Looking Back on the Oct. 19th 2021 Hybrid Chapter Meeting

 Looking Back on the Oct. 19^th 2021 Hybrid Chapter Meeting

 

This week the Harmonizers began their meeting outside on the front steps of the Scottish Rite Temple.  The fall weather was a little cool for some, but the chorus sang well all night.

 

The warm up session this week was conducted by assistant director emeritus Will Cox. It got everyone excited about singing together this week.

 

When artistic director Joe Cerutti took the reins he welcomed some guests with us this week including David Breen, Jared Liscinsky, Liz Birnbaum, and Josh Hershkowitz who is a friend of Michael Berkson. Also this week Rick Wagner and Dick and Nancy Newton were with us in advance of the service for Sandy Stamps.

 

Joe also shared that this week there would be a Birthday Glow at the Harmo House after the meeting in honor of all of the October birthdays in the chorus: Ashford, Gerzof, Berkey, Pinto, Buechler, Schwartz, Grimes, Pitzer, B. Colosimo, J. Smith, Kujawa, and J. Greene. 

 

There were sectionals to start off the night in various parts of the building to work on some more of the holiday music. Brian Ammerman worked with the tenors, Ben Watsky and Tessa Walker worked with the leads, Joe worked with the baritones, and Ryan Mextorf worked with the basses. All sections worked on the tongue twister words for “Trim Up the Tree’ first and then worked on “Joy to the World.” 

 

During these sessions there was an effort made to gather uniform info from guys regarding the colorful sweatshirts we wear for the holiday show.  It was especially an effort to find out who did not have a shirt from the past.

 

The full chorus reassembled outside to sing thru the songs for the Remembrance Service for Sandy Stamps which is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 23 at 11am at the Fairfax United Methodist Church, 10300 Stratford Ave, Fairfax VA. Any members of the Harmonizer family will be invited to sing “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “I’ll Be Seeing You,” and “There Must Be A City”  during the celebration.

 

Then the chorus worked on two additional songs for the show with half of the singers assigned to each song – “Text Me Merry Christmas” and “Fa La La.”

 

Our next  Harmonizer Tuesday meeting will be at 7 pm on Oct. 26th, 2021 at Scottish Rite   Temple on Braddock Rd. in Alexandria and will be a hybrid meeting again.

 

President Stan Quick shared the sad news of the passing of another Harmonizer, Bob Ulibarri, due to COVID.  Bobbecame ill in late September.  He was hospitalized on Sept 30 and passed on Oct 13.  He was fully vaccinated. His wife, Sandy, has provided the following email if you'd like to send words of encouragement and sympathy: rsulibarri@verizon.net

 

There was cake and pizza at the afterglow this week with a good crowd to celebrate the October birthdays.  A similar event is scheduled for every month.

 

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 for the great things going on each week during the 73^rd year of the Alexandria Harmonizer Chapter. - YeEd)