Dum, Ba, dum, dum, dum..............

I had trouble with him my dum dums last night
But after a bit of struggle ( and some shameless copying of the lead Bass) I got there in the end.
Choir practice is not easy, but I'm getting there.
There is no music to follow, no elderly matron playing the piano in the corner, there is just the slightly manic choir master who sings your bit briefly showing you the note with his flat hand, and off you go. 
My favourite song we performed was Soul Wind an African American song from the Deep South. 
I loved it....here is another amateur choir singing it ( a video I've been practicing to this morning) and I must say that  our version wasn't too far from this performance, but perhaps that was down to the acoustics of the village hall.


You forget everything when you're singing.
You're not yourself either....as you are one of many
And even if you are dum dumming at the back
You're a vital part of the group!
And that's nice.

What was the last song you sang?

And to end......

Thank you all for sponsoring me and Ann for our zip Wire Challenge which is booked for the 26th
I have finally reached my goal of raising over £4000.00 for Rhyl Samaritans, which is a phenomenal amount of money, especially given the fact that my original goal was just £300.00
I am very proud and humbled by the support given 





73 comments:

  1. Singing - good for the soul, the body and the mind. I’m so glad you’re enjoying it. Last sung in choir - Dancing Queen (we’re having an ABBA themed event). Last sung at home this morning - Meatloaf ‘For crying out loud’ - I do love to belt out a ballad when I’m on my own!

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    1. I love when everything comes together and the sound makes the hairs on the back of your neck start to rise

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    2. Yes John! That's so true. The total is bigger than the sum of the parts.

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  2. The only place I sing is when I'm in the car, on my own driving down the motorway. Usually singing along to Dido or Amy Winehouse. I do not have a good singing voice, although at school I joined the choir one Winter to get out of cold wet playtimes outside ... and mimed along with the best of them ;-)

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    1. I've been belting out " never enough ' from The agreatest showman

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  3. In public, probably Happy Birthday, in private - probably something by Jimmy Buffett - he is the sound track of my life.

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  4. How are your dum dums today... I was a bit worried when I started reading. Lawd knows what I expected. And very well done on reaching your goal. We all did the easy bit... You are the one who is hurtling though the air like Superman... Have you got a cape to wear on the day? :-) You should invite your local tv crew.

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    1. My dum Sums are quite impressive today

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  5. Anonymous10:53 am

    There's a hole in the bucket, dear Liza, Liza. Or was it, On top of spaghetti, all covered in cheese...

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    1. Now the spaghetti song I don't know

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    2. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JGBE3eLpvm0

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  6. Left a singing message on my brother's voicemail the other day:
    "Happy birthday to you,
    You live in a zoo,
    You look like a monkey,
    And you smell like one too."
    As he was turning 50, it seemed appropriately mature. Besides, he has 3 kids, so he can't disagree with the zoo part.

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  7. "tainted love" by soft cell

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  8. I only sing along to music in the privacy of my own home, I don't want to scare the wildlife! Last thing I sung along to would probably be Du Hast by Rammstein, or maybe Ich Will

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  9. There was a programme on BBC4 last Saturday night all about 70s glam rock. It was just like being in my teens again, out to the local club on a Friday night. And occasionally, when we'd all been paid (our group of friends mostly worked together in one of the big banks), we'd go 'up West' to the Hammersmith Palais on the Saturday night. I shamelessly sang along to all the songs on the programme....thankfully, husband had gone to bed.

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    1. That era passed me by , I had tropical fish

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  10. 'Man! I Feel Like a Woman'. It's on my workout playlist.

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  11. I love this . . .
    A great thought to begin my day . . .
    Frank Sinatra, September Song . . . humming, singing.
    Loved the 4000 euros too . . .

