I was delighted to be invited back for a very special Shall We Dance? It was to be their “Best of British” night held on Veterans' Day. Attendees were encouraged to wear red, white, or blue – or all three! And the music would be by British artists.
Now, that meant that I had some new songs to learn; I had been very busy lately; I had competed in my first ever music festival, and I scored first place in my vocal solo class, yay!
And straight after that Saturday night competition, we had to dash from Gosport all the way down to Portsmouth for the H – Factor talent show; I literally got up and sang as soon as I walked through the door! Sadly, I didn't make it through, but I have a lovely certificate from the Gosport festival, so what more could I ask for?
Now that that was out of the way, I began to knuckle down and properly learn the new songs I had selected. I like to listen to all of the songs on the list, and then pick my favourites. Two of them really stood out to me, so I got to learning them. Sue had asked me to learn Jerusalem, as it's her husband's favourite anthem, so of course, I said yes, and began learning that, as well.
While practising every day, I also picked out my dress. I decided to wear all three colours and chose a blue dress, with red shoes, and a white bolero jacket, along with my poppy. I really wanted a Union Jack ballgown so I could be the classical version of Ginger Spice! How funny would that be?
And straight after that Saturday night competition, we had to dash from Gosport all the way down to Portsmouth for the H – Factor talent show; I literally got up and sang as soon as I walked through the door! Sadly, I didn't make it through, but I have a lovely certificate from the Gosport festival, so what more could I ask for?
Now that that was out of the way, I began to knuckle down and properly learn the new songs I had selected. I like to listen to all of the songs on the list, and then pick my favourites. Two of them really stood out to me, so I got to learning them. Sue had asked me to learn Jerusalem, as it's her husband's favourite anthem, so of course, I said yes, and began learning that, as well.
While practising every day, I also picked out my dress. I decided to wear all three colours and chose a blue dress, with red shoes, and a white bolero jacket, along with my poppy. I really wanted a Union Jack ballgown so I could be the classical version of Ginger Spice! How funny would that be?
When the night arrived, we headed off to the venue, with me wearing my trusty thermals under my dress! I am perpetually cold, and being a classical singer means ball gowns are a necessity, however in the winter, performances mean trying to keep warm in any way possible.
We arrived just as the event was starting, but we were not scheduled to sing for a little while, so my Dad and I sat down and got set up, before Becki and Aleisha arrived. We had decided to co-ordinate on our outfits: Becki was wearing red and Aleisha was wearing white.
Sue started the show, and we got to watch the dancers do their thing. I think word of mouth is spreading because I saw quite a few new faces, which is good. It's such a nice idea; I don't think there are that many social dances around any more, and it's a great way to meet new people, and have a fun evening.
Aleisha did her songs, and then it was my turn. My first song was “Blessed,” by Elton John. I absolutely fell in love with this beautiful song when I first heard, and I just had to learn it; it's definitely going to become part of my repertoire. As I love my high notes, I sang it up the octave; it's something that happened when I first sang it, and Becki said we should keep it that way, but I think it'll be good to sing it both ways.
After that, it was more dancing, and the usual Charleston was played; however, this time, I didn't get up to dance, as my shoes kept slipping of my feet, and I was worried that one of them would go flying. Next time, I shall dance; it would probably warm me up!
A few more dances later, and it was time for the interval. Aleisha performed her songs first, which included “Skyfall,” and after her Becki performed her songs, including “The White Cliffs of Dover,” while the audience waved their flags; it was so amazing.
Of course, the beautiful “Pie Jesu” was the first song in my set, which is always very well received (that makes me happy), Sue made sure her husband was in the room, and I picked up my flag, and launched into Jerusalem. The audience were waving theirs flags as well, and I was trying so hard not to smile.
After that, I was free until the end, where I would be closing the evening, so we went out into the lobby to take some photos, before returning inside, where, not long after, I stepped onto the stage once again, this time to sing “The Last Waltz” by Englebert Humperdinck, which is another beautiful song. Again, I sang this one up the octave, as it just comes naturally to me.
After that, it was time to chat with people for a while, before packing up and heading home, where Mum welcomed me with a nice, hot cup of tea. Perfect!
I have uploaded my performance of Jerusalem, which you can find here. I don't think I did my best, but you be the judge, and you can find photos in the gallery.
Also, be sure to keep an eye on my Facebook, as I will be uploading another video soon!
We arrived just as the event was starting, but we were not scheduled to sing for a little while, so my Dad and I sat down and got set up, before Becki and Aleisha arrived. We had decided to co-ordinate on our outfits: Becki was wearing red and Aleisha was wearing white.
Sue started the show, and we got to watch the dancers do their thing. I think word of mouth is spreading because I saw quite a few new faces, which is good. It's such a nice idea; I don't think there are that many social dances around any more, and it's a great way to meet new people, and have a fun evening.
Aleisha did her songs, and then it was my turn. My first song was “Blessed,” by Elton John. I absolutely fell in love with this beautiful song when I first heard, and I just had to learn it; it's definitely going to become part of my repertoire. As I love my high notes, I sang it up the octave; it's something that happened when I first sang it, and Becki said we should keep it that way, but I think it'll be good to sing it both ways.
After that, it was more dancing, and the usual Charleston was played; however, this time, I didn't get up to dance, as my shoes kept slipping of my feet, and I was worried that one of them would go flying. Next time, I shall dance; it would probably warm me up!
A few more dances later, and it was time for the interval. Aleisha performed her songs first, which included “Skyfall,” and after her Becki performed her songs, including “The White Cliffs of Dover,” while the audience waved their flags; it was so amazing.
Of course, the beautiful “Pie Jesu” was the first song in my set, which is always very well received (that makes me happy), Sue made sure her husband was in the room, and I picked up my flag, and launched into Jerusalem. The audience were waving theirs flags as well, and I was trying so hard not to smile.
After that, I was free until the end, where I would be closing the evening, so we went out into the lobby to take some photos, before returning inside, where, not long after, I stepped onto the stage once again, this time to sing “The Last Waltz” by Englebert Humperdinck, which is another beautiful song. Again, I sang this one up the octave, as it just comes naturally to me.
After that, it was time to chat with people for a while, before packing up and heading home, where Mum welcomed me with a nice, hot cup of tea. Perfect!
I have uploaded my performance of Jerusalem, which you can find here. I don't think I did my best, but you be the judge, and you can find photos in the gallery.
Also, be sure to keep an eye on my Facebook, as I will be uploading another video soon!
Until next time
Lauren xx
Lauren xx