25 April 2013

The one without the piano ....

Ed was released and unfettered, as lacking a keyboard, he stood in front of us and conducted the warm ups, by sign language. And even though the secret location of said piano was discovered, we carried on or practice using backing tracks, and strong prayer!

Some nice solo parts are slotting into this terms songs, with someone very kindly volunteering someone else for the verses in 'Love can build a bridge'. Helpfully, this very certainly means that this relatively new song can feature in our May concerts. Hooray. Ed was relaxed and relieved and somewhat moved by the whole thing. Must be my country voice...

Jack was disappointed with the long notes at the end of 'I will follow him' so we tried again and it was beautiful. And jack reaped what he seweth, when he left the desk and us without any music or words, and got the sack.

Les mis went hilariously wrong, for the lyrics were not forthcoming, then the very exclusive backing track was all pants anyway, and so we axed it! A Capella was ok for us. We gave Ed a spaghetti shiver* all down his spine!

Ed had some concert tickets, get yours now and save a whole 50p on the door price. Am looking forward to the venue where the choir have their own tea and coffee served to them, again!

Now it's time (don't ya think it's time?) to get my you tubes out, love you, keep singing xxxx

*the kind of shiver you get from strong tomato sauce

18 April 2013

Yay, a new term for Dorset for Singing! Even the warm up was exciting. All saints church concert looms just before my birthday, (may 10th the concert) but we will be singing songs there that we know quite well, and it was fun singing a couple of old faves tonight!

29th of June is the Preston village garden party but our attendance is heavily penciled in at this date has only just been released! Hot off the press indeed! This is one venue that is also very easily rained off of course. And dfs don't really look good in wellies anyway ...

Special rehearsals will take place on sat morning, 27th april, at 11am for those of us going to Normandy. I can't wait for our little trip, as I haven't left the country for quite some time. Expect lots of interesting blogging, and incriminating Instagram pictures all the way! I am bringing a special friend with me who will get blog posts all of his own over on my raggyrat blog!

Choir tackled some new material with great gusto today, looks like I got away with eating chocolate for a couple of weeks instead of doing vocal exercises! One of the songs was suggested by me so please don't kill it and the other was a Karen carpenter number. Karen carpenter is the new Abba.

Look out for suspension bridges and keep singing, much love, Cat xxxx finishing the blog on the sofa!

21 March 2013

The one where Ed and the blogger both did it live...

This Sunday we will be gathering to sing at 1.20 at the pavvy. And next Thursday our poster-less event will kick off at 7.30, please bring a raffle prize. The blogger is sorry to say she won't be there next Sunday as she is double booked, but I will see you on Sunday with the kittens!

Ed had his own keyboard to facilitate recording our backing tracks just in time for Sunday, and we kicked off with Dancing Queen, and romped onto a beautiful morning, to Tonight!

The wrong key always makes me feel old, haha. But there will be no Karen carpenter on Sunday, but Ed recorded it for embarrassment on you tube.

What fun we had when Ed launched into a classy key change and the bulk of the choir did not! Such professional are DFS that they soldiered on, bravely, while the unprofessional half laughed. I suppose that means only half of us listen to the backing tracks?

See you Sunday dear choir, big hugs, Cat xxxxx

14 march 2013

The cat that came back!

So sorry for the lack of choir blog, the cat and kittens returned this week after 4+ weeks of illness, when the cat stayed mostly on the sofa and the kittens pretended to be very good but really were drawing on the upholstered dining room chairs...

Lots of catching up to do, including trying to help ed find the right keys and being reminded of our 2 concerts and our being a part of the best of Dorset again, because we are. Truly. The best choir.

Then we had a run thru of this terms songs, concert style. And a bit of a vote on those for the best of, and promises to ourselves to practice those we don't know very well!

It was great to be back, even if I still can't sing very well, especially to be part of 'the angry men song' which the kittens love a lot! Looking forward to going to normandie with the cream of DFS! And no kittens, eh! Keep singing, I love you loads and thanks for missing me! Cat xxxx

7th February 2013

The one with completely no parking. And where the lap top arrived just in time. (Delivered by Martin and Blogged live from the common room, with love!)

