1 May 2025

Good Evening and welcome to a summery summer choir practice… 

We warmed up, gently at first, promised Ed. We la-la-la etc. but then we had to do some shouting. That is how loud we can be. Nice. All are vocal folds are aligned. 

We started with DON’T SLEEP IN THE SUBWAY, then after had a listen to the backing track to see where all the extra OOOOOs need to go. Some of them are very complex. Any questions? 

SIT DOWN, said Ed, but we already were. So we sang along with the backing vocals, transposed like pinky and perky. We also sang a capela and broke down the overlaps in the bridge. Super. 

ALL ABOUT YOU of course. You are the choir, after all. Ed said we were magical. 

WHEN YOU WALK IN THE ROOM. Love this one. A lot. We contemplated free falling in the ending. 

BLACK VELVET also has random ooooooohs and aaaaaahs. We will need to check out the melody and harmonies next time, but we touched on the chorus. 

BUILD ME UP BITTERCUP was our finale. 

Super, smashing, brilliant. Go home satisfied, and see you next week x 

24 April 2025

Welcome to a brand new term, with new songs and new old songs. Thank you to all who came to the singing workshop and to Jenny for doing the lovely cooking. 

Same old warm up though, and we needed a good one to tackle six songs. Our next appearance is on the 25th May and we need some for that. 

We began with DONT SLEEP IN THE SUBWAY which Ed unearthed while looking for this terms songs, and he played it using his brand new tech gear.  It has us accidentally us singing like snurfs. Hilarious. Take care singing ‘pouring rain’ and mind the gaps .. Ed has added two dots in the relevant places. 

After 2 goes ‘Petula’ was muted and we sang with Ed and his red pen baton .. 

SIT DOWN said Ed sternly, and we sang along, wondering if Ed would decide to pitch it a little higher. He did. Not hard T in sit. Ed spilt the room into brackets and hinges. Sorry, no brackets. We worked on that and it started to come together. 

The room was divided again for ALL ABOUT YOU and we sang it with the guide vocal, and then once through without. 

A fresh, new-to-choir song WHEN YOU WALK IN THE ROOM. 

Referencing Elvis we sang BLACK VELVET. 

Finally, we leapt to our feet to BUILD ME UP BUTTERCUP! 

Whoop, well done, see you next week DFS XXX

27 March 2025

Hello, called Ed, inviting us to work intensively on some of the songs, including HYMN which will be sung in the Dorchester Easter concert. (Next Wednesday 7pm). 

This time next week we start our concert at 7.30pm. Don’t forget your raffle prizes. Wear bright and pastelly colours. Plain tops, no patterns. 

There are a few places left on the workshop on the 16th and it has a cute we performance at the end. Come back on the 24th April for the summer term. 

We warmed up then we started with HYMN. Ed counted us in. We muttered before hand about a little rusty. 

The intro of ONE OF US needs a big blast. We didn’t do too badly actually but we did discover Lesley had had a bad day. 

LOVE LETTERS we sang all the way through with Ed marking the ends of words. 

He sat at the piano for most of ALL MY LOVE then switched to the backing track. 

We got to sing the whole of TIL THERE WAS YOU / HERE COMES THE SUN with the backing track too. 

And I WILL FOLLOW HIM too. 

We had three goes at the intro of YOUNG AT HEART. 

AVE MARIA requires big monster breaths so we sang the whole song and then went through again looking were to take big breaths and snatch small ones. 

FRIDAY IM IN LOVE needs a funky ending that fits but it needs to go up at the end. 

Finally, BANNER-MAN, looking out for timing and huge breaths! 

Wow. Well done, see you next week for the concert xxx

20 March 2025

2 weeks until concerts! No panicking aloud. 5 songs, solos and then 5 more songs. But don’t forget one of them is the encore. 

Please hand raffle prices to the lovely Carol. 

The fresh and lovely running order … 

ONE OF US 

LOVE LETTERS 

ALL MY LOVE 

TIL THERE WAS YOU/ HERE COMES THE SUN

I WILL FOLLOW HIM 

solos and duos 

YOUNG AT HEART 

AVE MARIA (or HYMN for Dorchester)

RUN FOR HOME

FRIDAY I’M IN LOVE

BANNER MAN

we begin at 7.30pm. 

We began without a warm up to sing the first five songs. Had a two minute break, then sang the second half. That took us to 11 minutes past 8 and Ed said we had to tackle some of those songs again but he did let us a one minute break. And we did bits of songs, not all of them. 

We did brilliantly, now go home for a well earned biscuit xxx

13 March 2025

Ed welcomed us all … telling us we had a lot to get through tonight, all our songs! Next week we can look forward to singing our songs in concert order. Concerts at the start of April! 

There were tick forms at the back of the hall for the workshop day too. Grab your early bird tickets as a DFS member before it’s opened up to the public. 

We had a little warm up … 

Then we rang through all the song in this order… 

TIL THERE WAS YOU/ HERE COMES THE SUN 

Sounded lovely but just needs a little lift. 

IT’S FRIDAY I’M IN LOVE 

The ending could be the beginning but to do and da. Or some doo-do-dos of your own invention. Maybe. 

ALL MY LOVE 

Ed sang harmony, and he very much liked our efforts here. Practice in the kitchen is paying off. 

AVE MARIA 

Needs to be smoother. More big breaths. 

