Looking Back on the Aug. 13, 2024 Alexandria Hybrid Chapter Meeting

 Looking Back on the Aug. 13, 2024 Alexandria Hybrid Chapter Meeting

The Alexandria A Capella Collective meeting on Tuesday, August 13. at AlexRenew was a busy one with lots of work on songs for the fall show. Tyler Carpenter filled in for Jacob Broude as membership director, and welcome guests. He also was busy engraving the new medals Harmonizer singers earned in Cleveland. (It is a great service - he gets it done almost while you wait and only costs $5.) Plus he was passing out new name tags for all singers with the new logos for the ensembles.

Associate director of the Harmonizers, Tony Colosimo, conducted warm up exercises for the combined ensembles.

Artistic Director Joe Cerruti, was happy to welcome so many guests back to sing with the choruses. He gave a big plug for the fall show, Sept. 21, at Bishop Ireton High School, (201 Cambridge Rd, Alexandria) featuring five internationally famous quartets and the two AACC choruses. A promotional blitz will happen soon. The show will have an early start so there is time for an afterglow.  There was a straw poll about afterglow attendance so the committee can plan accordingly for space. 

 

For those looking ahead to December, the holiday shows will be Sat. and Sun. Dec. 14 and 15, at Fairlington United Methodist Church.  Those performances will also have an early evening start time.  Joe encouraged singers to work on “Here Comes Santa Claus” to get a head start for that show.

 

Breaking news from Joe was word about the Harmonizers meeting an Honor Flight of Veterans from New York state, Sat., Oct. 19, in the morning. The chorus will sing the “Armed Forces Medley.” EJ Herold is helping coordinate.  (Word was also shared that a new arrangement of that song for the combine ensembles is coming soon.)

 

Remaining rehearsals for August include Aug. 20 at Beth El, and Aug. 27 at Beth El – which is also Guest Night for AACC. All members should invite a prospective singer – maybe even bring the guest to the venue. 

 

Following Joe’s announcements, the two ensembles rehearsed their music until time for business.

 

Tyler introduced returning guests (Adele Jones, Ian Trent, Neal Connors, Suranjan Sen, and Julian LeFlore)! Terry Reynolds directed the chapter’s “Welcome Song.”

 

Joe also announced two possible shows and asked for a show of hands for how many would likely attend.  There were adequate numbers and parts, so sign ups can begin on Groupanizer for an Arts on the Avenue appearance ,Sat. Oct. 5; and a retirement facility appearance on Sun. Oct. 27. 

 

Chapter education director, Sheryl Berlin, distributed flyers for the kick off of Capital Force the first week in Oct.  The goal is to have 25 students.  The meetings will be at Fairlington Presbyterian Church every other Sunday from 2:30-4:30 until February. Everyone one needs to give this project some attention and push in order to launch. 

 

Chapter secretary, Heidi Krukowski, presented membership renewal cards to the following: Zak Sandler for three years; Scott Beach, 14 years; Frank Fedarko, 22 years; and Terry Reynolds, 41 years. 

 

After business, there was an icebreaker event for members to exchange their favorite Olympic story.  

 

Both ensembles worked more on their show music before coming back together for a 50/50 drawing and to sing “Keep the Whole World Singing, directed by Julian LeFlore. The usual crowd was at the Harmo House for the pizza and visiting and story-telling and tag singing. It was fun to have our new guests there too.

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 76^th year of the Alexandria Chapter. - YeEd)

 

The Chapter Mission Statement Enriching lives through vocal harmony in the greater DC area.

Looking Back on the Aug. 6, 2024 Alexandria Hybrid Chapter Meeting

 Looking Back on the Aug. 6, 2024 Alexandria Hybrid Chapter Meeting

(Many thanks to EJ Herold for taking notes this week! – YeEd.)

The Alexandria A Capella Collective met on Tuesday, August 6 at our AlexRenew rehearsal space with a large gathering of members and an encouraging number of guests. The evening began with Jason Lee conducting the warm-up and capturing the attention of all with his unique directing style and good humor.

 

Artistic Director Joe Cerruti, freshly returned from his duties at Harmony University (HU) in Denver, began the evening with a discussion of that experience and the many encounters throughout the week with barbershoppers animatedly complimenting the chorus performance in Cleveland! Video of the performance of the Harmonizer set was reportedly referenced in several classes throughout the week leading Joe and Tessa Walker to receive continuous praise for its artistry and creativity all week long. 

