Looking Back on the October 12th 2022 Men’s Fellowship with Alfred Street Men

 Looking Back on the October 12^th 2022 Men’s Fellowship with Alfred Street Men

 

There were over 100 guests in the auditorium at Scottish Rite Temple (SRT) for this year’s singing fellowship event with Alfred Street Baptist Men’s Chorus and the Alexandria Harmonizers.   The event had been cancelled for a couple years during the COVID era so leaders of both groups were eager to “get together to sing” again. Everyone did wear masks while seated in the auditorium.

 

Both groups invited other singers to join in the fellowship and singing. Alfred Street, directed by Melvin Bryant, had asked the combined choirs of the Metropolitan Baptist Church in Largo, MD, directed by Brandon Felder, and the men from Woodstream Church in Mitchellville, MD, directed by Nat Thomas, to sing.  They also brought the Theodore Thorpe. III Quartet that sang during the evening.

 

The Harmonizers, directed by Joe Cerutti, invited  barbershop harmony singers from seven other chapters in the DC Metro area including Bull Run Troubadours from Manassas, VA; Harmony Heritage Singers from Mount Vernon, VA; Arlingtones from Arlington, VA; Old Dominion Chorus from Loudon County, VA; Singing Capital Chorus from Washington, DC; Harmony Express from Germantown, MD; and Hometowne USA from Montgomery County, MD.

 

To kick off the night’s program (after lots of greeting and welcoming each other again). Joe introduced our friend and part of the driving force for this annual event, Dr. Joyce Garrett, who is director of the Alfred Street Baptist Church Music and Worship Arts Ministry. 

 

The barbershop singers present were combined and sang a couple barbershop classics with Joe as director.  Thanks to Dean Rust who did so much work to organize this event including contacting our fellow barbershop singers and to prepare and print the program handout for the night.

 

Associate director Tony Colosimo taught the entire audience tags a couple times during the night including “You Gotta Have Heart” as the finale.

 

The Harmonizers sang “Help from My Friends” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and earned an enthusiastic standing ovation from the singers present.

 

The social time in the cafeteria at SRT was an enjoyable time for all guests.  Many thanks to Clyde Crusenberry for all of his work to organize, purchase and move into place, plus to set up ,the yummy refreshments and drinks for the night.  He did garner some volunteers to bring coolers and help. Thanks to all who pitched in. As well, thanks to chapter operations chairman Gary Cregan and those men who helped with riser work, plus Dennis Ritchey for sound tech support. 

 

Looking ahead to next year, Joe challenged the Alfred Street Men to be ready to sing three songs next year!

 

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 74^th year of the Alexandria Harmonizer Chapter. - YeEd)