Looking Back on the July
22nd Chapter Meeting and John Carlyle Show
It has been a busy week since last Tuesday nite. The board met on Wednesday July 16th.
Thursday nite July 17th was our outdoor concert at John
Carlyle Square Park in Alexandria by the Patent Office. A big chorus 70 guys was there to entertain
and perform for a nice audience of fans and family who had brought chairs and
blankets to sit on the lawn. One couple,
who had seen some of us at the afterglow last Tuesday and to whom a quartet
sang “Let Me Call You Sweetheart” was right down front cheering for us.
Associate director Tony
Colosimo did the warm ups behind the stage as cars drove by looking at us
and facially wondering “what is going on?”.
Greg Tepe, show producer had things lined up and the show ran
smoothly. We were welcomed to the stage
by a city staffer. Emcees for this show
were Ross Felker, Terry Reynolds and Chris Huber. Mike
Kelly did his bit in “Jersey Boys” too and Tony and Doug White did
the solos in that song.
Director Joe Cerutti
was back from Nashville for the show and was joined up front by the assistant
directors for some of the songs. Our a cappella
group, TBD, sang on the show featured one of their new members Josh DesPortes. Thanks to John Pence for the song boards up front
so we would know what song was next!
Thanks also to the crew who came early to set up the risers –
thankfully it was not terribly hot this year: Phil Ashford, Bob Blair who drove the Harmo truck, Dave Branstetter, Peelee Clark, Clyde
Crusenberry, Josh DesPortes, TJ Donahue, Randall Eliason, Gerry Fuller, Paul
Grimes, Bob Rhome, Ben Roberts, Todd Ryktarsyk, Shawn Tallant, Harold
Weinberger and Doug White. Doug,
Josh and Todd helped Mike Kelly with the sound equipment
set up too.
Then on Friday morning, we gathered to say farewell to Roger Day at his memorial service at
National Memorial Park in Falls Church. There
were 65 current Harmonizers there to sing for Roger including some guys we
don’t see regularly like Burt Stueve,
(who is recovering from his surgery and the loss of part of his leg), Michael Calhoun, Al Herman, Al Hanenbaum, Mike
Everard, Geoff Berman, Tom Kraus and Bill Colosimo. Former Harmonizers Royall Geis, John Hall, Dean
Schienbein and Larry Silva also
attended. What a wonderful tribute! Joe
served as master of ceremonies for the memorial service and the interment with Terry Reynolds directing at the
graveside ceremony when we sang “Danny Boy” which Roger has requested. Roger was buried with his gold medals
and “I Sang with the Harmonizers” button. His email address said it all – onegr8rday.
Tuesday nite July 22nd was another busy one as many
guys were trying to get in a rehearsal or sing-thru at least with their quartet
for the Harmonizer Put Together quartet contest on Tues. July 29th.
Quartet promotion chairman Calvin
Schnure reminds everyone to push on with forming a quartet for the contest
at Durant. He especially needs to know
the name of the quartet and who is singing in it. Hopefully, you found all four
parts at this week’s rehearsal. This contest has always been fierce competition
for those all important trophies!!! Get
you one.
Musically, the chapter worked on the new ballad a bunch and did
some review of “Anything Goes” for contest this fall too. Chuck McKeever did visual reviews on the
stage before chapter to help new guys catch up.
Tho we didn’t work on songs for the upcoming summer concerts,
everyone should mark their calendar for the
one at Market Square in Old Town Alexandria on Friday, Aug. 15th;
and the very important gig on Tuesday Aug 26th. It is called Dog Days of Summer and hosted by
the Bull Run Troubadours, Manassas
Chapter at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 12975 Purcell Rd., Manassas
20111.
Important to be there for this one as several other chapters in
the NoVa area come to sing on the show with us as the last chorus to do a mini
show for our fellow barbershoppers.
There are refreshments, tons of parking and it is a fun nite. Plan ahead for carpool rides – especially
from Metro stops. The traffic can be
tough, but we sing last so you can make it.
The event is designed to add a special event during those hot dog
days of summer for barbershoppers. It is
a blast.
Ops vp Bob Blair ran a
chapter meeting this week. Shawn Tallant reminded guy of the need
to make a hotel reservation in the next week or ten days at Blue Palms. Alexandria Harmonizers is the code to the
get the rate.
Project manager Ken Fess
gave some updates, and promised an email, about the Harmony on the Harbor show,
Nov. 3rd, just prior to the Sweet Adelines International
convention. His main point was that
tickets are already selling fast and if you or your patrons wanna go, get
online an place an order.
President Terry Reynolds
announced a generous gift from the Federal Lodge #1 to the chapter. The presentation to us was done at the John
Carlyle show.
Terry
also offered to collect any donations to the Harmonizers in honor of Roger Day.
Secretary Chris Buechler
presented membership renewal cards to Steve
Szyszka for three years; Craig
Kujawa for 11 years; Martin Banks
for 31 years; and David Welter for
38 years.
Membership vp Jeremy
Richardson thanked Rich Hewitt
for his dedication to welcoming and introducing guests in recent weeks while
Jeremy’s work taking him away. We had
another long line of guests this week.
After the break (where we consumed Scipio Garling’s birthday cake), it was back to work on the contest
ballad. We had a sectional too on the
new song.
A good crowd were at the afterglow again
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 66th year of the Alexandria Harmonizer Chapter. —YeEd.)
