Saturday, May 7, 2016


Looking Back on the May 3rd Chapter Meeting

The AC was still not working at Durant, but we worked hard all nite anyway and made lots of progress on our contest package.

Riser set up was a little delayed as several guys worked on repairing some sections of the risers.  Thanks to that crew. The front row continued its intensive rehearsal on the stage at 6 pm.

Director Joe Cerutti did the warm ups while associate director Tony Colosimo revised the riser position chart for this contest season.  The new sound seemed to please all musical leaders.  Many of us are on different sides of the chorus and in different rows.

Joe used the tag to “Mary Had a Baby” for warm up exercises.  Then he went right to work on the uptune adding some interp and some reminders for end of phrases. This arrangement by David Harrington is fun but has lots of rhythm challenges. The ballad also arranged by David is coming along great too.

Executive director Terry Reynolds conducted the chapter meeting time.  He reminded us about the visual studios this Saturday. He reminded us that payment ($100) for the retreat at McDaniel College is Westminster MD on June 3-4-5 should go to Bruce Minnick ASAP. Coach David Wright will be there to help us polish the package.  Requests for roommates in the suites should go to Chuck McKeever.

Singers and their families and patrons should mark their calendars for the Armed Forces Day Show on Sat May 21 at Fort Meyer.

Congrats and thanks to TBD for their recent appearance and subsequent significant financial gift to the chapter.

Board member Steve White introduced a new chapter committee – Choral Affairs Committee – composed of guys who members can talk with confidentially about how it is going in the chapter(s).  The new committee members are Casey Belzer, Jeff Burkey, Randy Lazear, Rick Savage, Joel Golden, Jeremy Richardson and Steve.

Terry spoke about the status of the qualification process – the first phase is wrapping up. Absent forms are on Groupanizer for anyone who cannot attend any of the mandatory rehearsals between now and International. 

Chapter secretary Chris Buechler presented membership renewal cards to Dean Sherick for 4 years, John Oswald Green for 5 years, Tom Berkey for 19 years, Rick Savage for 42 years; and Dick Hall for 52 years.

Membership director Rich Hewitt welcomed and introduced new applicants, and guests, and we sang our Harmonizer Welcome Song to them all.

After refreshments during the break, it was promptly back to work on the risers. 

Tony started a new series of Craft Maxims – three new ones to move us on from the earlier era maxims we all know and love!

Then we used most of the rest of nite to learn the presentation plan from our choreographer Carlos Barillo.  It is fun.  Before we wrapped up, the front row joined the chorus to put it all together.  McKeever filmed Carlos’s instruction for us all to review.

In other news, this info from Dick Dangel: For many years now, POTOMAC RIVER RASCALS  quartet, (which includes Drew Fuller, tenor; Dick, lead; and two Harmony Heritage Singer members Bob Scarlet, bari; and Wes Kriebl, bass) have performed for the Washington DC annual salute to DC Centenarians. Office of Aging puts on a nice luncheon for them and their support people. So we get a free lunch, get paid, serenade arriving centenarians and perform for them on stage once a year. The oldest one in attendance today was born in 1909. The oldest one currently living in DC was born in 1906.  (Dick says they sometimes earn the name Rascals as they mix with the honorees.)  The quartet did meet the DC Mayor and were seen on local Ch. 7 evening news in the background of that news item.

Kudos to David Jarzen for his lead role in “Starlight Express” performed by students at West Potomac High School in Alexandria.  Instructor Peelee Clark performed the show himself for several years in Germany and was able to help the students with their skating and music.

Alan Wile reports: Last week Terry Jordan was disoriented a bit, wobbly on his feet, vision fuzzy, and just not doing well. Went to Loudoun INOVA Hospital in serious condition on Monday where he was diagnosed with kidney failure. He’s doing well now but expects to remain in the hospital for three days or so. The condition is treatable and he does NOT need dialysis treatment. To complicate things, he is suffering from shingles. Terry says all is under control and he’s feeling a lot better. Phone to the nursing station is 703-858-6770 (they will transfer calls to his room).

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 67th year of the Alexandria Harmonizer Chapter. —YeEd