Looking Back on the Dec. 2021 Harmonizer Events
The Harmonizers have taken a break from regular chapter meetings after the Dec. 5th show starting with a great performance in Old Town Alexandria on Dec. 11th.
A huge crowd gathered on the walks, courtyard and King Street to hear the chorus sing at the base of the city’s Christmas tree. The signers had on Santa hats and all sorts of holiday attire for this sing out.
The Dec. 11 events started off with 12 guys led by Terry Reynolds dropping by Sunrise Senior Living on Duke St. and Woodbine Rehabilitation and Healthcare on King St. to sing holiday songs for residents and patients. These guys then joined the rest of the chorus at Market Square for a great performance at 3:00.
As is often the case when we sing in Old Town Alexandria, the airplanes seems to always go over head during the softer ballads!! But the crowds cheered and showed their appreciation.
Artistic director Joe Cerutti announced the songs, interacted with the audience, invited the people to join in a sing-along, and invited men who like to sing to come meet us. (Actually there was at least one singer who responded and one barbershopper friend of a chorus member grabbed a Santa hat and sang with us.)
Joe lead the parade down King Street toward the Potomac. The singers stopped in the last block of that street that has recently been closed to traffic and sang for all those folks seated in outdoor restaurant spaces. As has been our custom, we sang several songs on the stairs that enter the Torpedo Factory Art Center – great acoustics and another large crowd. There were a couple other stops including at the new Alexandria Sailing Club facility.
Some guys stayed at Chadwicks, although it was packed and therefore many singers left Alexandria and went to the Harmo House for an afterglow with lots of great eats prepared by Joe.
Tuesday night, Dec. 14th the chorus assembled again at Market Square to get Santa hats and then strolled about the Old Town area for 60-90 minutes caroling for crowds and customers in the area. After the vocal warm up, the chorus made some caroling phone calls to members of the Harmonizer family including Cindy Hansen, Ken Ives and Rick Savage.
One stop during the evening was to sing for the fireman at the station around the corner from Market Square. The holiday music attracted another large crowd when they sang at the entrance to the Torpedo Factory. Chapter members were happy to have Aaron Simoneau singing carols with the chorus this week.
There was another festive afterglow at the Harmo House on the 14th with more good things to eat from Joe’s kitchen.
A similar plan to sing in and around Alexandria was announced for Dec. 21st plus there will be another holiday afterglow at Harmo House.
Several times during the holidays, the chorus was aired as part of the PBS station WETA’s “Songs of the Season.”
Dean Rust made arrangement for all these sing-outs during December in and around Alexandria.
There won’t be meetings on Dec. 28th or on Jan. 4th. Chapter meetings will resume on Jan. 11th at Scottish Rite Temple on Braddock Road.
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 73rd year of the Alexandria Harmonizer Chapter. - YeEd)
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