Ed showed off his birthday purchase, then reminded us not to turn up next week. Or for a while, actually. We will be singing soon at the music festival on the 2nd March. Yikes! No Brian husband this time.

The Billy Joel number was much too high. Or maybe I can blame my scratchy throat. But Ed agreed to drop it down then introduced some harmonies, for the longest time.

'If I loved you' added a nice bit of cheese, cheese strings in fact. To be sung with ease, but also crisply. No sliding, this is a non slide song and leave out the flippancy too. Sorry about that. I laaarve you!

A dramatic change - from dreadful to wonderful, such as had never been experienced by choir before, was then followed by a bit of Karen carpenter.

I wonder if I should offer to store all the keys of the songs we sing? As well as blogger, and live blogger, I could be keeper of the keys. Key master. Run to me if you get locked out!

Finally, Billy Joel again. Whhooooaaargh! And then a grand finish with our Les Mis number, so we belted that out and headed out into a soggy bit strangely empty car park. See you next time DFS, have a nice break, and bring your trip money when we come back. Xxxx

31 January 2013

The one without the choreography please!

Tonight the Cat and Kittens returned, some said they were missed and some were given dirty looks by Mary, who didn't want to be acknowledged at all! Welcome back Adrian, who may have been around last week of course...

New songs tonight, including a dancing queen with some very large gaps and that lovely Adele number, only in a very in-Adele key!

House keeping included chatting about out European tour, which we must pay for when choir starts back on Thursday 28th February, after half term break. Also since we lost Michael's tech input, Ed has moved the DFS website so if you are reading this you must be a detective.

Common room next week, please bring folding car or walk/run ...

17 January 2013

The one were Ed turned 40, and nothing of any really proper singing work got done ...

It was nuttier than Christmas in the hall tonight, as Jack and Jenny worked the room with fizzy wine and only Harry stayed sober to press the buttons and slide the slider things to keep feedback at a minimum. While the buzz from the keyboard connections was mostly kept under check, the cheek given to the hour master reached new heights of annoying, and I'm very sorry about that indeed.

Am blogging from the sofa, in keeping with tonight's relaxed atmosphere, and with a nice glass of rosé! We had four new songs to have a go at including one which Ron sang at Wey-bay during one of our appearances there! We had a really good go at that as everyone seems to know the chorus of 'oh what a beautiful morning', and has sun it in the shower at least once.

Concert announced for the 10th may, at all saints church on Portland, so I pencilled it in on my iPhone at the same time as chatting with Jenny and Anna on a fresh photo of Ed. shared here for your enjoyment. Have a good weekend, In bed with the snow. Keep singing xxxx

10 January 2013 ...

The one where Michael got his tankard ...

Happy new year Dorset for singing, a bit of a croaky start for us all after all the seasonal indulgence, even yours truly had succumbed to the love that is Baileys, this Christmas! We had lots of lovely new songs to trial, and some of them were immediate hits and most of them were 'too low', but we got there in the end. As ever, we get a feel of new songs, sometimes in more than one practice, then sometimes kiss them goodbye and more on!

Some odd buzzes and crackles tonight, not from out throats but from Ed' and Jack's struggles with some dodgy leads and dusty projector filters, long overdue a good cleaning!

Really good feedback about of Christmas concert has come to me from a couple of sources, so just passing it onto share the love, we just get bigger and better every time. So well done DFS, pour your selves another!

Someone suggested a choir social to see Les Mis, and I think that would be a marvellous idea, esp as our other socials involve food, alcohol or too much coffee! But don't talk to Michael about organising that, as tonight he stepped down as choir manager and had to try very hard to unwrap his groovy tankard! He can bring that next week when Ed celebrates becoming 40. Don't knock it till you have tried it. 40 is fun! Turn up next week in your best dress, and find out! Please drink responsibly! Now get your you-tube out, and get singing! love you, Cat XXXX