29 march 2023

First Easter Concert in years, and I was so proud to be part of it. 

Ed was very pleased, he took to Facebook and wrote, “What a brilliant concert Dorset for Singing in Dorchester tonight, am so proud of you all! Over £250 raised for #Willdoes and we can do it all again tomorrow night (Thursday, 30th March) at St. Aldhelm's Church in Weymouth at 7pm.  Free entry with a retiring collection and every penny going to the charity. Thank you all so much x”

So there’s a plug for tomorrow’s concert too, when I’ll be singing once again the song that Ed and I wrote in 2016. 

There were some great cabaret acts too, the first time I’ve seen a standing ovation at a DFS event. Goals! And choir did very well with our rich and varied set, even that saucy Peter Kay medley, we certainly pulled that off. I feasted on the smiles of our generous audience. 

Well done Choir, I don’t want you, I probably don’t need you, but I sure do love you. Recklessly…

Cat xxx

16 March 2023

Some people were surprised that our concert is in 2 weeks not 1. Ed had prepared the running order which we would run through this very practise. 

In concerts to announce we had - 

7th May we have been asked on Weymouth Beach to sing for the king’s Whotsit. Not just randomly, on a stage and everything. 

27 may - 10.55 Fayre in the square - brewers quay. Ed and his gorgeous choir shall sing. 

And thus the running order was launched - 

9 to 5 

Now and Forever

Africa 

I who have nothing 

(Solo section) 

Peter Kay medley 

From Both Sides Now 

Uptown Girl 

2 out of 3 ain’t bad 

Those Were The Days 

And after scribbling the list we warmed up, then spent 40 minutes singing our set. Remember our opening song needs soooooo much energy and good American accents. 

Song 2 had a bum line - second line of second verse! Listen in for homework please! Smiley faces and high cheekbones please.

Africa demanded a stand up rain practice! 

Peter Kay - makes choir groan. It needed a second run through. We used the video to help. 

Wow. I’m tired now ….

9th March 2023

There were some lovely posters to display somewhere, and here’s one down below just for you. 

Apparently it looked a lot like this last year, but we had to cancel for pandemic type reasons. We responsibly warned up. I yawned a lot. More oxygen please. 

We commenced with the Peter Kay Children in Need Medley using the original track as a help and guide. After some typos were pointed out, pencils scribbled away and we sang it again by ourselves. Ed said I can bring a giant banana to the concert. 

We spend a teensy bit longer on the Jai Ho which is very squeaky in contrast to the ‘get knocked down’ section which is really quite shouty. We sang to the end, with 8 more songs to sing. 

Next Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad specifically with the intention of nailing the middle section. We sang along with Meat. We looked very closely at some of the timings, and went again. Ed said it was coming together beautifully. 

Still jogging we hit 9 to 5 crazy running and trying to squeeze in all those words. Honestly I was glad to type this so I can catch my breath. Hmmm what else can I type here? Phew! We stood to perform it and managed to inject a great deal of energy. We sang half the song. 

In the place of much energy we turned to Now and Forever. Ed sat at the piano to tighten us up a bit. 

Time to play rain for Africa and Ed said, You are getting good! The voices were off until we began to sing. Ed said I can bring a monkey to the concert. 

And From Both Sides Now with Ed at the Piano was lovely lovely, and rapidly followed by Those Were The Days proper crowd pleased. Raise your glasses of pop! 

We had to choose between two songs and I Who Have Nothing won. We stood and made a very good job of it, divas that we are. 8 out of 9 really ain’t bad at all! 

Well DFS, we want you (singing), we need you (singing), and don’t forget I love you, Cat xxx

2nd March 2023

A new song? At this close to a concert? We whipped up the sheets and waved them around, slipped them into folders and caught up with our friends. 

Ed had another cold. Aw, we said, and tried to be sympathetic. He pointed out the new Medley, for those who hadn’t seen it yet. And we warmed up. It was good to have Ed in charge even if he was meant to be on strike today … We used Mangoes, Bananas and Kiwis to warm up, which choir hadn’t done in a while. 

Am dram time, I Who Have Nothing which we were supposed to be all very warmed and loosened up for. But the words wouldn’t fit on the lines again. Oops. Ed was already at the piano, but he broke it down for us. Short clipping bits and smooth long bits. Basically. And more drama. And hold. And breathe. Yes. More drama to be added this week. 

New medley time, the Peter Kay Children in Need Medley. We listened to track, from 2009. Pop into drop box to listen again, this weeks homework. 

We dropped into Africa, like you do. Rain time. Shhhh everyone. We practiced a multi layered ending. Anchors, beautiful people, and tops. 

Into Uptown Girl. Guuuurrrrrl. Yeah. 

And sweetly, we listened to a recording of From Both Sides Now recorded in the Isle Of white last year. Then Ed sat at the piano and we sang, sweetly at first, then energising … feeling it. Or at least, I was. 

Jogging next, through 9 to 5 feeling out of breath and nostalgic for typewriters! Dolly-isms needed for this one. Chuck your British accents out the window. 

We ended with Those Were The Days and very well done Choir. Love you xxxx

23 February 2023

Dear Choir, 

Welcome back after half term? Did you have fun? I literally can’t remember what I did, but that’s why I blog ‘on the fly’. To think, 14 years ago I used to wake up the next day and blog the highlights before driving to playgroup with my tinies. 

