Looking Back on the March
6th 2018 Chapter Meeting and IMC Performance
The meeting was back at Durant this week so we could use the
risers and perform our contest package with coach Rasmus Krigstrom, from the gold medal quartet, RINGMASTERS. As most
of the readers of this piece know, he arranged our contest uptune, “Blow
Gabriel Blow.”
It was another nite of hard work on our music for the
contest. It was particularly fun to have
the arranger help us get the most out of the song based on his plans for the
music. He added several great points
that we did not have time to use for the fall contest performance.
Rasmus was exciting and helped the singers get a good
feel for their performance plan for the uptune. Even tho it was the hard work,
it was fun. And a good crowd migrated to
the afterglow even in the heavy snow that was falling when we adjourned at 10
pm.
Joe introduced Rasmus
to the chorus and reported his background in music, quartets and directorships,
and welcomed him to the Harmonizer family all the way from Stockholm. Rasmus
actually asked to join the chorus and is our newest member!!
Joe also reported that the new contest ballad
arrangement had arrived, that learning tracks are being made and that the music
is up for all to take a look at on Groupanizer. He couldn’t offer enough
adjectives about the arrangement by David
Wright.
And also Joe took a few
minutes to thank and congratulate the chorus for a terrific performance last
Thursday (see a summary below in this report).
He was grateful for all the guys who made the effort to go into the city
during rush hour. “We exceeded our goal
and helped demonstrate the power of a strong barbershop chorus in the arena of
other men’s choral ensembles.”
Before our break, executive director Terry Reynolds conducted this week’s chapter meeting, reminding us
all that the next two weeks we are meeting at Convergence. (Remember that we
will not have coffee or goodies there, so plan ahead for some end of the day
chow for yourself.) We are back at Durant on March 27th to work with
our coach Kevin Keller.
Other reminders included the Youth Harmony Festival on Friday,
April 13th at Restoration Anglican Church on Princess Street in
Arlington. The chorus will sing in the evening.
This year’s ACA Challenge is on Saturday eve, April 14th. Some of the coordinating team yelled out ,
“Sell Tickets!” Several members and family volunteers will be needed to help
that nite. The chorus will not sing, but TBD will.
Early details about the chorus retreat in preparation for our
contest appearance in Orlando were announced: June 8-9 at Westminster College
in MD. Chuck McKeever will be
releasing more complete details to all members via email. But everyone should plan to attend on Friday
nite, June 8th. The front row
will have a mandatory rehearsal that nite, and the chorus will work too. The
last couple years, we have all gone early, found a good place for dinner and
started our work with the coaches.
It was also announced that Brad
Jones and his planning team will be reporting some prospective
international trip plans for the chapter soon.
Stay tuned, as we will all be asked our opinion and interest in such a
trip.
At this point in the meeting, Joe
grabbed two empty chairs and placed them in front of the chorus. This was the sad signal that two of members
are leaving our ranks. First tribute was
for Tom Kern, who for many years has
single-handedly managed our uniform program. Second tribute was for Keith Jones who for years has helped
offer presentation input to Joe and
the team and has accepted many admin tasks for the chapter. As is our tradition, we sang “A Place on the
Risers for You” for these important Harmonizers.
We also learned that Tom
has passed along the uniform management work to Robyn Murane.
Chapter secretary Chris
Buechler presented a membership renewal card to Terry Jordan for his 54 years of chapter membership.
Calvin Schnure from our membership team introduced our guests this
week: Rasmus who got his “I Sang
With the Harmonizers” button; Nick Frederick,
Ryler Rasmussen, and Carter White. Will
Cox directed our Harmonizer welcome song.
The membership team
issued this invite to all: Several of our members meet for a pre-chapter meeting nosh
either at the Subway on King Street that's on the block adjacent to the Durant
Center; and some long-time members meet at the Hard Times Chili place that's
one block east from Subway on King Street. Any members are more than welcome to
join the gang at either place. Guys show up at Subway around 6:00pm. The
HT Chili crew usually arrives between 5 - 5:30pm. Joe Cerruti is often there
After break, it was back to work on the uptune with Rasmus and Joe.
Here is the summary report of our appearance on Thursday, March 1st
where the Harmonizers were the lead off performing chorus at the
Intercollegiate Men’s Choruses National Seminar. We assembled and used our stage time to fit
our large chorus onto the risers and space available in the sanctuary of
National City Christian Church on Thomas Circle about 6 pm. After that we
changed into our black suits and ties and began a solid warm up session with
director Joe Cerutti.
The chapter is a member group of the IMC and shared the kick off
concert session with The Rock Creek Singers from the Gay Men’s Chorus of
Washington and the United States Army Chorus.
Our package included “America,” “Summertime,” “Deep River” with Andrew Havens as soloist, “Rock My
Soul,” “Bring Him Home” with Tony
Colosimo soloist, “Blow Gabriel Blow,” “I’ll Be Seeing You,” “All You Need
is Love” with Clyde Crusenberry and Tony as soloists, and “New York New
York” featuring our front row.
Terry Reynolds was our emcee.
This was the first time Mario
Sengco sang with the chorus on a show. Great to have several of our newest
members in the audience to cheer for us as well as Marty Monson, CEO of the BHS, who attended the seminar representing
the Society at the seminar. Joe and Marty attended the board meeting of
the IMC on Friday.
As a reminder, a Keep America Ringing Memorial for Richard Dick Hall has been established
with the Harmony Foundation. Donations
can be sent to Harmony Foundation International, Memorial for Richard T. Hall,
to 110 7ths Ave. N, Ste. 200, Nashville, TN 37203 or online at harmonyfoundation.org
at memorial giving.
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 70th year of the
Alexandria Harmonizer Chapter. —YeEd
