Looking Back on the October 14^th Chapter Meeting

The chapter was back to the 7 pm start time, but the AC was still not working.  So the electric fans helped some!  But it was a hot one.

Also the parking lot and driveway to the back of Durant was still not finished, so that created some havoc for parking.  And it meant the truck crew had to park in the street, use orange traffic cones to alert the street traffic, and unload boxes and sound equipment on Cameron Street and haul it in the front door.

When the bell to start sounded, we went right to work on some great exercises to add physical volume indicators to our performances with choreographer Carlos Barillo.  Then associate director Tony Colosimo followed up with vocal techniques to enhance the performance.

Speaking of enhancements – our friend and coach Cindy Hansen will be working with us at a special rehearsal on Thursday, Oct. 16^th, at Aldersgate Methodist Church, 1301 Collingwood Rd, Alexandria VA (it actually faces onto Ft. Hunt Road too).  From 7-10 pm. Early riser crew.

Director Joe Cerutti dug right into the new contest ballad with special emphasis on the visual performance with Carlos adding to the plan.  This plan included some great work for the non-singing time before and after we sing.

During the first half of the rehearsal we also worked on some of the new holiday show music.

Operations vp Bob Blair conducted the chapter meeting calling on various chapter leaders for announcements.  Shawn Tallant gave us details about the chapter hospitality room on Saturday nite, Oct. 25^th, in Wildwood at the Harmonizer hotel. It’s $10 a person for food and drink. In hotel lobby at the Blue Palm.

White House Ornament sales continue – get some on consignment and sell them.  $20 ea.  See Sandy Stamps for your supply.

The FRIENDS IN HARMONY continue to sell scrip cards for all of us.  This is a good time to get some to use when you buy the turkey or ham for Thanksgiving, or for supplies to take to the hospitality room in Wildwood, or if you are buying lawn care supplies like mulch or fertilizer. 

BTW – there will not be a chapter meeting on Tues. Nov 4 – the nite after the Harmony on the Harbor show in Baltimore.  It is election nite and Durant is a polling place.  But there will be an extra rehearsal on Thursday of that week, Nov. 6, for help in recalling or learning the holiday show songs from past years.

Looking ahead again – the chorus retreat before Pittsburgh International contest will be the last weekend in May, 2015.  David Wright and Brandon Guyton have cleared their calendars to come help us.

Rich Hewitt introduced the guests this week and also announced another Open Audition nite for Monday, Nov. 17, at Durant. We can help the membership vp Jeremy Richardson by suggesting singers sign up to audition.

After break, it was back to work on the risers for holiday music and then another good session on the contest set.  Thanks again to the Harmo family members who have brought or sent in goodies and some who have baked like those great brownies Kevin Kaiser made this week!

Brad Jones has released exciting news that our online auction is about to go live. We are still looking for more auction items, but we wanted to be sure the auction site was active and could be promoted at District...so the auction goes live on October 18th. You can preview the auction site now at www.32auctions.com/Harmoauction2014  Don't hesitate to let family and friends know now so they can review the items.

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 66^th year of the Alexandria Harmonizer Chapter. —YeEd.)