    “You forget everything when you're singing.
    You're not yourself either....as you are one of many
    And even if you are dum dumming at the back
    You're a vital part of the group!
    And that's nice.” . . . John Gray

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  12. Anonymous12:14 pm

    B52's Love Shack - I've been known to play it in a loop for an hour, can't be quiet, can't stand still. Give yourself a treat and view it on YouTube.

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    1. You have to move to that one and I can't dance

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  13. "You're the best thing that ever happened to me", inspired by Gladys Knight ...

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  14. I love singing in choirs too - especially that moment when it all comes together after a couple of frustrating practices when one part's too soft and one part's overpowering, or the alto always come in late. When all the harmonies fall into place and the music soars, suddenly you feel wonderful.

    The last song I sang was 'Perfect 10' by the Beautiful South . A friend always asks me to duet with him on that particular song at karaoke nights and I always say I don't know the words well enough and we wind up doing something else. He did me a huge favour recently so I'm learning it so the next time the subject comes up I can jump up and sing confidently.

    "If he's XXL, then what the hell, every penny don't fit the slot"!

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  15. You're welcome! Is that Olivia de Havilland in that "thank you" gif?

    I sing almost constantly, but in disorganized bits of humming (as opposed to whole songs) and usually just in my mind -- not out loud! The last song I sang in a choir was "Stand By Me" a couple of weeks ago at a student assembly. And I'm glad it's over!

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    1. It's a young Ava gardener steve....I could almost run you out of gay school for getting that wrong x

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  16. A family wedding a few weeks ago. "Sweet Caroline" which is my daughter's name. We are awesome on the chorus.

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  17. I've never heard of that song, much less heard it performed. I can't seem to find anything about it online, either. Was it written by someone or is it traditional?
    Interesting.

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  18. Late thank yous to grace, Sandra, Michelle and Anna xxxx

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  19. Barbara Anne1:46 pm

    "You Got It" that I first heard sung by Bonnie Raitt. It's on the 'Boys on the Side' movie track CD.

    So glad you enjoyed choir and continue to sing
    today!

    Cheers for 4000 pounds!

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  20. That song sounds like it needs to be sung by a full choir of African Americans from the Deep South. Sung by a Welsh choir, it just sounded....odd. Too white.

    Most older black folks I know grew up singing in church from childhood, and good God! Can they sing! A full church choir of African Americans here in the South is something to hear.

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    1. But the enjoyment of the singing was hopefully the same jennifer

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  21. The last song I sang was "I won't let go". It could be heard as describing recent and upcoming parts of life for a few people I care about, like you ,for one, John. Because it says what many would like to tell you I will write the lyrics here for you to read.

    It's like a storm, that cuts a path, it breaks your will, it feels like that

    You think you're lost, but you're not lost on your own, you're not alone

    I will stand by you, I will help you through, when you've done all you can do, if you can't cope, I will dry your eyes, I will fight your fight, I will hold you tight, and I won't let go

    It hurts my heart, to see you cry, I know it's dark, this part of life, Oh, it finds us all, and we're too small, to stop the rain, oh but when it rains

    I will stand by you, I will help you through, when you've done all you can do, and you can't cope, I will dry your eyes, I will fight your fight, I will hold you tight, and I won't let you fall

    Don't be afraid to fall, I'm right here to catch you, I won't let you down, you're gonna make it, yeah I Know you can make it

    'Cause I will stand by you, I will help you through, when you've done all you can do, and you can't cope, I will dry your eyes, I will fight your fight, I will hold you tight, oh, I'm gonna hold you, and I won't let go, won't let you go, No, I won't !

    A group called Rascal Flats has a good video of it on YouTube if you would like to hear it sung.- Mary

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  22. Land of Hope and Glory

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  23. I can't sing but I whistle all the time. If I hear a tune it stays in my brain and comes out a whistle for days.

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  24. Jimmy Crack Corn to my precious 3 year old granddaughter, Penny Lane, last night.

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  25. You are welcome.

