Looking Back on the Feb. 5^th Chapter Meeting

This was another busy and crowded nite at Durant.  The 11sets of risers fill a major part of the hall. And it seems we have more and more folks coming to watch and listen – families and friends of the chapter – to sit in the non-singing guest seats.  Plus everyone has a warm winter coat to pile someplace, so the stage and all the tables are full. 

 

The guests kept rolling in. And the music team and av team were working to kick things off at 7. The listening piece to set the stage and get us all up on the risers was the new contest ballad again – and many guys enjoyed the chance to sing along.

 

Associate director Tony Colosimo kicked things off with vocal warm ups.  When director Joe Cerutti came up front, he welcomed some guys back with us – Joe Sawyer, Gary Mankin, Phil Ferguson and Rick Wagner.

 

He spoke about all the chapter meetings on Feb. 30^th at Durant including the successful Open Auditions nite coordinated by Noah Van Gilder; the productive music and performance committee meeting with Brad Jones as chair; and our president Alan Wile and our community services chairman Clyde Crusenberry meeting with the city leaders about our grant.  All important behind the scenes work by chapter leaders.

 

But before we got to sing, assistant director Terry Reynolds announced a new chorus line up and had everyone get down from where they had been standing the last couple weeks, and returned to the risers as Terry announced their location.

 

Then it was singing time.  We worked hard on the contest songs.  One time Joe sent the basses out to fix something and then he could work on the other three parts. Before the nite was over we also had our first chance to make personal learning tapes to be reviewed by the singer for self improvement.

 

Tonite was our first chance to work with our own Carlos Barillo as choreographer.  He has developed a fantastic plan for our contest uptune and earlier had presented it to the row captains and musical leaders, then to the front row at a special rehearsal this past week.  Carlos comes to us with a long bio of success as a coach, choreographer and dancer/performer, including a tour of
“Anything Goes” and appearances on RCL cruise line and at Kings Dominion. He currently teaches at Winston Churchill High School in MD.

 

After the singers on rows 2-5 worked a while on the plan, the front row rejoined us and we put the exciting plan together.

 

After the first half of the nite, operations vp Bob Rhome began the chapter meeting period.  He announced that the meeting on Feb. 12^th would not be at Durant, but in the choir room of The First Baptist Church, 2932 King Street, Alexandria 22302, at 7 pm. We will be recording.  The city will be painting the main hall of Durant at the time.  (Also thanks to Bob Blair and team, we have added safety latches for the doors on the riser storage area under the stage – to prevent those doors from falling open when children or other users of the facility might bump them.)

 

President Alan asked all members to make note and post on their calendars that our chapter is hosting the combined Southern and Western Division quartet and chorus contests April 26-28 in Reston. Since this is the first time the district has combined these contests, it means there will be more contestants and thus a need for more volunteers.  The chapter will earn some monies for the work.  Chuck Harner has agreed to be our chairman for weekend.

 

Alan also thanked Dick Hall for agreeing to serve as Sunshine chairman this year.  He is the person to keep informed if you hear that a member or his family is under the weather.

Alan also reminded everyone that any chapter calendar inputs should go to Bob Rhome since Bob is the one who maintains it.

 

Chris Clark will be keeping track of donations and contributions to the chapter this year. And there can still be Singing Valentines delivered – contact Calvin Schnure.

 

Chapter secretary Chris Buechler presented membership renewal cards to Mark Klostermeyer for 32 years, and to Frank Fedarko for 11 years.

 

Membership vp Mark Klostermeyer, with assistance from Ken White, introduced and welcomed another long line of guests.  As is often the case these days, several were applicants, some are transferring in from other chapters, several new guests from the last couple of weeks including those who attended the Open Audition nite.

 

After our coffee break period, a few more announcements were made.

 

TJ Donahue invited everyone to try, yet again, another afterglow spot.  (We went to La Porta’s at 1600 Duke St.  It was fun, lots of space, cheerful waiters, reasonably priced eats with a kitchen open til 11 pm, and just a little walk to Metro.  So come join the fun next week.)

 

Bob Blair thanked all those who had signed up to join the Harmo Truckers Crew – 6 or 7 guys signed up.  And Bob Griesemer and Chris Clark are planning to drive our Harmo truck to Toronto, but we need a sub for the ride home, as Chris has to fly back.  So – see Bob Blair if you can help.

 

Then back on the risers and more work on the rest of the uptune with Carlos.

 

Before we left Durant, there was a review of “Hello My Baby” and “Circle of Life” which will be the songs we record next Tuesday nite.

 

At ten pm, everyone pitched in and helped put things all away.

 

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. —YeEd.)