Thursday, April 22, 2010

Looking Back on the April 20th Chapter Meeting

Have you noticed that the rising volume level from 6 – 7 with 85 – 100 guys at work on their stage presence, eating the pizza and visiting and setting up all the stuff it takes to run a regular Tuesday nite chapter meeting and rehearsal? Not complaining, for sure. All good.

Tony Colosimo did the honors of a solid vocal warm up and used some new exercises for the guys to get ready to sing and perform. Director Joe added some more drills before he had the chorus work on songs.

He reminded us all that Kirk Young will be coaching next week – concentrating on the uptune for contest.

He also shared that OLD SCHOOL and OC TIMES will sing the intro for “God Bless The USA” and both Alexandria and Westminster choruses will join in. WOW – can you just imagine that sound!

There was more work on “ObLaDi/ObLaDa” and some start to adding the scenario or theme of the song to the musical presentation or interp.

Then Joe launched into what was a great work out on the ballad. He began by introducing some terrific musical adjustments suggested by Chuck Hunter who was in the hall last week.

After the long and successful workout on the package, Joe quit early and turned the meeting over to our operations honcho, K12. Mark announced birthdays and alerted the chow hounds to the huge chocolate cake being cut to serve at break.

Secretary Buechler presented renewal cards to Dan O’Brien, 5 years; Dennis Ritchey, 18 years; John Reece, 22 years; and Jim Shoenhard, 22 years.

Scipio showed the guys the new vests to be worn in the contest package and he and uniform chair, Tom Kern, invited everyone to pick up one. Nice looking.

Ken Fess, chair of the Westminster show, made a personal appeal for guys to sign up to host our guest chorus and quartets, help with CD sales and other such tasks, and to SELL TICKETS. Already over 800 have been sold. But we have over 1000 more to sell. Our director suggested we should all sell at least 5 – and do so in the next 10 days or less. He pledged to lead the way on the sales effort.

Next week, our chapter ticket guru, Steve Murane, will have blocks of tickets guys can take on consignment. (Readers of this column who are not regulars at Durant on Tuesday should get online and order tickets too. Don’t miss your chance to get a good seat.)

Terry Reynolds reviewed latest details and deadlines for the self evaluation process . AND announced that the chapter’s music team has received the music for “Stars and Stripes” and will have it up on the website for members to get – so continue to prepare for the launch of that new song next Tuesday!

After eating up all the cake and lots of coffee and sodas, everyone was invited back to take a seat on the risers.

Phil Ashford introduced a guest quartet, THAT QUARTET, from the Pride of Baltimore Sweet Adeline chapter. They are competing this weekend in Ocean City. Also Joe’s POB chorus will be competing at that contest as well. Good luck to all. (YeEd learned that the tenor of our guest quartet was Steve Guy’s wife – and that he has had a bad fall and broken his arm or some such pain and thus not on the risers for a couple weeks.)

Speaking of health issues – we have a couple guys combating kidney stones lately, and many guys fighting the crud from allergies!!

There is a chapter board meeting this week.

Then back to work on the risers as prompted by cheerleader Griff. There were many drills and the necessary recordings for vocal or visual assessment. And a beneficial review of hand movements and timing for a few ripple moves. Thanks Chuck McKeever and Joe for taking time for it.

After the long work session, the chorus recorded more songs for an upcoming CD.

At 10 pm, we did a wrap up to end another great nite with the Harmonizers. Guys were asked to load the risers onto our truck as someone has rented them this weekend. Bob Blair was load master.

Section leaders were summoned to do an audition or two. And men under 30 were summoned by Tony to discuss the future youth chorus in our chapter.

And after all that cake, there was a weigh-in for guys in the 10 FOR 10 program. Joe Sawyer took down the figures for Craig Kujawa who is still overseas.

Until next time – editorjack!

(This message is prepared for your review if you were there, for your information if you had to miss, and as a historical record of the great things going on each week at an Alexandria Harmonizer Chapter meeting. —Ye Ed.)

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