Looking Back on the April 11, 2023 Alexandria Hybrid Chapter Meeting
The Alexandria Chapter meeting this week was for the Harmonizers and Metro Voices at Scottish Rite Temple (SRT). Associate director Tony Colosimo did the warm up session for the combined ensembles with emphasis on body alignment.
Artistic director Joe Cerutti welcomed his parents Joe Sr. and Janet Cerutti; Craig Kujawa; Greg Tepe; Calvin Schnure; Craig Odell; Susan Fitzpatrick, general manager; and John Santora, Society president. He congratulated Stan Quick on his recent retirement.
He was excited to report that a guest quartet has been invited for the 75th anniversary show. Watch for the release of this great news. Also, members were encouraged to respond to the chapter survey seeking more ideas for a theme/title for that show.
Another survey will go out tonight seeking info from members about hosting singers from the Heavy Medal chorus June 30-July 2. Those singers will be in town to sing with us, and for us and to rehearse prior to their competing in Louisville at the International BHS contest. They will be representing the Barbershop in Germany (BinG) organization. Our chapter leadership needs responses from the members about available spaces. Questions could go to Joe or Terry Reynolds.
Music team leadership has scheduled the annual retreat for the chapter – both ensembles. (Even though the choruses are not competing at International, the chapter plans to have an annual retreat.) Coaches will be announced soon for the June 9-11, 2023 event at McDaniel College in Westminster, MD. The event starts after dinner on Friday; all-day rehearsals on Saturday; social and fun events Saturday evening; and departure after Sunday morning rehearsal and wrap up. Members can sign up on Groupanizer now.
A crew went to set up risers for Metro Voices while they did a photo shoot on the steps of SRT.
Joe took the chorus through the songs for the April 22 Newport News show. After singing “Help from My Friends,” Joe promised that if they crushed that song on the show, they would never have to sing it again!
Music team administrator Terry Reynolds outlined plans for the chorus road trip for the show. A bus will depart for the Ferguson Center for the Arts, Avenue of the Arts, Newport News, VA from SRT about 1 pm Saturday, April 22. Arrival is slated for 4:30 at the venue. Rehearsal on stage at 5 pm, dinner at 6 pm, dress/final rehearsal at 7 pm, performance at 8 pm. Bus slated to arrive back at SRT about 1 am on Sunday. There will not be time to go to get dinner, so stay tuned to see if a dinner will be provided, or if you should bring something. Uniform is blue suit pants and vest, orange tie, dress black shoes.
Membership director Jacob Broude presented a name tag to our newest member, Sean O’Brien, and gave him his black casual shirt. Jacob also gave our summer intern, Kaj Sebastin Vaisanen, his own Harmonizer casual shirt to wear while he is with us the next few months.
Speaking of shirts, Tyler Carpenter, was taking order for and/or delivering previously ordered 75th anniversary light blue camp shirts. You can get one to wear during this special year for the chapter. It has the new 75th anniversary logo embroidered on the left side above the pocket and come is sizes S to 6XL. The blue shirt is not required and will not be used for performances, but it is a beautiful commemoration of our anniversary year and great advertising for the chorus when you are out-n-about.
Back to our music work on “Wee Small Hours” with Joe directing and Tony coaching.
In honor of the Barbershop Harmony Society’s 85th birthday and National Barbershop Quartet Day, the chapter got to hear from a brand new chapter quartet, REVERB, with Dennis Ritchey, Reed Livergood, Paul Grimes and Steve White. As it happens, the quartet will compete this weekend in Nazareth, PA, at the Northern Division contest. Also Rick Taylor will compete there in a quartet called LEGACY.
The Harmonizers will rehearse on Tuesday April 18 as will Metro Voices. Then on April 25 only Metro rehearse. The major fundraiser event, Spring2ACTion, will be April 26 along with the cabaret. On April 27th is the next “office hours” event for Harmonizers to work with music team members on personal music issues, and then adjourn to a chapter social event.
The chapter business session was moderated by communications director Steve Murane. He also acknowledged the 85th birthday of the Society.
Gary Cregan offered to get new dress shirts for any one that needs to place an order. If you need one and didn’t talk to him on Tuesday night, call and see if he can add you to an order.
Sheryl Berlin reminded members about the Harmony College East educational event on Fathers’ Day weekend at McDaniel College. Registration is open now on the Mid Atlantic district website – midatlanticdistrict.org.
Chapter secretary David DesPortes presented membership cards to celebrate the renewal of Craig Kujawa for 19 years and for Calvin Schnure for 28 years. David also suggested that if anyone’s membership is lapsed, they should contact him in order to be reinstated.
Membership director Jacob Broude welcomed again our newest Harmonizer member Sean O’Brien and three new members for Metro Voices – Elaine Cooper, Mary Cooper and Heidi Krukowski.
Jacob suggested to current members that they might want to update their photo on Groupanizer and wear their name tags so guests and fellow singers would know those on the risers. He offered to get new name tags for those who need one.
First time Harmonizer guest this week was Jairo Guzman who received an ‘I Sang With the Harmonizers’ pin. We sang the “Harmonizer Welcome Song” to all of our guests.
This week’s rehearsal was extended to provide more time for the show preparation, so there was a ten-minute break. During that break, new Harmonizer members during the last six months met with president Noah Van Gilder, executive director Randall Eliason and Jacob.
After the break, the two ensembles combined and met in sectionals to work on “Why We Sing.” It is an original piece by prolific song writer Greg Gilpin and arranged for mixed voices by David Wright. It comes to the chapter as a commissioned piece for our 75th anniversary. The message of this beautiful song is perfect for our chapter.
Sectionals were conducted by Tessa Walker for the sopranos, Tony for the altos, Jason for the tenors and David Breenfor the basses. Following the sectionals, Joe worked with the combined chorus on the dynamic markings for the song and had them doing some “count singing.” There were some members of both ensembles singing in all four of the SATB sections.
Reed Livergood won the 50/50 drawing. Thanks to Alan Wile and Walter Page for promoting the ticket sales.
Tessa directed “Keep the Whole World Singing” to end the great night of harmony. Joe ended the night with a challenge to sign up to support Spring2ACTion – he had created his own fundraising page. Others can follow his lead!
There was a large crowd at the afterglow to enjoy pizza and other snacks, to get to know some of our newer members and guests, and of course to ring some tags!
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.
