Looking Back on the November 8th Chapter Meeting

Looking Back on the November 8th Chapter Meeting

Our chapter meeting had to be held in Jeff Houston school adjacent to Durant because our meeting place was being used as a voting place this week. So the setup crew had to haul things in from our truck. And many of our regular meeting-room items were not available – no guest sign in station, no coffee pot.

But folks managed to scare up some goodies to share thanks to Kevin Kaiser for the brownies and Ellen Dellert for the donuts. The Friends group had a meeting too and they were also busy helping the chapter sell White House Ornaments, the new CDs and drinks for the guys at break.

Ian Poulin was really busy with ticket sales for the show. He reported later in the meeting that we are gaining on the unsold seats but we can’t let up.

Will Cox did the vocal warm ups. Then director Joe Cerutti took over. He shared his experiences from visiting the Dallas Vocal Majority last week while in TX for the BHS board meeting.

Musically Joe had us work on a couple of the songs we will be singing on our show for Veterans Day at Oakton Elementary. Please email producer Greg Tepe if you can sing -- gtindc13@yahoo.com. Military uniforms or suit and tie are the dress code. Call time is 8:30 am. There is a need to help Bob Blair with riser set up early.

The rest of the singing time was used to prep for the holiday show. Chuck McKeever and crew introduced some simple stage presence moves for a couple of the songs. We also drilled the new words for the parity of “Jingle Bells” for the first part of the show.

The chapter meeting period was conducted by ops vp, Mark Klostermeyer.

Tony Colosimo had tickets for the Dundalk chapter show this Sat, Nov.12th. MAD HATTERS with Steve White and Rick Taylor are on the show, plus CAPITAL FORCE. CF is selling these tickets and will earn money for each ticket sold.

Scott Kahler asks all members to sign onto the new Groupanizer and indicate your singing part. Thanks to Scott who has done all the heavy lifting to get Groupanizer up and running. A number of folks have contributed quite a bit, but Scott has put in a monumental level of effort over the past bunch of months and without all his work and direction, many of us would not have been able to do much.

Membership vp Phil Ashford introduced our seven guests – lots of applicants and guys preparing to audition. Phil needs current members to offer to help these applicants with audition songs. Contact Phil to help.

After the break, shows vp Ken White gave details for the Nov. 11 singout.

He reminded us that we will sing holiday music at Market Square in Old Town Alexandria on Sat. Dec. 10th at 2 pm.

Dec. 2 and 3 holiday show producer, Bob Mattes, recapped some details – mostly he encouraged each of us to read the emails he sent out about props needed and another one about how the show weekend will unfold. Don’t forget to bring 4 dozen holiday cookies and two big wrapped boxes. Bob needs a coordinator for a silent auction at the shows.

Eric Wallen invited all singers, even those who are not active chorus members, to prepare a quartet for the annual Put Together Quartet contest, Tues. Dec. 13th. If you wanna be in a quartet, don’t know how it works, wanna song to use – contact Eric. That is why it is called a Put Together – either the guys put something together or Dr. Put does it for you. That includes a quartet name. Let’s have some fun new comedy numbers!!

That would be a good nite to bring a friend to chapter too.

Music vp Terry Reynolds is still looking for nonsingers to help with a comedy bit for the show – guests, adult family members. Contact Terry asap to offer your help.

Chapter president Steve Murane reminded board members of their meeting next Wed at Durant. AND the annual retreat meeting for the outgoing and incoming chapter boards from 8-3 on Sat Nov. 19.

Then it was back to work on the holiday music and review of some songs we have done in a while. Joe asked Tony Colosimo to direct the treble voices and Mike Kelly to direct the bass voices for “Drummer Boy” and it seemed to help the singers do their best on this new song.

And then it was 10 pm and time for the take down work to haul everything back out to the truck and prepare to depart.

Ticket chair Ian Poulin took us out as director of our closing song.

YeEd offers these notes from reporters who attended the DC Chapter show last weekend. “The show had a clever theme, melding poetry and music. Not only the Singing Capital Chorus (directed by Bill Colosimo and associate director Sheryl Berlin); but their ensemble Capital Assets (originally directed by John Hohl); chapter quartets (SURPRISE! with Bruce Minnick and Bob Hirsh, former Harmonizer John Grant, and J C O’Codonovan, and ROLL O’ THE DICE with Bill Colosimo), a contemporary folk ensemble (Shenandoah Run), and MAD HATTERS (the featured quartet with Rick Taylor and Steve White, former Harmonizer Scott Disney, and Rob Seay). Other Harmonizers on the risers included Don Dillingham and Bob Wells. Other Harmonizers reportedly seen in the audience included Brian Ammerman, Tony Colosimo, Alan Wile, John Hohl and Terry Reynolds.”

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.)