Looking Back on the Feb. 5^th Chapter Meeting 

Last week’s meeting was cancelled due to predictions of snow and particularly ice on Tues eve Jan. 29^th.

That meant this week there was a lot of work to do and many details to get organized such as promotion of the Whiffenpoofs show, and distribution of tickets for the Presidents Banquet.

Another good crowd of singers was on the risers – guys are eager to learn the new music and practice singing it with the other members.  Associate director Tony Colosimo did a good warm up session to kick off the work for the nite.  Then the chapter visited with director Joe Cerutti who was at his office in Nashville and spoke via Skype, conducted an discussion about plans for 2019 and asked for input from the members.

Also early in the evening, Tony conducted a voice placement exercise so that the music team could prepare a riser placement chart.  There are several new members and guests who needed a place on the risers, as well as a number of guys who are back from travel and the like.

At one point, Tony took the chorus thru the songs for our appearance with The Yale Whiffenpoofs with some review of the stage presence too.

And then there was considerable work on the new songs to cover the assigned measures singers were supposed to have worked on in advance and prepared to cover.

There is a lot on the plate of the chorus this spring including the Whiffenpoof show on Sat. afternoon, Feb. 9^th at 3 pm. An email with details for singers at that show will come from Robyn Murane. Still plenty of tickets available for guests, members who aren’t singing this one, and patrons. This event is at the George Washington Masonic Temple. Plenty of parking too.
Then Singing Valentinesis on Feb. 14^th – the plan is to fill appointments in time slots at 12-2 pm and 4-8 pm.  Guys were asked to sign up for quartets.

Chapter music team and administrative leaders all encourage attendance at the annual Presidents’ Banquet on Feb. 16^th  at 6 pm at the Lee Memorial Rec Center, 1108 Jefferson St,  in Alexandria. Dave Branstetter has the tickets. Just $30 for banquet, gifts, dancing and award ceremony for our fellow members. Hopefully many of the new members and their significant others will be able to attend and capture the spirit of being a Harmonizer.

Our “Together in Harmony” concert with the Alexandria Singers and Vocal Collective from New Zealand will be Wed. Mar. 20^th at the Masonic Temple at 7pm.  Tickets are $10 and available via EventBrite. Vocal Collective formerly was The Christchurch Pops Choir, Christchurch, New Zealand.


The Harmonizer-sponsored Youth Harmony Festival will be Fri April 5^th at Scottish Rite Temple.
Our first guest coaching session is Feb. 12^th with Steve Scott from Nashville.  He will also be available all day next Tuesday for private vocal instruction.  Look for email details as to times and place (at Joe Cerutti’s home), and how to sign up.  There is a fee for these sessions.

This week was the deadline for a payment for the chapter’s trip to England.  They are due to Brad Jones.

Executive director Randall Eliason reported the serious news from Sandy Stamps that Mick will be going in for bypass surgery on Wed. at Fairfax Hospital.

The one-on-one interviews with Joe are being scheduled.  Terry Reynolds is coordinating them and needs to be sure he has availability times for each member.  And each member must submit a survey online by Feb. 9th

In other announcements, the chapter’s coffee pot is missing.  If anyone knows where it is, please contact Jack Pitzer.

Secretary Chris Buechler presented membership renewal cards to many members: Gary Cregan for 2 years; Ben Watsky for 2 years; Dixie Kennett for 6 years as an associate member; Bob Rhome for 18 years; Brian Miller for 22 years; Mark Klostermeyer for 38 years; Dean Rust for 39 years, and both Walt Page and Brian Ammerman for 25 years (they each received their 25-year BHS lapel pin as well).

Membership director Calvin Schnure welcome singing guest Ryan Mextorf as well as members we have not seen for a while such as Josh DesPortes, Carlos Barillo, Chris Odell, Kris Zinkievich, Ken White and Mike Pinto.

