Looking Back on the Jan. 31, 2023 Alexandria Hybrid Chapter Meeting
The Alexandria Chapter warm up session this week for the Harmonizers and Metro Voice started with a session for both ensembles on the risers with associate director of the Harmonizers, Tony Colosimo, and concluded with more warm-up work with assistant director of Metro Voices, Maggie McAlexander. Tony included singing the “Harmonizer Welcome Song” as part of his session. Maggie taught a fun round “Whose Pigs Are These?”
When artistic director Joe Cerutti took over, he invited the Harmonizers to welcome the Metro Voices singers, and for the Metro Voices to welcome the Harmonizers. Joe announced that Harmonizer Michael Pugh and his Metro Voices wife, Kirstin, have a new baby named Ramona.
Cheers of congrats were raised for operations director, Gary Cregan, who becomes a civilian on Wednesday! Joethanked him for his years of military service
Joe thanked Craig Odell for inviting the chorus to the celebration of life for Linda on Saturday. It was a wonderful celebration with many current and former members there to honor her. It was great to see their son, Ryan, again who sang one year with the chorus for contest, and to see daughter Erin and her husband Dan Cook, also a former Harmonizer.
As announced last week, an ensemble of the Harmonizers will sing at the SRT in DC on Feb. 4 to thank them for the use of their hall for one of our holiday performances. That group met after the meeting to review their songs.
The chapter will be sending out quartets to do Singing Valentines as public thank you messages to organizations and friends of the chapter. Singers from both ensembles were invited to sign up for one of three quartets to make appearances on Feb. 14 in the Alexandria Metro area. There were small Valentine candy boxes on a table and volunteers could choose one of those boxes marked with the voice part needed, eat the candy and write their name on the bottom and leave the box. That is how they signed up to participate.
Ben Watsky welcomed the guests for both ensembles and Will Cox directed the chapter welcome song for Metro Voices attendees and two singers guests for the Harmonizers – Stephen Gudauskas for his fourth time, and Matt Ambler for his third time.
At this point in the evening the Metro Voices moved to another room in SRT to work with Tessa Walker, Maggie andTony on “It Don’t Mean a Thing,” “Keep the Whole World Singing,” and the “Harmonizer Welcome Song.”
The Harmonizers worked with Joe in the auditorium on “Sit Down You’re Rockin the Boat.” This new song will be taught and learned using the 7-Step process as outlined and discussed by Joe. A part of the evening was devoted to sectionals on this new arrangement. Next week there will be small groups working on that song; and then on Feb. 14, singers will need to be ‘riser ready’ to sing it.
Joe did announced to the Harmonizers that “Music of the Night” will not be sung on the show this year, but the contest ballad, “Wee Small Hours” from the 1998 gold medal package will be used for any contests and for the show. He also shared that “New York, New York” will be the uptune for the contest package.
The Harmonizers also reviewed “Help from My Friends” – one of five songs from 2022 that will be used on the April road show in Newport News. Joe invited the guys to do a push-out-quartet event for this song for some fun.
At the end of the meeting, the two ensembles of the chapter reconvened in the auditorium for the business meeting, hosted by communication director Steve Murane. Chapter secretary David DesPortes presented membership renewal cards to Harmonizers who have paid BHS dues recently: Gary Cregan for 6 years; Nick Murane for 16 years; Frank Shipp for 21 years; Bruce Roehm for 22 years; Drew Fuller for 33 years; Mark Klostermeyer for 42 years.
Joe took a count for pizza for the afterglow at the Harmo House, 3916 N Stevens, Alexandria 22311, following the meeting. A good crowd made it to the house. Nick Murane won the 50/50 this week.
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 Chapter. - YeEd)
The Chapter Mission Statement Enriching lives through vocal harmony in the greater DC area.
