Looking Back on the October 5-6^th Fall M-AD Contest and Convention

This year’s fall M-AD contest and convention was in Reading, PA, at the Santander Performing Arts Center the weekend of Oct. 5 and 6.

The quartet contest started at 5:27 pm.  There were two quartets from our chapter in the line-up – singing fourth was YOUTH RECLAMATION PROJECT with Mike Wallen, Roger Tarpey, Hardman Jones, and Vic Owen.  They place ninth in the quartet contest to name a district champ, and first in the International senior qualifier contest. They will go to the midwinter BHS convention in Nashville. SILVER ALERT with Rich Savage, Mike Edison, Will Cox, and Steve Murane sang eighteenth placed third in the senior contest.  

There were eighteen quartets in the contest including a tight race between PRATT STREET POWER who ended in second place again behind MIDTOWN. Sixth place quartet was the QUINN-TONES – young men from an elementary school in NJ.  For old time Harmonizers, one of our chorus oldies was sung by a quartet – “The Red Rose Rag.”

There were sixteen choruses in the competition on Saturday morning.  Terry Reynolds was emcee for this event. The Harmonizers did not sing since the chapter is taking a trip to Europe next summer, however several members and former members sang with other choruses on Saturday.  Sam McFarland and Art Medici sang with Fairfax directed by Richard Lewellen. Rick Taylor sang with Dundalk. Mike Fasano sang with Queen Anne’s County. Former member Chuck Botts sang with Frederick. Mike Vlcej, Sean Devine, and Jay Butterfield appeared with Hershey. Mike Geipel (with a crutch after a bad fall that messed up his foot) with Richmond, along with Mike Wallen, their director and Paul Lynch, Bob Wilson, and Jim McConnell. John Santora and Tim Buell sang with Patapsco Valley.

Hershey won the chorus contest but declined the right to go to International next summer in Salt Lake City.  So the second place chorus, Hell’s Kitchen NY, will go to SLC. 

Several other Harmonizers were in Reading for the event including Lew Klinge, Jack Pitzer, Alan Wile, Bill Colosimo, and Steve White, who organized the past district quartet champs salute to this year’s quartet winner on Saturday nite. Other Harmonizer family working for the weekend event included Mike and Kristin Kelly, Mike Fasano, and Matt Doniger all on the district events team. 

Bob Eckman, who is essentially vice president of the M-AD, was in charge this year and helped back stage and host various meetings.  President Dennis Ritchey was unable to attend. Bob was also inducted into the M-AD Hall of Honor this year.  Great to have one more of our men on that roster!

Bob saluted all chapter Barbershoppers of the Year listed in the program and/or attending which included Chuck McKeever for our chapter. Bruce Minnick was listed for the Mount Vernon Chapter. Bob organized displays from many chapters in the lobby area of the venue and our display (created by Martin Banks with show flyers on the table and with our Harmo banner hung above it from the balcony by Robyn Murane) looked great!

The mic testing chorus for Saturday was guys and gals from around the district and our three reps were the production team from our recent fall show Rob Langsdon, Rebecca Conner, and Krissi Folsom. 

Our coaches from the summer retreat where there this weekend – Steve Scott representing the BHS staff and emcee for the quartet finals, and David McEachern from Toronto was a performance judge. Alan Lamson was contest administrator for the judging panel and Chris Buechler was also helping with contest administration.

Several Harmonizers attended the House of Delegates meeting on Sunday at the headquarters hotel Doubletree Hilton.

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