Friday, October 21, 2022

Looking Back on the October 18th 2022 Harmonizer Hybrid Chapter Meeting

 Looking Back on the October 18th 2022 Harmonizer Hybrid Chapter Meeting

 

This week’s meeting was a busy one for the chorus as they prepared songs for the Dec. 9th holiday show – “Comfort and Joy.” Because of the election this week, the meeting was shared via Zoom too.

 

Associate director Tony Colosimo started off the Harmonizer evening in the auditorium with a great warm up session and taught the chorus the tag “I’d Give a Million Tomorrows for Just One Yesterday.”

 

Artistic director Joe Cerutti was happy about our fellowship and singing event last week with Alfred Street Men and the singers from local area barbershop choruses. He thanked Dean Rust and Clyde Crusenberry for their hard work in making in happen. And he thanked the chorus members for coming out on a second night that week.

 

Joe was also pleased with the number of volunteers who offered to serve  on a restarted repertoire committee.  This week he asked for volunteers to serve on an artistic show group that meets only a few times a year. Interested members should speak to Joe or Terry Reynolds

 

He reported that WETA chose our recording of “Joy to the World” to use on their holiday special features.

 

President Noah Van Gilder was presiding officer for the annual chapter meeting to elect officers and a board. Executive director Randall Eliason confirmed that a quorum was present. A. motion to elect was passed and the following member were elected: President: Noah Van Gilder; Treasurer: Terry Reynolds; Secretary: Cy Shuster; Members At Large: Dave Kohls, Turner (TJ) ArndtJohn Greene, Devin Gerzof and Carolyn Griffin (who will serve as Vice President of the board).   

Thanks to Dave Kohls and Bruce Roehm for their work in serving on the committee with Stan Quick, nominating committee chair.

The first song to work on this week was “Mary Had a Baby” with Joe directing and Tony coaching. Then the chorus worked on “Joy to the World” before adjourning for sectionals for 25 minutes.

When the singers returned to the risers, they worked on “Grinch,”  “JINGLE BELLS,” and “Gloria.”

Additional business matters this week included an appeal from president Van Gilder for members to strongly consider getting their flu shot. 

Randall announced that holiday show tickets are on sale now on the website - $35 each with some reduced prices for students and youth. This show will be at Schlesinger.

 

He also announced there are two vacancies on the operations team – a webmaster and a communications director for internal and external messages.  Randall stressed that the chapter is interested in anyone who might want to volunteer – a singer, a former singer, a family member or partner, a neighbor and Harmo fan or supporter.

Joe announced that the chorus has been invited to do a holiday show at the DC Scottish Rite Temple on Sat. Dec. 17th.  Members will be asked about their availability and willingness to do this paid show. 

Dean Rust reminded the chorus of the Veteran’s Day sing on Nov. 11th in Alexandria.

The chorus resumed with work on the songs in the medley for the show.

Good to see Ken Ives and Terry Jordan in the hall this week. 

In other news, president Noah Van Gilder shared details about a memorial service for former Harmonizer John Adams. It will be held at the University United Methodist Church, 150 E Franklin St., Chapel Hill, NC 27514 on November 12th 2022 at 11 am. 

 

On Wed. Oct. 19th, a kick-off planning meeting with about a dozen folks was held at the Harmo House to launch plans for our 75th anniversary celebration, show, gala and other events or projects. Steve White was tapped to assemble this working crew. 

 

Finally, there will be no Looking Back reports published immediately after the meetings on Oct. 25th and Nov. 1st.  Reports will be published later for those meetings.  YeEd will be making his usual trip to the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis.

 

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)

 

 

Sunday, October 16, 2022

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

 Looking Back on the October 12th 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 74th year of the Alexandria Harmonizer Chapter. - YeEd)