Looking Back on the November 1st Chapter Meeting

This was an important rehearsal in preparation for the holiday shows on Dec. 2 and 3 at First Baptist Church. Have you gotten a ticket for your significant other and family and neighbors and co-workers who hear you talking about singing all the time? Don’t delay.

As usual, the sales tables were busy this week with Ian Poulin selling show tickets and scrip cards. Roger Day had the 50/50 sales. FRIENDS group was selling the new CDs and White House Ornaments. Chuck Harner had the entertainment books.

When the chorus took the risers at 7 pm, assistant director, Tony Colosimo, conducted the vocal warm up sessions.

Director Joe Cerutti and his music team worked on the “Hallelujah Chorus” and “Little Drummer Boy” a lot during the first half of the evening. We also separated into two rooms to work on the treble voice parts and bass cleft voice parts for the new arrangement of “Drummer Boy.”

When it was time for the chapter meeting portion of the evening, ops vp, Mark Klostermeyer, kept things flowing – with so many announcements about the show.

Chapter secretary, Chris Buechler, presented two-year renewal cards to Clark Chesser, Chris Clark and Dave Kohls.

Membership vp, Phil Ashford, introduced our guests – all four are applicants.

Craig and Linda Odell gave a tribute for Alan Durick, who died recently. They went to see Alan and his wife Lois, just before he died. Alan sent a message to the “guys in the Harmonizer family – he loved the chorus and all the guys. He spoke over and over about how much the chapter meant to him.” A service will be Saturday, Nov. 26th at 2 pm at Unity Church, 2825 Hydraulic Circle, Charlottesville, VA 22901. (There will be some additional planning about a possible chorus to sing that day.)

Alan was a Harmonizer since 1974 and earned a gold medal in the Society’s seniors quartet contest in 1995 in REMINISCE with John Adams, Scott Werner and the late Dick Whitehouse. Alan sang in 1985 M-AD champ quartet, ALEXANDRIA’S RAGTIME BAND, with Mike Wallen, Craig Odell and John Adams.

Holiday show producer, Bob Mattes, reminded all to sell tickets, talk to Ian Poulin if you have questions about tickets, get your uniform ready, call Bob if you need Holiday music to practice at home (hint!). [Bob is also chapter music librarian.] Jack Pitzer reminded each chorus member to bring 4-dozen colorful holiday cookies for the dessert trays of the dinner theater. Bring the cookies to Jack on Friday when you come to the show (or you can bring them when you come to the dress rehearsal on Thrusday or if you come to help Roger Day to decorate the hall on Friday at 11 am). Also each guy should wrap two large boxes with shiny colorful holiday paper and bring on Thursday.

Bob Blair is seeking a crew to help haul all of our supplies to the church on Wednesday. Contact him if you can help – he needs a large crew.

NOTE: the November 8th chapter meeting will be next door at Jeff Houston school since the hall at Durant will be used as an election location.

Tony Colosimo offered tickets for the Dundalk, MD, holiday show on Sat., Nov. 12th which will feature recent gold medalists, STORM FRONT; district champs, MAD HATTERS, with Steve White and Rick Taylor; and CAPITAL FORCE, the youth chorus managed by Tony and our chapter. CF earns a cut on each ticket they sell – thanks to the Dundalk Chapter! If you didn’t get your tickets for that show, see Tony next week.

Secretary Buechler spoke on behalf of president, Steve Murane, announcing that one of our members, Darryl Flinn, is undergoing a bypass operation. Keep him in your thoughts. Darryl was Society executive director and served a term as Society president and was a coach of our chorus.

Also Chris announced that the chapter board has determined to increase chapter dues for 2012 by $20. That increase will start appearing in invoices received from Society headquarters. Members over 70 or under 26 will only be increased by $10. This action by the board is prompted by a huge deficit after some low ticket sales in recent major shows.

Chris also expressed condolences for Brad and Adele Jones in the recent death of their son Brandon. And Joe alerted the chapter of the recent passing of Jim Miller, former director of the Louisville, KY, chorus, and Society icon.

Director Joe (and also director of the Carnegie Hall Youth Chorus concert) reports that the youth chorus for the Dec. 26th show up in NYC has been capped at 153 singers, ages 13-30, from 30 states, representing 64 barbershop chapters and 14 youth choruses. Youth singers will pay $50 each to sing. But we can all help support this project with cash donations to raise the operational costs. Individuals can lead the way from within our Alexandria chapter and make donations.

Back to singing … we worked on songs for the Veteran’s Day sing on Nov. 11 at Oakton Elementary School. Chorus call is 8:30 am. All military guys are welcome to wear their uniform. Rest of us will wear suit and tie. Let Greg Tepe know you will be attending.

And we worked more on the music for the holiday show, including some fun new parody words for “Jingle Bells” which will help carry out the theme of the show.

YeEd offers congrats to Mick Stamps and his team for the great packaging of the new “Choir of the World” CD. Be sure to get one for yourself and your relatives.

YeEd also offers congrats to Scott Kahler who was recently honored by the Woodbridge Dance Company for “Behind The Scenes” support and contributions. He is their tech guy.

Finally, YeEd wants to thank Don Thompson and Ken Henderson for helping with coffee and refreshments for the previous two chapter meetings.

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 at an Alexandria Harmonizer Chapter meeting. —YeEd.)