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

Looking Back on Harmonizer Activities at the Jan BHS Midwinter in Nashville

It’s no surprise that there were a lot of Harmonizers present at the 2019 Midwinter Convention in Nashville, Jan 22-27. Our chapter members served as administrators, musical leaders, staff, performers, and coaches

(These notes about members came from reporter Keith Jones with input from Bob Eckman, Alan Wile, and Chuck McKeever. Dixie Kennett provided a general wrap up of the convention.  Thanks to all – YeEd. Former Harmonizers are indicated with *)

As you would expect current and former Harmonizers were busy providing service for all sorts of aspects of the convention.

Judging Panel--Richard Lewellen*; Jay Butterfield*; Mike Louque*; John Santora; and Chris Buechler.  

Meetings--John Santora, as BHS Treasurer, participated in the Society Board meetings and the Strategic Planning Committee Meeting; Chris Buechler attended the Society Contest and Judging Committee (SCJC) meetings; Terry Reynolds presented Harmony Education classes during the convention; Chuck McKeever had a personal vocal coaching session with recent Harmonizer coach Steve Scott; Gary Plaag* is chairman, Harmony Foundation International (HFI) Board of Trustees.

Competitors--John Adams (Carolina Statesmen senior chorus-2nd place); Paul Wietlsbach* (Dixie Senior Chorus--winners).   John Adams also performed with the Association of International Senior Quartet Champs (AISQC) chorus.

Next Generation Junior Chorus Sponsors--Darryl and Meredith Flinn; Ross Johnson and Susan Williams.

Staff--BHS Director of Outreach--Joe Cerutti, Jr.; HFI staff members--Rick Taylor, and Sean Devine*.

District Presidents Council--Bob Eckman

Junior Chorus Festival Plateau AA Winner with Outstanding Rating--A CAPPELLA! mixed harmony chorus, James Hubert Blake High School, Silver Spring, MD--directed by Sandra (Mrs. Kris) Zinkievich!  Her students have attended many Alexandria Youth in Harmony camps.

The following current or former Harmonizers were at the convention too: Sheryl Berlin, (Chapter Education Director), Bill Colosimo, Randall Eliason, Tom Gannon, (with wife Marilyn), Bob Hirsh, (with wife Dena)*, Sam McFarland, Alan Lamson, Jim Lucey, (with wife Ruthanne), and John Rettenmeyer.

The first event of the convention, other than meetings, was the keynote address, presented this year by Theo Hicks.  Theo is the lead of the 2017 Quartet Champs, INSTANT CLASSIC, and a middle school educator.  He kept the audience enthralled with both humorous and tear-inspiring stories — all backing up his mantra that “your voice matters.”   His quartet will be guests on our fall 2019 show!

Joe was so much more than a BHS staffer making sure his programs ran properly.  The first contest event on the schedule was the Junior Quartet contest for those 18 years of age and younger.  This was held in a huge hotel ballroom that was packed with both youth and regular attendees.  His enthusiasm as the MC for the NextGen Junior Quartet contest had the audience cheering and on their feet!  He used what he often uses with the Harmonizers:  “Are you ready for the next contestant?” and then urged the audience to scream “Yes!”  They did not disappoint.  The Mid-Atlantic District was represented by a couple of quartets — one made up of three elementary school students and one who is in high school and the winning quartet, the QUIN-TONES.  VINTAGE MIX quartet (three sisters and a brother who appeared as a guest quartet on a Harmonizer holiday show a couple of years ago), placed third.

The Seniors Quartet contest was held on Saturday.  Unfortunately, YOUTH RECLAMATIOIN PROJECT (with member Mike Wallen) had to withdraw following the death of their bass Vic Owens.  There were no other M-AD quartets.  The winner was DOUBLEDOUBLE from the Ontario District (singing parodies).  The silver medalist quartet was LET’S SING from the Carolinas district.