YOUNG AT HEART

Coming on beautifully 

ONE OF US 

Lovely 

RUN FOR HOME 

Dramatic

LOVE LETTERS 

This one has a bit of country. A hint of a yodel. 

I WILL FOLLOW HIM 

THE BANNER MAN

And after that we had a treat - getting to sing ALL MY LOVE with Ed at the Piano. 

eeek. Didn’t we do well? X

6th March 2025

Welcome to no roadworks, welcome to Thursday evening. Ukelele Dave is keen for a new flat mob so don’t tell anyone it’s Saturday 28 June, time to be conformed. 

2nd and 3rd April for our Easter concerts, with lollipops and prizes. More details next week about the singing workshop, but it will be running 10 to 4pm. 

One song needs to go tonight, to whittle 9 down to 8. We warmed up with I WILL FOLLOW HIM. Don’t forget to hold those long notes. No passengers allowed. 

Ed slipped out from behind the piano to fire up the backing track and conduct. It went well. 

Next, BANNER-MAN blasted from the speaker and from us too. Breathing is essential for this song, and don’t forget to fully participate in the competition between stage right and stage left. We worked quite hard on this one tonight. Was it concert perfect? 

Then we ‘relaxed’ with LOVE LETTERS as you do. The first record Lesley ever bought.

We dug out copies of TIL THERE WAS YOU/HERE COMES THE SUN and spares were shared. Ed slipped behind the piano forte and sang along too.

ALL MY LOVE was played by Ed too. On the second run through he blasted out the harmony before letting us lose with the sound track. Lovely love. 

Up tempo nest with YOUNG AT HEART. Ed said that were lovely too, and we flipped to AVE MARIA. He was also very pleased with that. We might have to persuade Dorch to try again, or just wow them at the concert! 

Abba to finish, ONE OF US. Yes indeed. Be careful with STUBBORN AND MISCONCEIVING !!!!! 

Fab singing, you have all obviously been practicing in ASDA etc. but that’s not why I love you x 

27 February 2025

Tonight was a very exciting night. We were going to be able to choose songs for our Easter concerts on 2nd 3rd and 4th. Just kidding. No one could agree on the dates. Choose songs wisely. 

Jenny has been busy sorting out the musicals workshop day, making sure there’s a delicious menu on the 16th. 

Champagne supernova is on hold … in October there’s a concert at the pavilion on the 10th October… we will be backed by Jacks band and taking part in Rock for Riley. You can catch The Haze at Wyke Smugglers this Saturday, just incase you fancy that. 

We warmed up. Ed appologised for the road closure. He and Jenny got caught in that themselves! 

We began our songs with ONE OF US, beginning with a revision of the intro, harmonies included. Ed explained the three coin trick, when teaching the piano. It doesn’t sound fun to be honest, but it was a vain attempt to try and get us to sing ‘stubborn and misconceiving’ correctly. And it worked. 

Digging into old songs we tackled BANNER MAN next. Energetic. Then it was time to vote to include this in the Easter concert. It’s staying. 

I WILL FOLLOW HIM drifted into the hallway with plenty of dramatic hissing. Some of us joined in without words anyway. It got a yes vote. 

LOVE LETTERS was next. That’s quite quick to sing. It was voted in, buy a cat’s whisker. 

Back to this terms songs with RUN FOR HOME, and it got voted in as well as the ABBA song.

I love YOUNG AT HEART but it does sound a bit odd with Dorset accents. Just saying. It was voted in. 

A quick sing through of AVE MARIA, said Ed as he slipped behind the piano. Although Dorch voted it out we said yes, so that was that. 

ALL MY LOVE blared from the speakers. Stage left really wasn’t sure but it slipped through so that was nice. 

Next, HYMN following a pondering about whether it was blasphemy or unblasphemy. It’s definitely interesting lyrics. We popped it in on the shelf. 

Finally, gone 8.30pm we sang FRIDAY, I’M IN LOVE. Carol confided that she’s warming to it. Phew. 

Good start back DFS, well done. Xxx

13 February 2025

Ed reminded us that next week is half term. So don’t come next week. Ed and Jenny are going away for a nice break. 

We warned up with sirens which we haven’t done for a while. Esp me who was missing last week with the lurgry. We dum dum diddled as Jenny went off to the shops. 

We did some diaphragm work. Everyone felt a bit shy. I felt a bit rusty, that was my excuse! 

Then it was time to sing nicely, FRIDAY I’M IN LOVE, a song we often finish with. We sang it through with the cure blasting out of the speakers. Ed wanted to teach us harmonies. Yum. We also worked out an ending. Boom, on went the backing track. 

In notices - we have a gig. Easter concerts are looming - 2nd and 3rd April. 16th April for an Easter singing workshop and lunch.

25th May is Fayre in the square this years. 11am for our slot. And there will be a flashmob at some point this year. 

We had to start YOUNG AT HEART three times … that echo! Stage right are the interrupters at the crossover. We attempted the whole thing without accompanyment. That was fun. I think. 

Ed sat at the piano and didn’t sing at all while we sang AVE MARIA. Probably roughly. But better when we worked on it. 

ONE OF US started with Ed at the piano to got over that gorgeous intro. Once perfected, out came the came the backing track. 

And the newer song ALL MY LOVE next, sounding lovely, and our finale was RUN FOR HOME so some people stood to sing. 

Well done DFS, ya done good, have a great half term x