Looking Back on the Nov. 28, 2023 Alexandria Hybrid Chapter Meeting
This week there were really full risers despite the freezing cold temps and serious winds outside. Many singers were there to get caught up on the holiday show music. And it was the last night we will be meeting at the Scottish Rite Temple (SRT). Next week will be at AlexRenew, 1800 Limerick Street, Alexandria, VA 22314.
Another change will be for the pre-meeting dinner gathering spot – we will move to Glory Days, 3141 Duke Street, Alexandria. We gather about 5:30. There is an easy route from there to AlexRenew. Anyone who happens to get to town early is welcome to join the half-dozen regulars who gather each week.
Speaking of routes, there is also a pretty easy route to the Harmo House from AlexRenew for afterglow. And of course, the Eisenhower Metro is about a 12-15 minute walk to the new meeting space.
It was a work-on-the-holiday-show-music for both ensembles this week again, and associate director of the Harmonizers, Tony Colosimo, conducted the warm up session.
When artistic director, Joe Cerutti, started the evening reporting on some Thanksgiving travels. Then he expressed his grateful appreciation for the help from Ashley Merryman who replied to his request last week for help with a show script for the holiday show. She and Joe are collecting any person connection stories to the show songs.
This week Joe’s special request was for two or three members who could drive SIGNATURE quartet around DC on Dec. 12th. The gold medal quartet from 2019 will fly to DC from Florida that day to help us demonstrate barbershop harmony and to extend invitations to DC Public School students to participate in our chapter youth event in March. The drivers will make it faster and easier for the quartet to get from school-to-school in the city. Tell Joe that you can help! You will get to spend some time with a great champion quartet.
Attire for the holiday shows was addressed and several questions were cleared up. The attire for the Midwinter performance in NYC on January 11th is still TBD.
Just to confirm, here is a list of upcoming meetings/rehearsals/events: next week, Tues. Dec. 5 at AlexRenew, 1800 Limerick Street, Alexandria, VA 22314; Tues. Dec. 12 dress rehearsal at Fairlington United Methodist Church, 3900 King Street; Sat. Dec. 16, show for Frederick, MD, Chapter, call time is 1:45 pm, show starts at 3:30 pm at Urbana, MD, High School Auditorium, “The Secret of Harmony;” Sun. Dec.17, our own show, “Believe,” at Fairlington UMC, call time is 2 pm, show actually starts at 3:30 pm; Tues. Dec. 19, Carol Crawl in Old Town; Sat. Dec. 30, extra prep session for the Midwinter convention performance - Metro Voices from 9-1 and Harmonizers from 11-3.
At this point in the meeting, the two ensembles moved to their own practice area in SRT to work on their holiday show music. For a few minutes, the guys singing the “Dreidel Song” met with associate director, Tony, in the lobby.
All singers reconvened in the auditorium for the business session coordinated by communications director, Steve Murane. He started it off with announcement of the food drive the chapter will have as part of its holiday show – our donations will go to the church as part of their efforts to provide needed goods for ALIVE. Members can bring some and can encourage their patrons to bring some canned goods.
Terry Reynolds reported that the large stash of sheet music of every song that chapter has ever sung is being digitized and so copies of that music were available for the taking in the lobby. Anything left in the boxes will go to the trash.
Mary Cooper from Metro Voices welcomed guests this week that came to sing with the ensembles. Will Cox directed the chapter welcome song.
After the business session, the two ensembles worked on holiday songs they are singing together
Operations team leader, Gary Cregan, coordinated taking out the risers and all of our property from SRT.
The busy evening ended with the 50/50 drawing organized by Alan Wile. Ben Hawker, baritone in PRATT STREET POWER quartet, directed “Keep the Whole World Singing.” Orders for pizza were taken and a nice crowd attended the afterglow at the Harmo House.
Looking Back readers: please note that there will be no report from the Dec. 12th dress rehearsal.
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 for the great things going on each week during the 75th year of the Alexandria Chapter. - YeEd)
The Chapter Mission Statement Enriching lives through vocal harmony in the greater DC area.
