Looking Back on the June 3-4-5 2022 Pre-International Harmonizer Retreat
The chorus celebrated the joy of making great music again at their first pre-International retreat since 2018. About 65 members drove up to Westminster, MD, for the Friday night, all day Saturday, and Sunday morning coaching session. We were blessed with great weather all weekend!
Special coaches for this year were Jim Henry, director of the Ambassadors of Harmony and bass of gold medal quartets GAS HOUSE GANG and CROSSROADS; and David McEachern, from Toronto who had been at our retreat in the past.
There are 21 members of the Class of 2022 – members who have not sung at an International Contest with us before. The class includes: Turner Arndt, Scott Beach, Michael Berkson, Jacob Broude, Tyler Carpenter, Gary Cregan, Lance Fisher, Devin Gerzof, Ryan Mextorf, Josh Myers, Duncan Peacock, Tessa Walker, David Breen, Michael Pugh, Cy Shuster, Frank Shipp, John Sifuentes, Dylan Smith, Tony Amante Schepers, Ben Watsky, and Zak Sandler.
Artistic director Joe Cerutti conducted the work/rehearsal/coaching sessions. Associate director Tony Colosimo conducted major warm up sessions and assisted Joe. Turner Arndt was often asked to review choreo for the uptune and he even held a couple review sessions during the weekend.
The two contest songs are powerful musical arrangements the chorus has prepared for July in Charlotte, NC – “42ndStreet” arranged by Kevin Keller, and “Oh What a Beautiful Morning” arranged by David Wright. There will likely be 72 singers on stage for the Harmonizers on Friday, July 1.
This weekend work session was back at McDaniel College in the student center where we have met over the years for these sessions. This year, however, we stayed at the Best Western near campus.
Chapter convention chairman Craig Kujawa was also coordinator for this retreat weekend. Music team administrator Terry Reynolds orchestrated the sessions and work times. There was riser crew to set up on Friday evening early enough so that the front row could rehearse at 6:30 pm. A stage crew marked the floor for dimensions of the Charlotte stage. On Sunday, everyone pitched in to help load the Harmonizer truck with risers, sound and operational equipment.
Members paid a fee to attend which included housing and meals. There were refreshment breaks during the weekend including a fun ice cream treat break Friday evening. The facility has added a relaxing patio area outside the hall where we could spread out and visit during breaks. That was also were most of us celebrated and enjoyed the goodies served at the usual Saturday night party.
There were several bandana checks of the Class of 2022 with wrangler Mark Klostermeyer providing bandanas for new men added to the class. As has been the tradition, the class presented a funny skit during the Saturday party that started after the evening work session. They conducted a typical chapter meeting scene and members of the class portrayed the usual cast of characters from a Tuesday night meeting! The rest of us roared with laughing as the skit progressed!!
Another fun event at the party, after the skit, was the first-ever Stump a Harmonizer contest. Joe and our tech guy Mike Kelly filmed about 30 members while they were arriving on Friday evening - some new guys, some leadership guys, some longtime members. Each peron was asked a question about a variety of topics or opinions (such as who is more organized – Terry or Craig; or how to spell COLOSIMO, or what is SBEBSQSA). When the guy made a funny face and was about to answer, the recording stopped.
Joe then asked the members to vote by walking to one side of the room or the other to indicate how they thought member would answer the question. Then the video continued to great cheers if the most guys agreed with the member. The game also brought tons of great laughter. (Credit goes to a bunch of guys who thought up the questions last Tuesday night at the Harmo House afterglow.)
After the program Saturday night, it didn’t take long for tag singing to break out among members scattered everywhere.
Also during the weekend, there were sectional breakouts, front row breakouts, Class of 2022 meetings, and tons of fellowship among the members and the coaches. Chapter general manager Susan Fitzpatrick was on hand for the Saturday morning session for her first retreat. Alan Wile brought the notebooks of Harmo Hero forms for guys to look through during the weekend.
The retreat had it challenges for the attendees and the staff. Based on current COVID statistics, everyone wore a top quality mask whenever inside. There was graduation on campus that caused some glitches in room reservations which Craig and this carpool teammates managed. The retreat was not on Zoom but was on Facebook and several members tuned in for all or part of the sessions. All attendees had to show a negative COVID test on Friday and that meant a few members had to stay home as well as some who had been exposed and had to quarantine.
The retreat ended on Sunday morning after some reviews of what was learned, what was discovered and what was there to look forward to in the next few weeks before Charlotte. Joe spoke to the chorus and shared his enthusiasm and thanks for the work of his chorus members and the music team. Both coaches spoke and shared deep thought about the power of working as one to make music. The final music for the weekend was our traditional singing of the “Friends” tag as we locked arms on the risers. The saying continues – “It Is Great to Be a Harmonizer!”
The next few meetings scheduled include a regular hybrid rehearsal Tuesday June 7th (there will not be a Looking Backreport after the June 7th meeting – those notes will be combined with the June 14th edition); there will be a choreo coaching session on June 14th with Cy Wood who will also work with the 17th Street Sound dance team from the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, who will join us for the contest performance; Chuck Hunter will coach and speak to the chorus on Tuesday June 21st and the meeting will also include a brief celebration of the June 29th, 1948, chartering of the chapter. The June BirthdayGlow at the Harmo House will be that night as well.
The traditional Send Off celebration and performance of the contest package will be Tuesday, June 28th at SRT at 7 pm. Former members, family and friends are all welcome.
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)