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  26. She’ll be comin’ ‘round the mountain when she comes
    I sang it with my 4 yr old granddaughter who was amazed I knew the
    words to ‘her’ song.

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  27. I never sing any song all the way through as I forget the words! Congratulations on surpassing donations for the Rhyl Samaritans - just think of all those people that want to see footage of you up on that zipwire!!! I am so happy that you have found a place in the choir. Ever consider amateur dramatics too? x

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  28. I sang with the songs at the Proms on Saturday night.

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  29. I sing in the car all the time. Since I have been listening to the Willie Nelson station lately, I must have been singing country. There is very little music that I don’t like.

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  30. I can't sing, so tend not to, especially in public, but I joined in with the Beatles All My Loving on Monday at a funeral. Luckily I was drowned out by those who could sing!

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  31. The last song I sang was "Orford Ness". I have just written it.

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    1. Good gracious! I hope we get a link to it when you put it on YouTube YP?

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  32. The choir practice sounds fun! Your current song choice at practice is fantastic! Singing is fun when it comes from the heart and when you do it because you love it or the mood just hits you.

    I am singing:

    Africa by Toto.

    Ironic, as it's pouring rain outside, with a tropical storm scheduled to slam us this weekend, bringing us more flash flooding and thunderstorms, and some hurricanes seem to be plotting their way to my coast next week, all from the coast off of Africa.

    Enjoy the sunshine while you can; I haven't seen it for several days now.

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  33. Isn’t it nice to have somewhere to belong? I throughly enjoyed singing in a choir. The symphony choir is to begin in October for the Christmas presentation. I should return. Gabs

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  34. Huge congratulations on that spectacular collection for the Samaritans.
    I don't remember when I last sang. A long time ago.

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  35. A lullaby to a fussy baby 💕

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  36. I sing in a church choir and find it quite therapeutic. Singing forces you to breathe deeply, which is so calming.

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  37. I sang Girls With Guitars at the top of my lungs in my car to my doctor's office and back. I got odd looks from fellow drivers but singing, albeit off key, is such a stress reliever.

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  38. Arise, Sir Jonathan Lard-Arse of Trelawnyd.

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  39. I only sing in the car when I'm by myself sang along to Abba yesterday.

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  40. Wait, that must be you, way on top, right end! Good for you, for sticking this.

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  41. I am tone deaf..even when I used to sing nusery rhymes to my boy he would say "mummy sing it right"..loved hearing that song by the choir...

    Jo in Auckland, NZ

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  42. THat's a nice fat amount you will 'earn' on that zip wire. Coincidentally my daughter went on one yesterday on her Costa Rica Adventure Tour. She said they don't give you time to get scared.
    The last song I sang? Probably 'dum dum la la la' to Chopin's 'Adeiu'. I adore that piece.

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  43. I reckon that would be hard to pick up without a LOT of practice. Definitely out there on the scale of difficulty. Words that are meaningful (as opposed to a foreign language) make it easier to pick up the tune, I find. I sing lots to / with my grandson - the colours of the rainbow was this week's one.

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  44. There are many songs that spring into mind prompted by whatever might be happening in my life. I'll find myself humming or singing their lyrics. Right now as I await summer's ending, fall's entrance and my favorite segment that sometimes appears, "Indian Summer" (jazz/blues style) keeps coming to mind.

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  45. Well, John, your having joined a choir influenced me to agree (!) to sing in a Christmas contata in my new hometown this December. I am hoping to find some friendly faces at least to say hello to when out and about..... It's a beautiful selection of non-traditional songs, and we have cds handed out to us that highlight our parts and melodies to practice with! It is wonderful. I want to say thank you for the little nudge in this direction; it's a fun coincidence that I was asked to sing right after you spoke about your joining a choir, and I thought I should say yes with you in the back of my mind. I'm enjoying it!

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  46. Awesome blog, i always enjoy & read the post you are sharing.Thank for your very good article...!

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