Looking Back on the September 13th 2022 Harmonizer Virtual Chapter Meeting
Chapter leadership decided to hold a brief meeting this week via Zoom to get all the details and logistics to members for their appearance at Wolf Trapp on Sunday, Sept. 18th
And then let the men have the rest of the evening off after all the work in recent weeks to prepare for the fall show.
When the call opened, however, artistic director Joe Cerutti thanked the chorus members – singers and non-singing helpers – for an awesome show. One of the best ever! Many men on the call shared reactions. The mayor of Alexandria stayed for the whole show.
Joe paid tribute to the extraordinary efforts by shows director Doug White who had to fill in as show producer as well as director. His efforts to communicate with the chorus leadership as well as the staff at the venue made it all work smoothly.
Then we all got to see the video that was shown while the chorus sang “Remember Me.” The chorus didn’t get to see it while they were on stage. (Several men admitted it was a good thing they couldn’t see it or there would have been no singing. It was an emotional moment even on the Zoom call.) It was a wonderful way to honor Harmonizers and Harmonizer friends and family lost during the pandemic.
Joe thanked Mike Kelly for his efforts to produce all the videos used on the show.
Members should be on the lookout for a Pulse Survey about the show from the music team leadership.
Here are the details, as Joe knows them at this time, for the Wolf Trap performance Sunday Sept. 18th with other major choral groups from the DC area. The show organizers have asked us to sing “Circle of Life” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water” from our repertoire
The Harmonizers will share the program with seven other groups: Children’s Chorus of
Washington, Duke Ellington School of the Arts Concert Chorale, Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington and GenOUT, The Heritage Signature Chorale, Towson University Singers, The Washington Chorus, and the Washington Performing Arts Gospel Chorus. All of these singers will combine to perform two numbers as a group – “We Are Love” and “United in Purpose. ”
The music for those songs is available on the chapter’s Groupanizer space as are learning tracks. Joe suggest singers should at least listen to those two songs a couple times. Singers can use the music for these songs, but you must bring your own copy to go into the folders. Joe also would welcome any other singers who would change from “maybe” or “not singing” to participate.
Uniform will be blue suit pants and vests and orange tie. No medals. Chorus members should arrived dressed and should bring as little as possible. However, a snack or health bar might be wise. Joe did suggest everyone watch the weather for that day and prepare ahead. Masks must be worn whenever inside – such as for the bathrooms.
The chorus call at Wolf Trap will be 1 pm. – no later! There will be a warm up someplace near the stage. The Harmonizers stage time will begin strictly at 1:50. At 4:30 pm, the chorus will join all the other featured ensembles to work on the combined two songs on stage. Then they will all stay on the stage for the 5 pm show opening. Friends and family should not arrive in the concert area early with their singer. Parking is reportedly free.
According to Joe, each singer will not need to buy a ticket, but details about getting two other free tickets has not been communicated to the chapter. Therefore, Joe is working to get clarification on the ticket questions and promises an email if and when he gets answers! It is also not certain, but it appears that guests might be able to get a lawn seat for $10 at the door. Stay tuned.
Also during this week’s Zoom call, Joe announced the planned songs for the 2022 Holiday Show that will be on Friday, Dec. 9th at Schlesinger. There will be a lot of songs we have sung at previous holiday shows. A couple of new ones include “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” and “Winter Wonderland.” The new METRO VOICES project chorus will sing one song on the holiday show too. Work will begin on the holiday music on Tues. Sept. 20th. Guest artists are still being invited. Chapter quartets that are interested in singing a number on the show should contact Joe.
Finally, Joe shared that final details about our appearance at the M-AD fall contest are still being worked out.
The call ended with a viewing of the other videos used for the show.
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 74th year of the Alexandria Harmonizer Chapter. - YeEd)
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