Ed said the Wedding if Harry and Robyn was magical. We all said awwww. Photos to follow of course.

And it’s 6 weeks until our Easter concerts so that’s 5 more practices. Eeeeeek. Charity Will Does will be talking about what they do on the Dorch concert night. 

We warmed. Up. We were ready. Ed was missing some words so he had to borrow and we started with From Both Sides Now. 

This song needs magic, variety and proper diction. Feel excited when you sing this, and let it show. Moons and Junes should be sung as if you are on children’s telly. Well. Something like that.

Straight forward next, said Ed, it’s 9 to 5! Singing this song is like running up a hill. Take a breath when you can. We tried rapping it, to get the rhythm and work out if we really can fit these phrases into one breath, and discover where to snatch some air when you can’t. Phew. Shall we talk about accents? Maybe! 

We sang Two Out Of Three Ain’t Bad along with Meatloaf himself. Hope he isn’t turning in his grave. Please listen to the middle bit especially when you are doing your homework and of course listening to the whole song 20 times on Alexa or is that just me? 

Time for rain, and Africa … remember follow the direction and trump DFS Dorch. Hehe. And push the beat. And. Confident and wrong, is better for rehearsing the sing. Confident and right, is what we do on the night! 

Thanks Ed. 

Time is Now and Forever with himself singing along too. 

Don’t think Waitrose, think Walmart for Uptown Girl. Go! And we finished with Those were The Days. 

Wow superb singing, love you loads, see you next week when we have 4 rehearsals left before our concerts. Xxx

9 February 2023

Ed apologised for being absent last week. But please don’t turn up next week. It’s half term. 

Dum Dum diddle we didst go. La la la la la la laaaaaaaaa. Aaaaahhh AAAAAAHHHHHH Aaaaaaahhhh. You have to be there really. 

We whipped out Uptown Girl with a reminder to use proper American accents, please! After a run through Ed said it needed more energy. That’s rich coming from Mr-I’ll-just-take-a-nap-in-the-corner but he had a point. We downloaded some energy and stood to perform, and it was much more lively with a bigger sound too. 

A new song next, Now And Forever which appeared to be a lesser know song by Richard Marx. So we listened, probably to the YouTube but who knows these days, without a screen. Then at the piano, Ed sang it through pointing out all the pitfalls, and which twiddly bits we won’t be bothering with. Then it was out turn. Not bad for a first or second go.

Time for the weather, we do enjoy performing Africa. I listened coz it’s fab. Don’t forget to keep the rain going after the thunder. People seems to get swayed by the climactic rumbles! Such fun. We worked on our rhythm, and the syncopation.

And the lovely From Both Side Now filled the hall, just us, the choir master and the wibbly wobbly piano. Ed said this will have a simple guitar flavoured backing track for the concert. Sometimes there’s magic in simplicity. 

Power Ballad time, Two Out Of Three Ain’t Bad. Ed tried to give it his post covid best without losing his voice. It’s a challenge that’s for sure. 

Camp it up for I Who Have Nothing well, that’s what I do. Then we were in for a treat. Ed actually told us to Am Dram this. So we were actually required to camp it up after all! 

Super duper smashing, keep singing and keep smiling. Don’t forget to practice for four hours every day so you don’t let the choir down, Ed down and most of all yourself down. 

And have a nice half term break, Cat xxx

1 February 2023

News Flash - 

“ Am so sorry, but Dorchester Choir is cancelled tonight as I have tested positive for COVID and feel rather poorly.  Please would you let any non-Facebook members know, I'll keep you all posted but it's probably sensible to cancel Weymouth for tomorrow evening. Sorry again, lovely people.”

Ed Hintze, in our Facebook group x 

26 January 2023

And a Dum Dum diddle we will go … Eeeeeh Aaaah. 

Then we tried to be as loud as we could, and made Ed’s smart watch very worried about the decibels. Go us! We are strong and mighty. And sometimes in tune. 

For song I love, and dived right in. I sang it in a solo moment in our Christmas concert some years ago, ah Those Were Them Days my friends! We did so well we considered the harmony. The huge question remains, La or Da? And does it matter? 

We are not going to worry about the double negatives in Two Out Of Three Ain’t Bad but we we going to pay very close attention to pauses, timings and meaning gaps. Ed used a recording of MEAT on his iPad and paused to give us hot tips and corrections. This made the very long song last a little bit longer. There were some really tricky parts. 

I love to sing Uptown Girl it’s great fun and we get to sing in American which we were quite good at. Until we sang KNOWS but all I heard was Ed going on about a very British NOSE. Such fun. 

A repeat is deleted from Both Sides Now. Despite being reinstated last week. Oh well. A reminder to use pencils ✏️ when making choir notes on our words. 

Then it was time to make rain. and thunder for Africa. 

Wonderful sounds. Fading for the drums. Well that bit’s concert ready. It’s super effective when no one speaks. 

We stood to perform I Who Have Nothing to give it our all. Ed coaching from the keyboard. 

Yay well done DFS. I don’t know about you, but this one’s for Ronnie. I love you guys too xxx