Looking Back on the November 29th 2022 Harmonizer Hybrid Chapter Meeting
The Harmonizer chorus is well prepared for the holiday show, ‘Comfort and Joy – a Harmonizer Holiday.’ This week’s rehearsal mostly concentrated on parts of the newer songs and some of the staging transitions for the show. Metro Voices joined in the last half of the rehearsal night to sing their part of “Do You Hear What I Hear?”
Associate director Tony Colosimo conducted a warm up session in the auditorium with the singers on the risers. The music team had developed a new riser chart for the show chorus and that took some time for guys to relocate and adjust.
Artistic director Joe Cerutti started off the Harmonizer evening with Thanksgiving holiday wishes to all. He spent the holiday in Ireland with chorus friend Doug Carnes and his family. (Joe brought back a great cupcake recipe that he fixed for the afterglow – yummmm!) Doug has a new youth chorus over there.
Then Joe shared the shocking news that Terry Jordan died earlier today. A friend and neighbor found him when he came to check on things. As president Noah has suggested, it is too early to know any other details. Terry was 82 on Nov. 19th. He joined the chorus in 1965 and was president in 1984-85.
Joe with chapter development director Ken Rub reminded everyone that it was GIVING TUESDAY and that donations could still be made or even on Wednesday. Members were also encouraged to use social media to promote donations from friends, family, co-workers and neighbors. Ken reported later in the night that we were approaching our goal for this effort.
The music team’s work plan for the night was to be certain all singers were in artistic mode as they performed.
The business session included many announcements.
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 followed by an afterglow at the Harmo House; 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 for any barbershoppers. Cost is $16 each.
The holiday show will include background projected videos of warm holiday memory scenes. More submissions are needed from ASAP. Get them to Terry.
Operations director Gary Cregan asked for help with loading risers onto the truck after the meeting and the movement of holiday decorations from the chapter’s storage unit, getting things to Schlesinger for the dress rehearsal and the show on Dec. 9th, and for the show in DC on Dec. 17th. Many members are needed to help with these work projects – especially since Gary will be having some surgery this week.
Assistant director Terry Reynolds reported that about 35 Harmonizers attended the funeral services for Bruce Minnick.
Terry also reported the uniform plans for the holiday show – the holiday sweatshirts with the white scarf. Gary Cregan has been getting those to new members. The plan is for singers to wear those sweatshirts over a long sleeve white dress shirt, with black dress pants and shoes. There will be a tech rehearsal on Dec. 7th at Schlesinger, then the dress rehearsal for all singers at 7 pm on Dec. 8th. Call time for the Fri. Dec 9th show is 5:15pm.
Jack Pitzer filled in for membership director Jacob Broude and welcomed chorus fans Kathi Trepper and Maribeth Besani – they have been coming to our shows for 20 years and can’t make it on Dec. 9th so decided to come hear the songs tonight. It was great to have Craig Odell and Greg Tepe with us for the evening too.
Before work on the show songs in the second half of the night, Tony recorded a promotional piece announcing our chapter’s participation in the All Chapter Chorus that will be at BHS MidWinter. Tony will be co-directing it. Our representative will be Mick Stamps. Tony spoke, Will Cox directed the chorus singing “The Harmonizer Welcome Song,” and Ken Rub did the filming.
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)
