Looking Back on the January 10^th Chapter Meeting and Hospital Sing Report

Happy New Year continues and the singing and fun rolls on for 2012.

YeEd was on travel and so thanks to Jeremy Richardson for taking some notes this week.

“Rehearsal began at 7 this week with “Lazybones” by FOUR VOICES playing over the sound system.  (This was a suggestion from the previous week’s talk session.) The recording will be used to invite men to the risers and warm up which will begin when the music ends.  The section with the highest percentage of men on the risers at 7 was the bari gang.

New Associate Director Tony Colosimo did the vocal warm ups and then turned the chorus over to Director Joe Cerutti.  He worked on “Music of the Night” and quickly switched to “Stars and Stripes” which gave the singers little or no chance to start talking!

Tony also conducted another craft session.  This week’s topic, as preannounced in Steve White’s thorough weekly invite to chapter, was “tall in the back and small in the front.”  Sectionals followed the craft session so the chorus could work on “Sweet Georgia Brown.”

Secretary Chris Buechler presented membership renewal cards to Jacob George for 2 years; Eric Wallen for 14 years; Jeremy Richardson for 15 years; Drew Fuller for 22 years; Keith Jones for 34 years; Rick Savage for 38 years.

Membership vp Phil Ashford introduced the line of guests – a couple first timers, several applicants, a former BHS singer who has moved here, and one guest brought another guest.

Operations vp Scott Kahler conducted the meeting period.  Major announcements included a report from shows vp Brian Ammerman who gave an overview of events planned so far in 2012. He asked the members to be looking for chorus show gig opportunities.

President Steve Murane reminded board members of their meeting on Wednesday nite at Durant.

The chorus was given a nice long 20-minute break to get coffee and take care of business matters AND to visit with other guys, especially all the new members.  Don Thompson was coffee master this week.

After break, the chorus worked on “Jersey Boys” and “I’ll Be Seeing You.”

New member Shawn Tallant won the 50/50 and got to direct the chorus for KTWWS.

Over the weekend, on Jan. 7, the chorus did its annual holiday sing at the INOVA Alexandria Hospital.  About 20 singers made the show with assistant directors Terry Reynolds and Will Cox doing the arm waving.  The group sang at nurses stations around the hospital for about one hour.  Since Dan O’Brien was the only tenor, he got to step out and take a bow after doing the tenor “bit” in the “Chipmunk” song.

The guys wore scarves and/or the Santa hats.  This event is one of the important appearances the Harmonizers do in support of the community and is a way to express our appreciation for support received.

After the hospital sing, the guys and their significant others were invited to the home of Alan Kousen and Carlos Correa for our annual Heat Glow, a long-time traditional get together. As usual there was a ton of good food, a nice crowd of the Harmo family, some tag singing before the nite ended and the traditional grog to keep warm.  Thanks to Alan and Carlos for sharing the holiday decorated home.

(YeEd hears that their home will be Valentine Central for our Feb. 14^th Singing Valentine program in the Metro area.)

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.)