The venue for the NextGen and Seniors chorus contest, as well as the Seniors Quartet contest was the Grand Ole Opry, a 10-12 minute walk from the Opryland Hotel which was convention headquarters.  It is a beautiful space with wonderful acoustics and great seating.  The backstage area, not seen by most attendees unless they were performing, was gorgeous.   The front-of-house area was large and had a concession stand and a bar, both of which were open during the entire time we were there.  It made getting a snack easy.  

The Thursday evening show was a Heritage of Harmony show with the FAIRFIELD FOUR and the FISK JUBILEE SINGERS. A female quartet, HALO, from Bella Nova, the Harmony Inc. chorus directed by Richard Lewellen* in the Fairfax area, was announced as the first recipients of the New York Redcaps Quartet scholarship to Harmony University.  

The Saturday evening show featured the men's, women's and combined youth choruses and current medalists THROWBACK (Dan Rubin is their new tenor, replacing Paul Saca who now sings with SIGNATURE), SIGNATURE, and AFTER HOURS who won the gold last summer.

This was the first event for incoming Society President, Dick Powell, who sings in a M-AD chapter and lives in Crofton, MD.

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

Looking Back on the Jan. 22^nd Chapter Meeting

The music leadership jumped right into the music for 2019 this week.  After associate director Tony Colosimo did the warm up exercises, director Joe Cerutti launched work on “Anything Goes” with a major review of the song we sang for our contest package a few years ago.  Guys were prepared with pencils and sheet music to mark Joe’s notes.

Meanwhile, the large class of new guys who have joined in the last year or less met with some chapter leaders to discuss their integration into the chapter, its music program and expectations.

Joe extended his training efforts on “We Kiss” and “Blow Gabriel”  and the front row guys adjourned to review their work on “Gabriel” too.  Bruce Roehm announced that anyone interested in auditioning for the front row should speak to him ASAP.

Joe took a break for announcements from Steve Murane.  First was from Terry Reynolds asking any guys interested in being in a quartet(s) for Valentine’s Day appearances to sign up on the clip board he posted up front. Singers are needed for morning, afternoon and evening time slots,  as the chapter will dispatch quartets for marketing and publicity purposes in our community.

Steve reminded all those going on the chapter trip to Europe that payments are due to Brad Jones. There might still be openings for late sign ups if anyone has changed their mind – contact Brad.

There were some reminders about our show with The Whiffenpoofs on Feb;.9^th  including a nudge to sell or buy the $30 tickets for family and friends.  Dean Sherrick has them available on consignment too.  Uniform will be the black camp shirt.  New guys should contact Robyn Murane immediately if they don’t have one of those shirts yet because she will be ordering.

President Shawn Tallant invited all members to plan on attending the annual Presidents’ Banquet and bring their significant other. It will be Sat. nite Feb. 16^th at the Lee Center, 1108 Jefferson St., Alexandria. There is plenty of free parking there.  Dave Branstetter has the tickets.  (Shawn pledges that anyone being hit hard by the government shutdown should plan on attending – just speak with Dave or Shawn to make arrangements.)

This event is a good one for all members to get caught up on the Harmonizer traditions and culture, meet each other on a social basis, and this year – add a little Valentine touch!

Shawn also announced the news that Martin Banks’ sister died recently. .

Membership chairman Calvin Schnure welcomed Jordan Zimmerman, a new member back on the risers, as well as this week’s singing guests Ryan and Dennis.

After a break in the action, it was back to work on our music by performing the package of songs we will do for The Whiffenpoofs show.

Then our tech team helped the music team show us videos of some of our new songs – “Empty Tables” and “Brotherhood of Man.”  The first one will be a solo and the chorus will be only tenor, bari and bass. We did some singing on that one.  And for the second song, Joe announced that our coach Cy Wood is planning a production number visual plan for it.

At the end of the nite everyone got a kick out of singing one of our gospel songs in honor of our friends THE FAIRFIELD FOUR who will be performing at the BHS midwinter convention in Nashville this week.  (We have reporters on the scene there to fill us in on all the news from that event – stay tuned. YeEd.).

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