Thursday, February 23, 2017


Looking Back on the Feb. 21st Chapter Meeting

New fun feature of the usual Tuesday nite was a tag sing at 6:50 pm.  Plans are to continue it in the weeks ahead at that same time.  Just listen for the pitch pipe.  Held right in the Durant hall while the members are arriving (and usually that would be after the risers are all set up).  Associate director Tony Colosimo was tagmaster this week.

Tony also did the vocal warm ups at 7 pm with the chorus in a circle in the hall.  Guests and family members were seated on the stage.

After warm ups, director Joe Cerutti took over the chorus and after brief remarks sharing his passion about our learning the gospel music and the correct style, we plowed into the three songs we have on our plate at this time.

Joe also shared his excitement about next week’s meeting when we will spend the first half hearing a proposal for the chorus to travel and sing in Russia.  Then the second half we will go into Old Town Alexandria to Vola’s Dockside Grill at 110 N. Union Street.  Joe pledged to buy the first round for all attending.  DA CAPO will stop by and sing for us.  Vola’s is offering to contribute 20% in our chapter’s name for the Spring2Action campaign.

The past presidents of the chapter are meeting at Vola’s on Wednesday nite too.  That group meets a few times during the year to offer input to the current president.

Tuesday nite the chorus also worked on the songs we will sing for the show when we host the Yale Whiffenpoofs, March 5.

The Aca Challenge event needs many helpers, so volunteer with Reed Livergood, the chairman for the nite

Announcing the return of the fabled Harmonizer Put-Together Quartet Contest! – a long-standing Harmonizer tradition that has been dormant for the past few years. But it is back and better than ever! It will be Tuesday, March 28 (a regular rehearsal night) at 7 pm in Durant Center.

Singers should find three fellow barbershoppers to form a quartet. Work up one song to perform on stage before a distinguished mystery panel of judges.

Basics: 1) Each quartet sings only one song. (Polecats are perfectly acceptable.); 2) There are two categories: comedy quartets and "regular" quartets, with prizes awarded in each category; 3) Any one man can be in as many quartets as he wishes; 4) In any given quartet, no more than two of the singers may be members of the same currently registered BHS quartet; 5) If any quartet member has sung in the past in a District Champion quartet, then in the contest that member must sing a different voice part than he did in the championship quartet. (For example, Tony can't sing lead in a put-together quartet but could sing any other part.)

That's it! This is meant to be a low-key, fun and friendly competition. Fame, glory, bragging rights, and maybe even trophies await the first, second and third place quartets in each category.

This year we are also opening up the competition to put-together quartets from other chapters. Registration is limited to the first 20 quartets to enter, so get your registration in early! To enter, email the following information to put-together quartet head honcho Rich Payton at payton.rich@gmail.com: the quartet name, names of quartet members and what part they will sing, what BHS Chapter(s) represented; whether you are entering in the Comedy or Regular category, Thanks to Rich Payton for reviving this fun event.

This Saturday, there will be a work crew sorting, discarding and then moving our storage unit to a new location with lower fees.  If you can help, or have a SUV that you can haul things – contact Bob Blair.

Chapter secretary Chris Buechler presented Joe Cerutti his 16-year renewal card.

Thanks to many guys who brought goodies to share at break – homemade cookies and lots of Girl Scout Cookies!!

We also worked on the stage presence for “Summertime” and auditioned soloists for the gospel songs.  We then launched into the new arrangement of a Chicago medley with sectionals to dig in.

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 68th year of the Alexandria Harmonizer Chapter. —YeEd