Looking Back on the March 1st 2022 Harmonizer Hybrid Chapter Meeting
The Harmonizers sang on risers with a full chorus of men again this week AND YOU COULD SEE THEIR FACES!!! Without masks, it was like meeting with a whole new group of guys!!
Assistant director emeritus, Will Cox, conducted one of his famous warm up sessions for the chorus this week.
The total attendance was again at the 60-man level combining Zoom and in-person. Terry Reynolds was on Zoom and in-person at Scottish Rite Temple (SRT) to make sure both groups of attendees were connected and hearing and seeing everything. Several long-distant members were on Zoom including Chuck Hunter and Bob Rhome.
When artistic director Joe Cerutti stepped up to the podium, he started a new program item – a Harmonizer Hero Factoid about one of the members on the riser. This week he shared that Dylan Smith designs and builds traffic systems like we have in parts of the DC area.
Joe outlined plans for this week’s session – mostly explaining the small group work session on “Sing A Song” and the end-of-the-evening opportunity for guys to sing in a quartet with listeners who could take notes of the singers’ progress.
But before spreading out into small groups, Joe asked the chorus to perform “I’ll Be Seeing You,” and “Ava Maria.” And he did similar work on “Circle of Life.” During this work he invited David Breen up front to offer tips on pitch revisitation.
To kick off the business portion of the meeting, Joe announced that next week Turner Arndt would work on choreo refreshers for “Help from My Friends,” and “Circle of Life;” and that our coach Steve Scott would be here in two weeks.
Other business items included word that the new dress shirts to be worn with the blue suits will be delivered soon. Members will pay $9 for them. There was a reminder to get hotel reservations in the chorus block in Charlotte by April 1st.
President Noah Van Gilder updated the chapter on our current COVID management plan: masks are optional and permitted; if a member is exposed or feels sick or tests positive – please stay home; chapter continues to require attendees to be fully vaccinated including guests – boosters are recommended; and send Jason Lee your updated record of adding a booster. Members may now invite guests to the meeting but the chapter requires proof of vaccination by the Sunday night before the meeting.
Noah also announced that the chapter operations team is looking for a shows director. Tell Randall Eliason if you could do that job for the chapter.
There were two guests this week: Jake Fry back again, and Zak Sandler for his first visit.
The chorus was dismissed to work in small groups all around the SRT with group leaders Jason Lee, Will Cox, Ben Watsky, Randy Lazear, David Breen, Turner Arndt and Ricky Savage.
As these groups finished their assigned work on “Sing A Song” they returned to the risers to work with Joe. When everyone was back, he asked for an indication as to the helpfulness of the small groups and got a positive response.
Before winding down for the night, the chorus performed “Something’s Comin.”
Then singers who signed up for it were invited to four rooms to do the quartet listening sessions.
An invite was extended for a Mardi Gras afterglow at the Harmo House at 3916 Stevens Street in Alexandria, and the guys enjoyed tag singing or just visiting and talking barbershop AND of course King Cake for Mardi Gras.
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)
