Looking Back on the November 22nd 2022 Harmonizer Hybrid Chapter Meeting
The Harmonizer holiday show date for ‘Comfort and Joy – a Harmonizer Holiday,’ is approaching fast. This week there were many final details announced and explained and smaller ensembles worked into the plan.
Several members of the chorus were exposed to a positive COVID case over the weekend and wore masks, as is the protocol for the Harmonizers.
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 reported the plans for the chapter to accept the April 2023 special invitations to appear out of the DC area as part of the chapter’s participation in the Virginia Commission for the Arts touring program is “all go!” The road trip and overnight trip will be fun fellowship and the two college audiences will help the chapter connect with new audiences. Joe was appreciative of the response from the members to allow chapter leadership to respond promptly. He did appeal to everyone to keep the April 21-22, 2023 dates open.
He also announced that Mick Stamps has agreed to be our chapter representative in the all-chapter chorus that will sing at the Mid-Winter BHS convention in January.
And he paid tribute to Bruce Minnick who died recently. A service will be held Sat. Nov. 26th at The Church of Latter-Day Saints, 6219 Villa St., Alexandria, VA 22310 with viewing at 10 am and the service at 11 am. Barbershoppers present will sing “Irish Blessing.”
Here are some calendar updates for the next couple months: there will be a dress rehearsal on Thursday Dec. 8th 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. 13th; we will not meet on Dec. 20th. The chorus will sing on Saturday Dec. 17th at the Scottish Rite Temple in DC. The annual Blast party will be held Dec. 27th at 7 pm in the Dundalk MD area.
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.
Joe and associate director Tony Colosimo proceeded to sing through all the songs for the holiday show, as well as worked out staging for the various ensembles or performers that will be part of the songs. A new quartet of guys – Dennis Ritchey, Reed Livergood, Paul Grimes and Steve White – will sing the intro verse for “Santa Claus in Comin to Town.” Michael Pugh will do the narration for “Grinch.” A quartet of Lance Fisher, Tony Colosimo, David Breen and Josh Myers will sing the Jim Clancy arrangement of “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear” that leads into the chorus singing of “Silent Night.” David will sing the solo in “Joy to the World.”
Metro Voices will sing “Christmas Hymn” on the show and demonstrated that song for the Harmonizers who gave them a standing-o for the first performance of the new chorus. Tessa Walker directed.
They will also sing a fourth verse to “Do You Hear What I Hear” and they joined the Harmonizers on stage for the sing through of this show closer.
For the business meeting, Operations director Gary Cregan asked for help with loading risers onto the truck after the meeting.
Craig Kujawa recently recognized the top five members who use the chapter’s scrip program –
Randall Eliason raised $489.00 for the chapter; Dean Rust raised $396.20; David Welter raised $253.50; Craighimself raised $238.50; and Ken Ives raised $154.00. In total, 32 members spent $56,531.37 that earned the chapter $3,018.63.
Jack Pitzer filled in for membership director Jacob Broude and welcomed prospective member Stephen Gudauskas who returned for his second visit as a bass; greeted Anita Martineau and Cindy Mariani were in town and came just to listen; and welcomed member Ian Poulin and Al Herman. 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 three weeks. She is due for an operation to try to repair some of the damage.
Joe invited members to the afterglow at Harmo House this week as usual.
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)
