Looking Back on the Oct. 25^th Community Sing

The Harmonizers participated in Chorus Meetup—“Sing for Joy” at the 214-year-old Historic Alfred Street Baptist Church in Old Towne Alexandria.

Members arrived starting at 6 pm, received by greeter/ushers and were in place in the sanctuary, not quite warmed up as director Joe Cerutti had instructed so he turned the reigns to Will Cox. Shortly thereafter a compliment of 54 men were ready to enchant.

The program opened with greetings from Dr. Joyce Garrett, Director of the Music and Arts Worship Ministry, and was emceed by Matthew Stensrud, Chair, Alexandria Commission for the Arts. The performers were Male Chorus of Alfred Street Baptist Church, Directed by Melvin E. Bryant, Jr., with co-director Carl Cragway teaching the aggregation a gospel selection. The Alexandria Singers followed them, under the direction of Bill Colosimo, who also shared a selection to be performed collectively by all assembled.

Next up were the Harmonizers who performed the gospel “Roll Jordan, Roll,”  “I’ll Be Seeing You,” and the latest contest up-tune, “Blow, Gabriel, Blow.”  Next a quartet of section leaders (Brian Ammerman, tenor, Tony Colosimo, lead , Chuck Hunter, baritone and Andrew Havens, bass) taught everyone the David Wright “Friends” tag.

Next up was the Hispanic Choir of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church which included a compliment of instrumentalist and vocalist. Their collective was a Spanish language of the popular gospel selection, “Lord, We Lift Your Name on High” with those familiar singing the English along with the Spanish.

The evening ended with refreshments served in the church’s fellowship hall. Special thanks to The Alexandria Commission for the Arts, Virginia Commission for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, Saundra Deltac for assisting the church’s kitchen coordinator (Verna Payne)  with the refreshments, and a BIG thank you to Dean Rust for all of his “blood, sweat and tears” coordinating the many particulars.

A wonderful program that highlighted people of diverse musical styles & cultures experiencing the transformative power of music.

(Many thanks to John Oswald Greene for taking notes for YeEd.)

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 70^th year of the Alexandria Harmonizer Chapter. —YeEd