21 September 2023

Happy Birthday to DFS - 15 years old! And so we sang to one of our Jennys. No cake though.

Next week please bring your charity nominations, so we can decide who we will support during our 16th year. Our Xmas concert will be on Monday 11 Dec at St Nicholas church when we will join with the new WVA choir too. 

We had seven new songs to tackle today, so we dived into a wee warm up and began with I SAW HER STANDING THERE. Ed kept time while we had a second run through a Capella. I keep feeling excited we were doing a Fleetwood Mac song. A third run before we moved onto … 

IVE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU but not the Mama Mia II version. Ed found a key and off we went, beautifully. Then Ed demoed the chorus harmony and some of us had jolly good go at that. Now where’s my inflatable banana? We even had a run through using the very backing track to can click on via our choir drop box. 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/dorsetforsinging/permalink/10160583709880219/

We sang DONT STOP with the backing track and then with the Mac themselves. Air guitar time! 

We looked at ALL OF ME before the summer break and we sang it next, with the backing track.

Next THE SKYE BOAT SONG which I sang when I was very small. Possibly the first time I learned a harmony part. 

Rick rolling went we to sing NEVER GONNA GIVE UP such fun! 

We stood to perform LIVIN’ ON A PRAYER so we could make some noise! 15 years of singing each other happy! 

Well done DFS. See you next week to raise the roof again x 

18 May 2023

Shirley has moved to the front row which is nice. More star students under our choirmasters gaze. I opened up a blog post and listened to the hum and chatter of the choir. A giggle. A sigh. 

Then Ed sat at the piano. Today he wore shorts and looked like a PE teacher. GOOD EVENING he boomed after pointing out how little stage left there was tonight. And let us know there’s just one more practice next week before half term. Some of us warmed up while some of us trotted off for copies of Ave Verum Corpus swiped from the table at the back. Just pop some silver in the mini piano. 

A new date - 24 June is … another event with an odd name. Spelling to be confirmed. 

We dived into Ave Verum Corpus to see how much we couldn’t remember from 2022. Not much. Some choir members wanted to know what they were singing. So I googled and I’d have pasted it at the end of the blog coz it makes the formatting go all funny! 

Next up, I’m Into Something Good which is a lot of fun to sing. This is a classic three rehearsal song. A sing with the recording and then our backing track, to put Ed’s three rehearsal theory to the test. 

And from an ALW musical Requiem comes Pie Jesu but of course much lower than Sarah B. Phew. Ed was very happy with our beginning. Don’t forget to come in early when you go UP at the end of requiem. Proper run through next. Eeek. Lovely. Really getting there. 

Til I Kissed Her splits the room naturally. 

Fun to finish with The Wellerman and Uptown Girl. 

Cool beans DFS, you were amazing as always. But that’s not why I love you, keep singing x 

Ave real body, born
of the Virgin Mary
truly suffered, sacrificed
on the cross for man
whose side is perforated
water and blood flowed:
be predestined for us
in the examination of death.

11 May 2023

Sunday was sunny for DFS to sing on the beach. And we did very well Ed thanked us. The audience said it sounded good. 

There were three new songs printed out for us, and a concert to look forward at half term. Ed ran through a few dates at times but I didn’t keep up today. Head full of clouds. Isn’t that a song. 

We warmed up … but we didn’t sing happy birthday to me, and then we listened to Pie Jesu the first of our brand new songs. Ed went over the Latin pronunciations. We will be singing it in Sarah Brightman minus 6. Phew. Ed sat at the piano. Sheet music is available. Dig out your jam and Jerusalem voices and proper diction. 

Next I’m into Something Good blasted from the mini speaker. Then we had a run through and lots of people thought they knew it. I mean, my dad used to sing it. There are a few twiddly bits so we had another listen to some specific bits. Play this on Alexa when you get home! Time for another DFS run through. 

Everly Brothers next ‘Til I Kissed Her yipped I ‘know’ this one too. After a listen through Ed popped on the backing track and filed his nails! An auto harmony filled the room. 

Then Happy Birthday filled the room and it was lovely and there were no bun notes, where there Peter? 

We sang So Happy Together, The Wellerman and Song of the Sea just for fun. 

Superb singing DFS keep singing. And maybe dancing round the kitchen xxx 

4 May 2023

I made it this week, to grab the running order and sing happy birthday to Peter who usually just tells me not to breathe on the door glass. Oh well. 

So the running order for the kings ‘do’ on the beach is as follows …

So Happy Together

Uptown Girl

The Wellerman

Song Of The Sea

Africa

Top Of The World 

The Greatest Showman Medley 

So we put on our best diction for So Happy Together to kick off our run through. We are down on Harmony folk for this concert so Ed added some extra support and coaching for those of us here. 

Next we dived into The Wellerman and don’t forget your Way-allll in verse three, and end with a HO. All the other endings are Huh! 

Quickly onto Song Of The Sea when Ed pointed out the clever links from one line to the next. Obviously written by someone very clever. We ran through the harmony again. There’s a good guide on the backing track. 

Next up, stand if you want for a complete run through. So I stopped blogging to give it a go! Then I completed forgot to sign off the blog in a fluffy of folders and stacking chairs in 6s. 

I’m about to leave for the beach. And it’s a gorgeous day! Break a leg everyone xxx

Hot Dates for your Diaries!

Ed just shared this little lot in the facebook group - 

Dates for your diaries:

Wed 26th April DfS Dorchester 6.45pm

Thur 27th April DfS Weymouth 7.15pm

Wed 3rd May DfS Dorchester 6.45pm

Thurs 4th May DfS Weymouth 7.15pm

Sun 7th May, Weymouth Beach (Coronation) 2pm

Wed 10th May DfS Dorchester 6.45pm

Thurs 11th May DfS Weymouth 7.15pm

Wed 17th May DfS Dorchester 6.45pm

Thurs 18th May Weymouth 7.15pm

Wed 24th May Dorchester 6.45pm

Thurs 25th May Weymouth 7.15pm

Sat 27th May, Fayre in the Square, Brewers Quay, Weymouth 10.55am

Half Term 

Wed 7th June DfS Dorchester 6.45pm

Thurs 8th June DfS Weymouth 7.15pm

Friday 9th June Concert St. Nicholas Church, Broadwey, 7pm

Wed 14th June DfS Dorchester 6.45pm

Thurs 15th June DfS Weymouth 7.15pm

Wed 21st June DfS Dorchester 6.45pm

Thurs 22nd June DfS Weymouth 7.15pm

Wed 28th June DfS Dorchester 6.45pm

Thurs 29th June DfS Weymouth 7.15pm

Wed 5th July DfS Dorchester 6.45pm

Thurs 6th July Weymouth 7.15pm

Sun 9th July, Party in the Park, Dorchester time TBA 

Sat 2nd September, Music by the Sea, Swanage, 12pm (full details to follow)

So that will stop me having to type like crazy at the next practice! 

Wednesday 5 April 2023

A message from dear Christine Smith -

“ I have sad news for those who knew Dot Stephenson. She was one of the first people to join the choir in Weymouth and introduced Barbara and I to the choir soon after. Dot died on Sunday evening after a long illness. 

The funeral will be held on Tuesday 18th April at 10am. The Crematorium in Weymouth.  

Anyone who knew Dot will be welcome and we ask you to please spread the word.

The family have requested that a few choir members sing at the funeral this will be limiting of course and we hope for six to ten (including Barbara and I) 

A rehearsal has been organised the day before at Ed’s home. If you would like to offer to sing with us, please message me and I will give you more information.”

Christine has kindly shared her number for anyone who wants to sing for Dot, 07794 479208 

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 ….