Looking Back on the May
3rd Chapter Meeting
The AC was still not working at Durant, but we worked hard all
nite anyway and made lots of progress on our contest package.
Riser set up was a little delayed as several guys worked on
repairing some sections of the risers.
Thanks to that crew. The front row continued its intensive rehearsal on
the stage at 6 pm.
Director Joe Cerutti
did the warm ups while associate director Tony
Colosimo revised the riser position chart for this contest season. The new sound seemed to please all musical
leaders. Many of us are on different
sides of the chorus and in different rows.
Joe used the tag to “Mary Had a Baby” for warm up
exercises. Then he went right to work on
the uptune adding some interp and some reminders for end of phrases. This
arrangement by David Harrington is
fun but has lots of rhythm challenges. The ballad also arranged by David is coming along great too.
Executive director Terry
Reynolds conducted the chapter meeting time. He reminded us about the visual studios this
Saturday. He reminded us that payment ($100) for the retreat at McDaniel
College is Westminster MD on June 3-4-5 should go to Bruce Minnick ASAP. Coach David
Wright will be there to help us polish the package. Requests for roommates in the suites should
go to Chuck McKeever.
Singers and their families and patrons should mark their calendars
for the Armed Forces Day Show on Sat May 21 at Fort Meyer.
Congrats and thanks to TBD for their recent appearance and
subsequent significant financial gift to the chapter.
Board member Steve White
introduced a new chapter committee – Choral Affairs Committee – composed of
guys who members can talk with confidentially about how it is going in the
chapter(s). The new committee members
are Casey Belzer, Jeff Burkey, Randy
Lazear, Rick Savage, Joel Golden, Jeremy Richardson and Steve.
Terry spoke about the status of the qualification
process – the first phase is wrapping up. Absent forms are on Groupanizer for
anyone who cannot attend any of the mandatory rehearsals between now and
International.
Chapter secretary Chris
Buechler presented membership renewal cards to Dean Sherick for 4 years, John
Oswald Green for 5 years, Tom Berkey
for 19 years, Rick Savage for 42
years; and Dick Hall for 52 years.
Membership director Rich
Hewitt welcomed and introduced new applicants, and guests, and we sang our
Harmonizer Welcome Song to them all.
After refreshments during the break, it was promptly back to work
on the risers.
Tony started a new series of Craft Maxims – three
new ones to move us on from the earlier era maxims we all know and love!
Then we used most of the rest of nite to learn the presentation
plan from our choreographer Carlos
Barillo. It is fun. Before we wrapped up, the front row joined
the chorus to put it all together. McKeever filmed Carlos’s instruction for us all to review.
In
other news, this info from Dick Dangel:
For many years now, POTOMAC RIVER RASCALS quartet, (which includes Drew Fuller, tenor; Dick,
lead; and two Harmony Heritage Singer members Bob Scarlet, bari; and Wes
Kriebl, bass) have performed for the Washington DC annual salute to DC
Centenarians. Office of Aging puts on a nice luncheon for them and their
support people. So we get a free lunch, get paid, serenade arriving
centenarians and perform for them on stage once a year. The oldest one in
attendance today was born in 1909. The
oldest one currently living in DC was born in 1906. (Dick
says they sometimes earn the name Rascals as they mix with the honorees.) The quartet did meet the DC Mayor and were
seen on local Ch. 7 evening news in the background of that news item.
Kudos
to David Jarzen for his lead role in
“Starlight Express” performed by students at West Potomac High School in
Alexandria. Instructor Peelee Clark performed the show himself
for several years in Germany and was able to help the students with their
skating and music.
Alan Wile reports: Last
week Terry Jordan was disoriented a
bit, wobbly on his feet, vision fuzzy, and just not doing well. Went to Loudoun
INOVA Hospital in serious condition on Monday where he was diagnosed with
kidney failure. He’s doing well now but expects to remain in the hospital for
three days or so. The condition is treatable and he does NOT need dialysis
treatment. To complicate things, he is suffering from shingles. Terry says all is under control and
he’s feeling a lot better. Phone to the nursing station is 703-858-6770 (they
will transfer calls to his room).
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 67th year of the
Alexandria Harmonizer Chapter. —YeEd
