemed a little too daunting for our very spaced out reduced choir. There sure is safety in numbers. The word ‘free’ must be sang with a big cheesy grin.

Life On Mars started just as I hit a power surge. And a power surge is not the thing to have while singing into a hot, moist sock! Ed and Jack found the right key on the piano and there were just a few little bits of harmony to try. 

Ed thumbed through the song book and plucked out Whistle Down The Wind. Next was homework being set - at home, Sing Very Loudly. 

We revisited One Day Like This one that choir has done a lovely job of in the past. Cue hilarious run through and 4 times faster and in the style of George Formby. Nice. Now lead off from the back like at school. Chin wags in the car park only! 

Wow. Well done all. Keep singing! And louder! 

Love from Cat the rusty blogger x

lockdown life ....

Ed's You Tube Channel

In the light of current advice ....

Ed has just posted this in the choir Facebook group ... 

“Hi everyone. I'm aware that not all of our members use Facebook, but I'm hoping that this can reach as many as possible.  As I'm sure you all have heard, this Coronavirus isn't making life easy at the moment and predictions are that it will almost certainly get worse.  The government has advised that we do not meet socially but this is not enforced at the moment.  Could I please ask for your opinions on where we go from here in the short term?  We have two pending concerts, although the 2nd April still has a venue to be confirmed.  Could you please comment below if you feel that we should cancel end of term concerts and also consider future rehearsals until further notice?  I'm very hopeful that this unprecedented outbreak will pass quickly but I am also realistic and want to make sure we are being responsible when it comes to everyone's welfare.  Please let me know you thoughts as soon as possible.”

You can also leave comments on this blog post. Love you. Stay safe and well xxx

12 March 2020

In the twilight zone, the funny time, or perhaps almost the time of being careful. Boris our prime minister is adding to choir confusion as we decide whether to postpone our concerts or not. Some dear members of DFS have already elected to stay away from the potential viral soup that is us. Even if we are hardcore enough to turn out for a concert, will our audience show up too? 

In good news though new fluffy DFS fleeces are available to order and Ed’s looked lovely. Thanks for modelling that so professionally. 

Good feedback from the concert on Saturday, and a good amount of dosh raised for the charity. I was too scared to go. 

Three songs have been added to our Easter concert repertoire, Let It Be Me, Nella Fantasia, and One Day Like This. Did you hear the joke about the Elbow tribute band? I hadn’t either until Ed told us. 

We began with Let It Me and seem to remember it and it’s parts quite well. There was just a little sorting out to be done, at the old piano. Then the choir master conducted from beneath the big giant words, with the backing track. 

Next One Day Like This, and we suddenly remembered all those overlapping parts, and we listened to a super condensed run-through and the microphone died. Again. Proper music will be available next week for those that read it, as it really helps with the overlaps. The last chorus has three harmonies and an overlap isn’t it fantastic!

And up popped Nella Fantasia into our lives again, with a choice between dummies guide and real Italian. Guess which won the vote? Right at the end Ed whipped out the harmony part we didn’t meet last time we sang this song. 

Then we thought we ought to rub through the ALWM to look at not-coming-in-too-late!

Well done DFS and keep singing even if we all have to take to our houses. The Cat xxx