 

For background information: Joe was the BHS staffer at HU and he and Tessa were faculty for sessions during the weeklong barbershop school. Lance Fisher and Sofie Clarke also attended as students.  Prior to the start of HU, there was a candidate school for BHS members starting on their three-year trek to become certified judges.  Tyler Carpenter and Terry Reynolds attended as candidates to become admin judges and Maggie McAlexander attended as a candidate in the musicality category.

 

Related to the HU experience, there was a Mid Atlantic District (MAD) Harmony College-East (HCE) in June at McDaniel College in Westminster, MD.  Deans for that school were AACC members, Bill Colosimo and Sheryl Berlin.  Several other members were faculty and several of our quartets were there for coaching help prior to going to Cleveland. The quartets also were part of the great shows each evening of the school. Any members can attend HCE so mark the calendar for June 12-15, 2025, for a terrific opportunity for coaching, classes and barbershop harmony experiences. 

 

Continuing on the chapter meeting report: Joe discussed the fall show (Sep. 2021, at Bishop Ireton High School, 201 Cambridge Rd, Alexandria).  The repertoire for the choruses will feature current music with the addition of five international-qualifying quartets. These quartets (in no particular order) include BETTER TOGETHER (Tony Colossimo, Andrew Haven and their wives); PRAXIS (Lance Fisher and David Breen); SWEET AND SOUR (Samantha and Mert Tramack); MIXTAPE (Cy Wood); and local Baltimore quartet PRATT STREET POWER. 

 

Joe also mentioned that the holiday show will be performed twice (December 14 & 15) in late afternoon performances at Fairlington United Methodist Church (last December’s venue). The earlier time allows for a holiday afterglow for the choruses. 

Rehearsals for August include Aug. 13 at AlexRenew, Aug. 20 at Beth El, and Aug. 27 at Beth El – which is also Guest Night for AACC. All members should invite a prospective singer – maybe even bring them to the venue. 

 

Following Joe’s announcements, the two ensembles rehearsed their music until time for business.

 

First announcement from membership chair, Jacob Broude, was the creation of specified Slack channels for the sharing of common interests and building community. Becca Williams led an icebreaker where all members mimed their interests to locate their Slack-channel soul mates to predictably comedic effect. 

 

Jacob then announced the approved AACC (Harmonizer, Metro Voices, Capital Force and Vintage Blend) logos and branding color palette. These will be the AACC official identification going forward. although the Alexandria Harmonizer crest (and the 76-year historical record) remains active and the basis upon which we build going forward. 

 

Jacob introduced five returning guests (Brenden White, Adele Jones, Daniel Huitt, Ben Raja, and Josh Berenhaus); and welcomed eight first timers (Scott Dano, Ian Trent, Mallory Waters, Kathryn Martucci, Kyle Shutt, Neal Connors, Suranjan Sen, Shristi Nadkrni, and Spoorthi Nadkarni)! The members enthusiastically rang out the chapter’s “Welcome Song” with Maggie McAlexander’s able direction.

 

After business, the ensembles returned to rehearsal and the Harmonizers watched the video recording of the set from Cleveland. For many it was the first real appreciation for the visual impact of the treble trio and an opportunity to see the performance from the audience perspective. 

 

Joe commented on the shared pride of all the coaches who helped prepare the Harmonizers, to include: Dave Wright, Kevin Keller, Steve Tramack, Cy Wood and Dave McEachern, whose 11^th hour visit in Cleveland put the performers in peak preparation. Another honorable mention, enthusiastically seconded by Cleveland participants, went to Jason Lee for his inspiring warm-ups that really helped mentally prepare the chorus for competition. 

 

He also noted that the AACC is now fully recovered from the COVID period and back to anticipation of future activities to include having already chosen (but not announcing) the competition set for BHS International 2026. In all, an exciting evening of news and anticipation.

 

Following run through of the Cleveland competition set by the Harmonizers, particularly to familiarize those who did not perform in Cleveland, the ensembles rejoined for 50-50 and closed the evening with “Keep the Whole World Singing” led by Kevin  Mendez. 

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 76^th year of the Alexandria Chapter. - YeEd)

 

The Chapter Mission Statement Enriching lives through vocal harmony in the greater DC area.