Looking Back on the East Coast Harmony Show, June 26

What a show!!! Another great success organized by the Harmonizers to share our hobby with other barbershoppers, introduce our music to our patons and friends and a lot of new barbershop harmony fans, and to present our exciting 2011 contest package for local fans who won’t get to see it on stage in Kansas City.

Our performance was at the George Mason University Concert Hall in Fairfax at 2 pm on Sunday, June 26, 2011. The auditorium is great, the back stage is easy to use, and it handles a large crowd of singers.

Brad Jones did yeoman work to pull this one off. YeEd thinks it might have been his idea and he made it happen – with a lot of help from fellow chapter members and FRIENDS.

Here is the run-down on acts for the show. The Harmonizers wowed the audience with the opening set including crowd pleasers “Great Day” and “Stars and Stripes.” Our buddies from down Richmond way, Soundworks chorus, brought a whole new sound and style to the audience. DA CAPO is a new quartet for many of our fans and you could hear the excitement in the crowd response after they sang their first song. (No wonder they won “audience favorite” in the Harmony Sweepstakes contests they won earlier this spring!)

‘ROUND MIDNIGHT is so much fun and the audience loved their energy and fun style. The cheers showed it.

Director Joe Ceruitti had a busy weekend as director of both the Harmonizers and the really successful Pride of Baltimore Sweet Adeline chorus. The POB sang a great set and entertained in classy style.

It was fun to have the Chorus of the Chesapeake from Dundalk, MD, on the show with us. Altho our choruses are only about 50 miles apart, we don’t get to sing together that often (especially since the M-AD took Dundalk out of the southern division years ago) Their director, Rick Taylor and fellow Harmonizer, was a fun emcee for them and used some of his best stories on the show’s incredible audience.

CAPRI warmed the hearts of all of the audience with their fun style and intimate story-telling-thru-music technique. The Harmonizers surprised them with special recognition as our 2011 recipients of the Harmony Award, given to non-Harmonizers for the things they do to bring real harmony into the lives of others. President Steve Murane made the presentations to each of the quartet members. They have been a key factor in the success of the Harmonizer’s youth harmony festival every year. The Alexandria chapter also will send a contribution to the SAI foundation for youth programs in the name of CAPRI. Thanks ladies.

Keeping all these acts going for the audience was guest emcee, Bob Cearnal, past BHS president and a frequent emcee for the Society’s International contests. Bob was fun and helped the audience provide support and enthusiastic responses to the entertainers. Bob and his wife spent the weekend in DC with us. He is also a member of the Ambassadors in Harmony near St. Louis, MO.

The afterglow, headed by Ken White and Cheryl Wallen, was a great success. It was at the Kena Shriners Ballroom on Rte. 50, which is a great location. And Cheryl and her crew of family and friends (including brother Eric!) made us all welcome. The taco-bar idea was fun too. As you can imagine, she practically had to use a snow plow to get us out of the hall! It was fun.

As you can imagine, there were lots of Harmonizers asked to help with the tasks needed to pull off the show. YeEd will take a stab at recognition of workers for the show:
Dean Rust – snacks backstage for the performers
Bob Blair and Dennis Ricthey – prop repair and re-painting
Mark Klostermeyer – chorus manager
Tony Colosimo and Will Cox – chorus warm ups as assistant directors
Dixie Kennett and Scott Kahler – tech support for lighting and sound
Ian Poulin – afterglow ticket sales
FRIENDS – sales of CDs and other materials for guest quartets and all of the choruses including our materials
Greg Tepe and Craig Odell –stage escorts for the many performers
Keith Jones – host for ‘ROUND MIDNIGHT

Other news YeEd can report. Paul Greiner and his wife brought a guest from the Greensprings residence, where they live – Walter Latzko’s brother. They met him recently at the cafeteria there during meal time.

Many guys from the Harmony Heritage Singers chapter were at the show.

Many familiar faces from the Harmonizer ranks were spotted in the lobby before the show – Bob Braunstein, Barry Galloway, Ross Johnson, Dale Houser, Jeff and Randy and Cecil Ashford, Larry Fagley, Eric Hughes, Terry Jordan, Scott Disney, Royall and Geri Geis.

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 with the Alexandria Harmonizer Chapter. —YeEd.)