Looking Back on the April 5^th Spring2ACTion and April 11^th Chapter Meeting

Thanks to President Randall Eliason, the chapter earned nearly $19,000 as a participant in the Alexandria Spring2ACTion program on Wed. April 5^th.  Spring2ACTion is an all day-fundraising event for Alexandria nonprofits. We were one of the community’s arts group participants.  Our fans and supporters were able to donate all day. We won a “power hour” with the most donors from 3-4 pm.  That earned us a bonus of $500.

A representative chorus of us gathered at Virtue Feed and Grain in Old Town to sing for patrons there, and to have fun. Randall came early to put up great posters and signage, and to set up his lap top so it could project onto a screen with up-to-the-minute results of donations. Thanks to Noah Van Gilder who created the terrific signs and posters.

Mayor Allison Silberberg stopped to see us, spoke well about our group and then was guest conductor for “Sweet Caroline” outside after visiting inside.  Matthew Stensrud, chairman of the Alexandria Commission for the Arts was present and sang along with us too. Dan ABH, community coordinator, for Convergence stopped by to see us too.

Impromptu quartet with Rusty Orvik, Tony Colosimo, Chuck Hunter and Steve White sang a song or two.  Tony was our musical leader for this event and he had us sing several times out in the restaurant area (the chorus, their families and special patrons were in a separate room on the top level). We also sang “Happy Birthday” a couple times to restaurant patrons.

The Harmo family had fun too.  We got their early to benefit from the happy hour prices.  The food was good and the wait staff managed the crunch well and with smiles!

Some guys (for sure Chuck McKeever and Alan Wile who parked at Durant) took the free trolley from King St. Metro down to Union and King.  Alan was carrying his usual plastic container for collecting donations – and a young girl on the trolley asked her mom if she could put in a donation!

Tuesday nite, April 11^th was a hard working musical nite.  Riser crew and all the usual set up tasks were done.  Associate director Tony Colosimo did the tag sing at 6:50 pm and then he lead the warm up period too.  Director Joe Cerutti thanked Randall Eliason for his yeomen service on the Spring2ACTion event; and then went right to work on music and took the basses to another room to work on their major parts of “Roll Jordan Roll.”

During the nite there was work on the contest songs for Southern Division, a very thorough introduction of the form of one of the contest ballads we are learning for Harmony University, and work on the “Chicago” medley.

Before break there were breakout sessions for operations teams; then we regrouped for the chapter meeting period conducted by executive director Terry Reynolds.

Our a cappella group TBD was out for the part of the nite on a gig representing the chapter.

Joe and Terry stressed the importance of guys attending the community sing in DC on April 19^th with Dr. Barnwell, and the sing with Alfred Street Baptist Men’s choir in Old Town on April 26th – even if you have to miss the Tues nite before it.  Tho there will be solid work on our music on both of those Tuesday nites with Joe.

Education director Vickie Dennis spoke about ways members can assist at our Youth Harmony Festival April 22^nd at Durant.  First of all – the chorus will sing three songs that eve. But also Vickie had signup sheets posted on the wall for guys to sign up to assist during some time slots, and signup sheets on things to contribute like sodas and snacks. Medalist quartet SIGNATURE will assist with the boys chorus and appear on the show, and CLASS RING from SAI will assist with the girls chorus.

Then Joe announced a late breaking chorus opportunity to sing at Carnegie Hall in Sept.  He wants a full chorus to attend and noted that it is the Sunday evening after we sing at M-AD contest in Reading PA. The same sponsors as before from Japan invited us to appear on this 9-11Tribute concert.  Stay tuned for details and be ready to respond that you can make the trip.

The 50/50 team of Walt Page and Alan Wile worked hard and there were lots of goodies to share at break, including some yummy fudge from Steve and Robyn Murane.

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 69^th year of the Alexandria Harmonizer Chapter. —YeEd