Looking Back on the April 18, 2023 Alexandria Hybrid Chapter Meeting
The Alexandria Chapter meeting this week was again for the Harmonizers and Metro Voices (MV) at Scottish Rite Temple (SRT). Assistant director of Metro Voices, Maggie McAlexander, did the warm up session for the combined ensembles in the lodge room. She used the round, “Whose Pigs are These” during her session.
Prior to the rehearsal start, Kaj Vaisanen, our summer intern, plus Carl Kauffmann and Gary Cregan put up risers in the cafeteria for MV. Tyler Carpenter was distributing the new light blue camp shirts with the 75th anniversary logo to those who had already ordered one. They are just $44. See Tyler soon. Operations manager Gary Cregan was distributing new dress shirts for uniforms of the several new members in the chorus. Brian Ammerman put up the song boards in front of the chorus that he had created for this weekend’s show. Alan While and Walt Page were selling the 50/50 tickets.
Artistic director Joe Cerutti started his time “up front” with some important event and schedule announcements. He was fresh back from England and coaching Cottontown Chorus who the Harmonizers appeared with on a trip to England. They are expecting to be in Cleveland for BHS convention in 2024, as is the Alexandria chorus.
With some much music work to do this week, the chapter meeting will go until 9:30 with a break midway in the evening.
Next week the Harmonizers will not meet in advance of Spring2ACTion (S2A) and the cabaret which are both on Wednesday, April 26th. Everyone is encouraged to promote donations from family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, vendors, or long-distance barbershop friends. Look for the message from Ken Rub, development director, about your own donations and about asking for others. He did confirm that the ‘Power Hour’ is 3-4 pm Eastern when the chapter will try to bring in the most donations from the most donors. (It was confirmed that members should use as many emails as possible cause that is how the number of donors is counted.)
The cabaret that evening will be great fun – a dozen different performances of members, no barbershop, for the show. It will be streaming on Facebook live for members and all of our donors. This special event will go from 7-9 pm at Bike Club, 99 Canal Center Plaza, Unit 110, Alexandria, VA 22314. All guests need a ticket which are free at www.harmonizers.org (tickets will help get a head count). There will be free sodas and a taco bar. Wines and beers will be available.
Our chapter goal for the 2023 S2A is $75,000 during this anniversary year. With all chapter members participating, we can make it!!
Another major schedule announcement from Joe was word about transition to another three-month pilot plan for meeting nights. There will be only meetings on Tuesday nights for the ensembles, but some week’s there will be informal appearances in Old Town Alexandria area to promote the chapter and its choruses and their shows and potential membership, instead of rehearsal. Typically the singers will assemble at Market Square and depart from there.
Also, since there are five Tuesdays in May, that week will be our first Put Together Quartet contest in a long while. Tyle Carpenter is coordinator of the May 30th event. Members of both ensembles are encouraged to “put together” a quartet for that night of fun. Stay tuned for details – but basically the quartets can be anyone. Trophies will be awarded to the top three places for a traditional barbershop song and the top three places for a comedy number. All a cappella. Judges to be announced.
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. Craig Kujawa is coordinator. Registration fees can be paid now.
Metro Voices adjourned to the cafeteria and Joe worked with the Harmonizers on “Something’s Comin” and “Sit Down You’re Rockin the Boat.” Lance Fisher will do the solo. Next the chorus worked on "Wee Small Hours. Joenoted to singers that they could self-record during a chorus session and submit those recording for approval in order to be Riser Ready at future rehearsals.
Joe announced the great news that the next new song commissioned for the Harmonizer’s 75th anniversary, in memory of Sandy Stamps, will be “Calling Dreams.” It is composed by fellow Harmonizer and noted barbershop arranger, Rasmus Krigstrom. It will be on Groupanizer soon and there will be sectionals May 2. The learning tracks for this new song were created by Tim Waurick.
Music team administrator Terry Reynolds outlined plans for the chorus road trip for the show this weekend. A bus will depart for the Ferguson Center for the Arts, Avenue of the Arts, Newport News, VA from SRT at 12:45 pm Saturday, April 22. NOTE that we are to park on the ‘other” side of the building where the bus will be waiting for us. Arrival at the venue is slated for 4:30 pm. 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 director of shows, Doug White, has planned meal service from Subway. Anyone with dietary issues should let Doug know ASAP. Uniform is blue suit pants and vest, orange tie, dress black shoes.
This weekend’s Harmonizer performance will be the final act on Saturday night of the Christopher Newport University ‘Virginia Community Music Festival.’ Our performance is subsidized by a grant from the Virginia Commission for the Arts Touring Artists program. The program provides funding to help Virginia artists bring their performances to areas of the state outside their local community. The Harmonizers have been approved artists in this program for several years.
Next it was back to our music work on “I’m the Music Man” with Joe directing and Tony coaching; and on “Unreachable Star” that will include a chapter quartet singing the introduction.
Congrats to REVERB quartet with Dennis Ritchey, Reed Livergood, Paul Grimes and Steve White who placed eighth at the recent Northern Division contest. Rick Taylor’s quartet LEGACY was first place and qualified to go to the International contest in Louisville this summer.
The chapter business session was moderated by communications director Steve Murane.
Jack Pitzer substituted for membership director Jacob Broude and welcomed two guests - Jairo Guzman for his second visit and Kevin Mendez who comes to sing with us when he can get the evening off from the restaurant. Will Cox directed the “Harmonizer Welcome Song.”
Ken Rub also announced the plans for this year’s Crawfish Boil, Saturday May 6, that all members may attend. If the member raises at least $250 during S2A, it is free. If not, it is just $10 per person. It will be at the Harmo House with lots of singing, cold beer and sodas, There will be other choices than crawfish. Attendees are encouraged to bring goodies to share. Last year was great fun. Scott Kahler, who started the tradition a few years ago, will be coming up from New Orleans to help prepare the crawfish boil.
After the rehearsal 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 also comes to the chapter as a commissioned piece for our 75th anniversary.
Sectionals were conducted by Tessa Walker for the sopranos, Tony for the altos, Jason for the tenors and Joe for the basses. Following the sectionals, Joe worked with the combined chorus. There were some members of both ensembles singing in all four of the SATB sections.
Tony directed “Keep the Whole World Singing” to end the great night of harmony.
There was a large crowd at the afterglow from both ensembles 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.
