Looking Back on the April 16^th Chapter Meeting

This week’s meeting and rehearsal was at First Baptist Church on King Street.  We intended to do another recording session, but there was a mix up and so we used the nite for continued work on the ballad and uptune for contest.

 

Associate director Tony Colosimo did the vocal warm ups.  Director Joe Cerutti with help from his music team worked a lot of points for both songs – making some reminders, pleading for guys to do “homework” from Wed – Mon, strengthening efforts for unit sound and getting the chorus all onboard for the latest interp of the ballad.  Of course there was much effort also in adopting the “craft maxims” as we did our vocal work.

 

Part of the nite was used to finish the stage presence for the tag on “Anything Goes” as well as work with our choreographer Carlos Barillo on the package.  The front row worked in another part of the church on their exciting plan for the song.

 

We did make a recording using Joe’s phone of both songs for the arrangers – so they could hear how we have progressed using their material.  And we did a shout-out to each of them – Kevin Keller for the uptune, and Steve Delehanty for the ballad.

 

We also used time for individual tapings for self improvement and for the vocal evaluators to listen to more guys “live” on the two songs.

 

Operations vp Bob Rhome conducted the weekly chapter meeting.  When Joe started the nite, he welcomed back Rick Wagner who was out for heath issues recently, Lew Klinge who was in SE Asia on a tour, and Edris Qarghah who we have not seen for a while on the risers.

 

President Alan Wile spoke about the need for three or four more guys to help with the southern division contest operation April 26-27.  The jobs are in registration and in door monitors.  Volunteers should email Chuck Harner, our chairman, at CACHUCK@cox.net.

 

Alan also alerted us to a one-day event called Spring to Action that is a fundraiser for the chapter – online.  Community service vp Clyde Crusenberry will send out an email reminder to all on how to participate.

 

Bob reported the successful result for Erin Odell, Craig’s daughter and Dan Cook’s wife, at the recent Sweet Adeline regional contest.  Her chorus won, her quartet SHADES OF GREEN was first, and she was named winner of the Novice Director award.

 

Nick Leiserson is leading a task force  seeking feedback and input on how to rekindle the Singing Valentine operation for 2014.  There will be opportunities to offer input to a task force before the chapter meeting on April 30^th and at the studio event on May 4^th.

 

Randall Eliason offered again to get a block of tickets for the baseball game while we are in Toronto.  Speak with him in the next couple weeks if you are interested.

 

Other announcements included a call for coolers for the contest weekend in Reston, reminder to buy scrip for use in paying hotel bills in Toronto, and vocal studios are this weekend.

 

Membership vp Mark Klostermeyer with Ken White introduced the guests this week – a couple former members Jim Gammon and Bill Teale; some tourists from other chapters, and applicant Lou Bergner.

 

At the end of the meeting, president Wile announced that the May 18^th show at Lincoln Theater has been cancelled until next spring.

 

We cleaned up the church meeting space and departed just after 10.  And a good crowd made it over to the afterglow.

 

In other news, Dick Dangel, Joel Golden and Drew Fuller along with Ray Hastings, one of their fellow Atlantic Harmony Brigade pals, did a quartet gig promoting the barbershop style at the 27^th Annual Centenarian Salute hosted by Mayor Vincent Gray and DC office on Aging. They report “it was fun serenading all these very senior citizens. The oldest one was about 110.”

 

AND – there are 26 Harmonizers singing in division contest quartets April 26^th in Reston.  The number in the list below is their singing order; names are in order of tenor, lead, bari, bass; and Harmonizer names in boldface.

 

2. MIND CONDITION – Bob Rodriguez Jr., Kevin McKenzie, Drew Fuller, Arthur Louis

13. THE ESTABLISHMENT – John Reece, Bill Colosimo, Joe Cerutti, Dean Martin

17. MAYHEM – Matt Fellows, Neil Dingle, Mike Pinto, Ken White

18. SURPRISE! –  JC O’Donovan, John Grant, Bob Hirsh, Bruce Minnick (Seniors Contest)

21. SOUVENIR – Carl Kauffmann, Brad Jones, Drew Fuller, Roger Day (Seniors contest)

25. BLARNEY BROTHERS – Pappy DeVoe, Mike Calhoun, Ron Davidson, Tom Pearce (Seniors Contest)

26. YOUTH RECLAMATION PROJECT – Hardman Jones, Mike Wallen, Roger Tarpey, Vic Owen (Seniors Contest)

28. ACME CHORD COMPANY – Dan O’Brien, Chris Susalka, Paul Grimes, Chris Yates

29. THE MONORAIL FOUR – Kellen Hertz, Phil Ferguson, Bobby Seay VI, Andrew Havens

31. GOOD GUYS – Jim Lake, Frank Fedarko, Joel Golden, Don Dillingham

32. HANDSOME REWARD – Mike Sengco, Mike Edison, Vince Lynch, Mike Gilmore

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 during the 65^th year of the Alexandria Harmonizer Chapter. —YeEd.)