Looking Back on the September 6th 2022 Harmonizer Hybrid Chapter Meeting
Preparation for the fall show on Friday September 10th was the main emphasis this week.
Associate director Tony Colosimo conducted a terrific warm up session for the singers and the guys thanked him with applause when he turned the mic over to Joe.
Artistic director Joe Cerutti set the stage for tonight’s work time and offered some news about the Harmonizer family.
Andrew and Heather Havens baby twin daughters were born in the last few days. Congrats to them for their growing family,
Long time Harmonizer, John Adams, died this week too. He was 90 and living in North Carolina. He was the tenor section leader for 30 years in our chapter as well as an administrator – often proudly shared he was the “oldest living Harmonizer president. ” He served in 1966. In the 1960s he was a passionate membership promoter with his goal to grow the Alexandria Chapter to 100 members. Eventually we were more that 200 members – one of the largest in the Society. They say he started the “1-2-3 It’s Great To Be A Harmonizer” cheer that we use every week to close our meetings.
He was an avid quartet singer as tenor in the NOVA CHORDS from 1965-80 who ranked third at the International in 1976, ALEXANDRIA’S RAGTIME BAND from 1980-1992 who were M-AD district champs in 1985, and in REMINISCE from 1992-99 who were Society Seniors Quartet Gold Medalists in 1995.
John is also credited as co-founder for the Mount Vernon Chapter. In recent years he was active in barbershop groups in the Carolinas. His wife Jean died a few years ago.
Joe had several items to report about the show: the chorus will be on platforms, not risers for the show; call time will be midafternoon on Saturday – be on the lookout for an email about final plans. Terry Reynolds confirmed the uniform plan is to wear the blue suit pants, and vest, no coat, and the new medal if you earned one in Charlotte (Gary Cregan is the person to contact if singers need uniform parts); and you may want to bring dinner depending on admin plans that will come out via email. Randall Eliason encouraged everyone to sell tickets. He also reports there will be an afterglow at TGI Friday’s around the corner from Schlesinger with a cash bar and ordering off the menu.
Theme for our fall show on September 10th is “A Beautiful Morning.” Take note that we are honoring First Responders/Front Line Workers who served early in the COVID outbreak. They will receive free tickets to the show and be recognized. We are also recognizing members of the Harmonizer family who have died in the recent past – as part of the audio visual presentation while the chorus sings.
As mentioned, it is important for members to step up their push of ticket sales. There was a recent uptick in sales after members pushed recently, YeEd also learned that patrons can buy tickets at the door for the fall show. They are $20. The show starts at 7 pm at Schlesinger Hall. There is plenty of free parking too.
FIRST TAKE will be our featured quartet with David Breen filling in as bass for “new Dad” Andrew Havens. Drew Tepe, a vocalist and pianist, will be on the show and will provide a ‘sing-a-long’ session for the audience.
Finally, Joe announced that we will not have an in-person chapter meeting on Sept. 13th to take a break after the show. Instead will meet via Zoom at 7 pm for 30 minutes to provide all the details for the Harmonizer appearance at Wolf Trapp.
As was announced recently, the chorus has been invited to sing in the evening on Sept. 18th at Wolf Trap with other major choral groups from the DC area. A Wolf Trap promotional brochure calls it a “community powered singing celebration.” The show organizers have asked us to sing “Circle of Life” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water” from our repertoire The organizers expect a crowd of over 8,000 in the audience.
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. ” (This music is available on the chapter’s Groupanizer space. Singers can use the music for these songs as well.)
According to Joe, each singer will not need to buy a ticket, and will receive two free tickets that will be delivered via email to email addresses the members submit. He has heard that singers from 40 other choral groups in the DC area were invited to be in the audience and will be encouraged to join in group singing during the concert.
The chorus call at Wolf Trap will be about 12 noon, Harmonizer stage time will be about 2 pm, and the performance is at 5 pm but final plans will be announced during the Zoom call on Sept. 13th.
Joe and Tony then worked with the chorus to run through the fall show songs in order. Several details were worked out such as soloists for the special opening of “Oh What a Beautiful Morning” to start the show; discussions about the challenges for performing the visual package for “42nd Street” while standing on platforms; and the addition of a percussion ensemble during “Circle of Life” assembled for our show by Ben Hawker from PRATT STREET POWER.
During the business meeting, Randall explained some of the challenges in getting hotel rooms at
at the fall M-AD contest and convention for our appearance there. It might be still possible to get a room at the Lancaster Marriott at Penn Center for Saturday night only, or to find other rooms in the city, If all else fails, singers could travel to and from Lancaster in the same day. We will be conducting a Master Class on Saturday afternoon Oct. 8th. The chorus will also sing later that evening. We will not compete.
We will have several members competing in the quartet contest on Friday evening, Oct. 7th starting at 4:57 pm. Quartet finals are Saturday night starting at 6:57 pm. The chorus contest starts at 8:57 am on Saturday, Oct. 8th. Tickets will be required to attend any convention contest sessions. Proof of vaccination will be required when getting those tickets.
After the business meeting, chorus work continued until about 9:45. Ike Evans also distributed engraved medals to members this week. The afterglow was announced to be at Rampart’s after the 50/50 drawing.
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)
