Looking Back on the November 15th 2022 Harmonizer Hybrid Chapter Meeting

 Looking Back on the November 15^th 2022 Harmonizer Hybrid Chapter Meeting

 

Again this week, there was a lot of great barbershop singing at the Scottish Rite Temple (SRT) on Tuesday night! Both the Harmonizers and Metro Voices were in session.

 

Artistic director Joe Cerutti started off the Harmonizer evening in the auditorium with a warm up session that included working on selected spots of a couple holiday show songs.  Tessa Walker worked with the Metro Voices in the cafeteria. 

 

Joe took a minute to recognize a member who had submitted his Harmo Hero form for publishing on the website: Don Thompson served 21 years in the Army, worked in a career of electronics and worked with German Shepherds.  Alan Wile, who manages the Hamro Hero form process, welcomes submissions from those members who have not done it yet.

 

Although associate director Tony Colosimo was not able to attend this week, he encouraged Joe to explain again the self-assessment process for singers to be prepared for the show. In short, a singer can rate himself at a level 5 if he recognizes what he does not know and that he won’t sing it, and that a listener has confirmed that the singer knows.  Baritone section leader, Jason Lee, suggested that all section leaders would welcome any recordings submitted by singers. 

 

Joe thanked all those who sang the Veterans Day show and thanked the members of the chapter who served in the military for their service.

 

Chuck Hunter was with us this week, visiting in DC from his home in Chicago. Chorus general manager Susan Fitzpatrick was at the meeting too and helped Joe and Mike Kelly prepare a thank-you musical message that will go to anyone who contributes to the chapter on Giving Tuesday. 

 

At the BHS midwinter in Daytona Beach this winter, there will be a chorus of reps from all chapters in the Society.  Our own Tony Colosimo will be the director of that group.  Any Harmonizer who wants to represent out chapter in that chorus should contact Terry Reynolds or Joe. 

 

Here are some calendar updates for the next couple months: there will be a dress rehearsal on Thursday  Dec. 8^th since the show is on Friday night and most members could not make an extra-early call time; the annual pub crawl/caroling-sing in Old Town Alexandria will be Tuesday Dec. 13^th; we will not meet on Dec. 20^th. The chorus will sing on Saturday Dec. 17^th at the Scottish Rite Temple in DC.

 

The holiday show will include background projected videos of warm holiday memory scenes. All members are encouraged to provide photos and memory scenes that could be used. Give to Terry.

 

Then it was time to sing and perform the songs for the show starting with “Gloria.” Work on “Santa Claus is Comin To Town” (with the revised tag) started with only singers who self-assess at level 5. Joe asked the singers to work extra on “You’re a Mean One Mr. Grinch” for next week. Cy Shuster will do the voice-over for this song.  

 

During the business meeting, secretary David DesPortes presented a 41-year membership renewal to Alan Wile as well as his 40-year lapel pin that was missed last year.

 

Membership director Jacob Broude welcomed  prospective member Stephen Gudauskas who lives now in Maryland. Terry directed the “Harmonizer Welcome Song.”  

 

In other news about the Harmonizer family, Don Harrington’s wife Naida was injured when a car hit her as she was in a cross-walk in a Fairfax shopping center.  She suffered a broken ankle and knee and has been hospitalized for about a week. She is due for an operation to try to repair some of the damage.

 

Back to singing, the chorus spent time on  “J I N G L E Bells,” and “Caroling Caroling” with the ensembles that will sing some of the carols that are part of the medley. The evening ended with work on “Mary Had a Baby.”

 

This week’s afterglow included birthday cake to celebrate Harmonizers who celebrate their birthdays in November: Dale Bird, Mike Fasano, Lance Fisher, Gary Fuller, Terry Jordan, Scott Kahler, Jason Lee, Ken Rub, Dean Rust, Jeff Taylor, Dave Welter, Scott Werner, Alan Wile and Kris Zinkievich.

 

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)

 

 

Looking Back on the November 11th 2022 Harmonizer Sing at Veterans Day Event

 Looking Back on the November 11^th 2022 Harmonizer Sing at Veterans Day Event

 

An ensemble of the Harmonizer chorus sang on Friday, Nov. 11^th at the Veterans’ Day event in Del Ray area of Alexandria.

 

The event was at the Mount Vernon Rec Center on Commonwealth Ave. and the singers assembled at 12:15 for the 1 pm program.  Singers wore suits and ties; Bob Blair and Craig Kujawa wore their military uniforms.

 

Artistic Director Joe Cerutti directed. Dean Rust coordinated this community service activity for the Harmonizers.  Assistant Director Terry Reynolds and Craig Kujawa handled the announcing duties.  General Manager Susan Fitzpatrick attended and took pictures.  It was a proud moment when all veterans were recognized, and eleven of the sixteen Harmonizers present stood up.

 

The Harmonizers sang the National Anthem as well as “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” the “Armed Forces Medley,”  “I’ll Be Seeing You,” and closed with “God Bless America” with event participants joining in.

 

This is an annual event co-sponsored by the Alexandria Recreation Department and the Friends of Rocky Versace.  Rocky Versace was from Alexandria and received the Medal of Honor posthumously for heroism during the Viet Nam war. The “Friends” group established a Memorial outside the Rec Center to honor Versace and 67 other Alexandrians who lost their lives fighting in Viet Nam.  Mayor Justin Wilson attended as did former Mayor and Harmonizer fan Allison Silberberg.  About 100 people were present including a contingent of girl scouts from a local parish who handed out programs and led the Pledge of Alliance.

 

Of special note, there was a 100-year-old WWII veteran in attendance, thanks to the efforts of Carl and Kathy Kauffmann.  Captain Edward L “Ted” Cochran was one of Carl’s at-sea commanders during his service in the Navy.  Captain Cochran – a 1944 graduate of the Naval Academy - retired in 1974 after service dating from WWII to Vietnam. 

 

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)