For some reason, lots of guys arrived after 7 pm this week – likely traffic issues in DC Metro area. But by 7:45, the risers were full again!! Associate director Tony Colosimo was upfront conducting a thorough warm up exercise.
He had a couple announcements including the good news that nearly 90 men have signed up to sing on Nov. 30th at Strathmore’s kick off for their holiday series of shows. We will present our show for their customers. Gold medal quartet VOCAL SPECTRUM will appear on that show with us!
And Tony reminded the chorus that coach Kevin Keller from Ambassadors of Harmony in MO will be with us March 12th!
Tony kicked off the music work session with “Blow Gabriel” and row-by-row self help sessions for stage presence. (Each row went to different parts of Scottish Rite Temple to work.)
Communications director Steve Murane conducted the chapter meeting portion of the nite.
He reminded everyone about the 7 pm March 20th show with the Alexandria Singers and the Vocal Collective from New Zealand. A complete email went to all singers on Wed. with uniform details and songs and report times: chorus reports at 5:15, volunteers 5 pm at George Washington National Memorial in Alexandria. Harmonizers and volunteers wear black camp shirt with black pants. Songs will be “Blow Gabriel,” “There Will Be a City,” “We Kiss,” “Empty Chairs,” and “All You Need is Love.” The chapter will also sing a song with the other groups on the show. Tickets are just $10. Help spread the word on this fun show Together in Harmony.
For planning ahead, the chorus will sing at the chapter’s Youth Harmony Festival on Friday, April 5th at SRT. We will sing “Blow Gabriel,” “Empty Chairs,” and “Brotherhood of Man.” Chapter education director Sheryl Berlin has already lined up a large class of youth. Harmo volunteers will be needed, so plan to help.
Immediate past president of AH Inc. Liz Birnbaum explained how the work/discussion sessions will be conducted next week as we embark on the path of incorporating our newly developed strategic plan. Each man was asked to sign up with his first-fourth choice of sessions to attend: Vocal Excellence; Community Outreach; Branding; and Fiscal Health. Those 1-hour sessions will be designed to flush out short term actions needed. Each group will be led by two or three operations team or board members from the two chapters.
President Shawn Tallant reports that Mick Stamps is making good progress and is taking calls and text messages.
Then Shawn presented one of the chapter’s major awards left to give out after the Presidents’ Banquet. Ken Rub was named recipient of the Dick Hall Spirit of Harmony Award. Ken has been a member over 20 years and embodies the criteria for this award. He has covered all the musical bases in the chapter including quartets, small ensembles, front row and contest chorus. He has been an officer for membership, marketing, and shows. He produced a number of shows including the special event bringing Rockapella to our audiences. And he was the idea behind the chapter’s recent series of Aca-Challenge events at DC’s Lincoln Theater.
Jon Frank introduced singing guests this week – Turner, and Vinny and Steve who drive up from the Charlottesville area. President Shawn congratulated our newest member Ryan Mextorf who passed his audition last week. Welcome aboard, Ryan.
For break time, Tony invited each guy to meet and chat with another guy with a different color hair or hair style or no hair to discuss work on the music, and the direction we are going for shows and performances.
After break we assembled in the cafeteria and spread out in one long line so that Tony could check voice placements (which will lead to new riser placements soon). He also needed to check and assign a place to about a dozen men who have not been present for recent sessions.
When he was satisfied, the chorus went back to the risers and worked on more of the music for shows.
Just before we left, Shawn reported that
he had just gotten word that Ken Ives wife has died suddenly. More details to come.
Tony then ended the nite with the chorus
singing the tag – “A Lifetime is Not Too Long to Live as Friends.”
(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 70th year of the Alexandria Harmonizer Chapter. —YeEd
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