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

12 January 2023

The blog has been blogged for 14 years! Ed said Happy New Year. An Easter concert is already booked DFS, on 29 and 30 March for both choirs. 

September brings songs we rarely get to perform, so as well as fresh new song sheets to collect we will look at some of those again. Ed talked us through this terms fresh offerings. 

And so we warmed up … 

And kicked off with Uptown Girl which was great fun. After a run through we were introduced to some backing and harmonies. 

Inspired by a live performance of From Both Sides Now Ed decided to let us have at it. And so we did. But I didn’t because I’m far to young to know it. Ed played the piano and guided us to tighten up, and be mindful of any pauses. Slipping into the odd harmony when he felt the urge … 

Now Africa has actions … we create the sound of rain. We did this some time ago but I don’t think we took our rain to a concert. We sang along to the backing track. Such fun. The longest HAD we’ve ever had. We practiced making rain and thunder. It blended beautifully into the intro. 

Have at the hand actions if you wish, for I Who Have Nothing completely optional as are pulling dramatic faces. Ed say at the piano, and told us how much he loved us. Likewise. Drama is good today. Just this once. 

Meatloaf next because Two Out Of Three Ain’t Bad. Most people know this even if they think they don’t. We just had a little taster because it is a rather long song and we wanted to fit in 9 to 5. A bit of dolly so send us out into the night, singing all the way home. Please bring your southern drawl. 

Wow. What a great lovely start to another year of DFS. Well done, that’s not why I love you xxx 

1 December 2022

Posters for both concerts were available tonight, plus some housekeeping for both our choir concerts next week. It’s on a need to know basis so I am not permitted to share deets here. Apart from. Dig out some tinsel if you want to get all festive. 

Ed’s big birthday is coming up. Two days before we start back on the 19th January. We sang Happy Birthday. To one of the Carols. And when we return in January this blog will be 14 years old. 

Without an official warm up we began with O HOLY NIGHT. The gentle version. 

Then we set about singing the concert properly, well actually no. We invested quite a bit of time getting THE HOLLY AND THE IVY right. I wonder if we shall cheer on concert night when we get it all lining up? Very well done DFS. But that’s not why I love you. 

Then we also missed out some songs we didn’t really need to …

Singing WHITE CHRISTMAS was a treat after that! 

AMEN is going to be a concert warm up on Thursday, so we had a practice. 

Super singing choir, I’ll see you next Wednesday because I’m all tied up on Thursday at Wey Valley. Cat xxx

24 November 2022

With two weeks to our concerts, instead of three, we panicked. Then hummed you raise me up to warm up, and Hark The Herald for a second warm up after our notices. 

Friday 9th we are booked for the royal at 7 - 7.30pm. 

Dress code is same for all concerts, bright or choir tops with black bottoms. Tinsel optional. 

Hark The Herald was a little quite. Feeling low in number we needed encouragement from the choir master to sing out. Second run through and we nailed it. 

With songs in order again, we sang O Holy Night with more confidence and volume. Ho Oh Lee Ee night. Over the top annunciation is a must. 

Carol of the Bells a capela as usual. 

Good King Wenceslas fell into line, with only 2 gents in attendance tonight. 

See Amid The Winter Snow has a first verse that makes me think of childhood roast dinners. The tender lamb … 

Merry Christmas Everybody will be a fun ending to the solo and duo section. 

So for a break in festive numbers we listened to Because We Believe which will can sing at Easter. 

Then back to Christmas, Rocking Around The Christmas Tree because concert in two weeks time! Don’t panic! 

Such fun singing The Holy And The Ivy. We don’t know what happened but following a few hiccups we peaked. Let’s just leave it there…

White Christmas crooned it’s way into the room. And only time to squeeze in O Come All Ye faithful and Fairy Tale. 

Phew. I really do feel like I’ve been jogging. Well sung all of you that made it in tonight, and well done to you at home catching up with the blog and drop box. Last practice next week xxx

17 November 2022

Ed began by announcing that tonight’s songs would be practiced in the the order that we will perform them in. So I’d better be extra on-the-ball tonight, thought I. Then I dropped my blogging phone and slidden my gloves across the room picking up my folder. Great start. 

We warmed up. I tried to sing my very bestest, but there are notes where I think they will help us. 

Today Ed learned that next week, the last week in November is the worst week for behaviour in schools. 

Concert Order 

From 7pm to about 8.05pm. 

Hark the herald 

O holy night 

   We had some coaching as we played with volumes and really good diction and remembering the big finish ho-oh-oh-ly night. 

Carol of the Bells 

   Stop frowning down and your lyrics and remember to look up. Well. It’s getting there …

Good king W

See Amid the winter snow 

   As with the last song, the gents, though they be but few, did us proud. Ed was impressed that we had really improved since the first song and felt a little emotional. 

Merry Christmas everybody 

*Solos, duos and trios etc from 7.20 to about 7.40*

Rocking around the Xmas tree 

The holly and the Ivy 

White Christmas 

Walking in a winter wonderland 

O come all ye faithful 

Fairy tail of New York. 

Then it was time to run through these in order! Go! We went home knowing we had done well.