Looking Back on the Oct. 8, 2024 Alexandria Hybrid Chapter Meeting and Launch of Capital Force
The latest milestone event for the Alexandria Chapter was the launch of Capital Force – a youth chorus for students in grades 9-12. The launch was on Sunday, Oct. 6 at Fairlington Presbyterian Church, 3846 King Street in Alexandria, from 2:30-4:30 pm.
There were 13 youth singers who attended the launch event. Some of them were accompanied by their parents.
A team from the AACC musical leadership was on hand to manage the event. Tessa Walker is the main director for this ensemble. She was aided by Susan Fitzpatrick, Sheryl Berlin, Samantha Tramack, Maggie McAlexander, David Breen and Julien LeFlore.
The afternoon session started with welcoming and issuing of name tags, then warm up exercises for physical, mental and vocal. There were light refreshments for students and parents too. A quartet with David, Julian, Maggie andSamantha sang for the students. The music team helped Tessa with vocal placements and icebreaker activities.
All singers were given sheet music for “You Can’t Stop the Sun” and “It’s You I Like.” The singers worked in sectionals with Maggie for tenors, Tessa with leads, Samantha with baritones and Julian with basses. At the end of the rehearsal, Capital Force sang parts of both songs. The sound was great and the students, and parents too, were all excited!
The next session for Capital Force will be Sunday, Oct. 20th, 2:30-4:30 at Fairlington Presbyterian.
There was a previous version of Capital Force as a youth chorus in Alexandria, beginning in 2010 as best as Alan Wilecan recall. Tony Colosimo was the organizer and director. Administrator was Patrick Kim. Members were 30 years old or younger (Joe was a singer as was Kellen Hertz from the main chapter, and Alan’s 11-year-old grandson, Thomas Miller.). The youth chorus competed at the BHS midwinter conventions for evaluation only at Las Vegas in 2011, and at Orlando in 2013.
The Alexandria A Capella Collective meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 8 was at AlexRenew. Artistic director, Joe Cerutti, led the warm up sessions for both the Harmonizers and Metro Voices ensembles. He used a new vocal exercise for this warm up session. He welcomed Chuck Miller back to the meeting after she and her husband have returned to the DC area following a health scare; Jack Pitzer also back after a recent stroke; and former active members Rich Payton and Jimmy Miotto.
Joe also acknowledged the successful 2024 launch of Capital Force with kudos to Tessa Walker, their director. He also expressed his appreciation to those who sang and coordinated the recent appearance of the chorus at Art on the Avenue.
He was excited to announced a harmony fellowship event, MAD TAGS, set for Saturday, Oct. 26, starting at 3 pm and ending when the tag singers fade! It will be at Honey’s Harvest Farm in Lothian MD. There will be a food truck. Cost is $35 per person. Organizers of this fun singing event include Bob Bates, David Wilt, David Breen, Steve White, andTony and Elizabeth Colosimo. It is also possible to get a room at the event.
Before announcements, the two ensembles met separately, they worked in sectionals on “Gloria” for the holiday show list, then came together to sing it.
The following announcements and reminders were made by chapter leaders:
Next week's rehearsal on Oct. 15 will be at Beth El Synagogue.
Terry Reynolds encouraged members to sign up to sing for the Honors Flight performance. Songs for that appearance were rehearsed after this week’s meeting. Harmonizers performing at Reagan National Airport for Honor Flights on Oct. 19 will only need to provide their full name and date of birth beforehand to get through security that morning. We will sing “Armed Forces Medley” and ‘God Bless America” and sheet music will be available for those who need to use it.
Membership director, Jacob Broude, welcomed new AACC member, Katie Raimonde to Metro Voices!
Returning guests were Josh Berenhaus and Rob Santine. First-time guests were Dan, Caleb and Lewis Jacobson (Dad is Dan), and Nerissa Yui. Terry Reynolds directed the “Welcome Song” for guests.
After the business session, Joe shared his excitement for another men’s fellowship for the Harmonizers with Alfred Street Men’s Choir from Alfred Street Baptist. The gathering will be at their church next Wed, Oct. 16 (Joe says if you can only make it to one event next week, come to the church). They are great hosts and offer refreshments after the singing. Both groups will sing two songs the Harmonizers will sing “Calling Dreams” and “Sit Down You’re Rockin the Boat” and we will teach them “Keep the Whole World Singing.”
For the rest of the evening, both ensembles worked on the holiday show repertoire songs.
A REMINDER FOR ALL MEMBERS: The Alexandria Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society will hold its annual meeting on Tuesday, October 15, as part of our Tuesday night rehearsal. Rehearsal will begin at 7pm.There will be one item on the agenda: to elect the 2025 Chapter Board of Directors. The slate, as selected by the nominating committee and accepted by the president, is as follows:
- President: Craig Kujawa
- Vice President: Ashley Merryman
- Secretary: Cy Shuster
- Treasurer: Terry Reynolds
- Member at large: Carolyn Griffin
- Member at large: Mary Cooper
- Member at large: Michael Berkson
- Member at large: Betsy Mullins
- Member at large: Cody Leihgeber-Carpenter
I encourage all members, whether currently active with the choruses or not, to attend in person to help ensure the presence of a quorum. (Besides, we miss you and we’d love to see you.) Noah Van Gilder
President, Alexandria A Cappella Collective (Alexandria Chapter, BHS)
In other news, the AACC ensembles sang at Art on the Avenue, Sat, Oct. 5, the annual multicultural arts festival on Mount Vernon Avenue in the historic Del Ray neighborhood. A large crowd enjoying the beautiful weather and variety of events stopped by to listen to Metro Voices, the Harmonizers and the combined AACC chorus.
E.J. Herold, Chad Ross and an ample crew of volunteers had the risers unloaded by 2:05 when Maggie McAlexandercalled singers for warm up in the gymnasium of the Mount Vernon Recreation Center.
Several members travelled by metro and shuttle; others Uber and a few by bicycle. Many had a good walk after parking some distance away. After warm-up, the choruses separated for final touches while the riser crew moved the risers to the stage and set them up immediately following the departure of the previous group.
Metro Voices sang “Happy Together,” “On the Wayside,” “Sing/Swing” and “After You Who” under the direction of Samantha Tramack and Maggie McAlexander. Harmonizers sang “Rockin’ the Boat,” “World Goes Round,” “Calling Dreams” and “New York New York” under the direction of Terry Reynolds. AACC combined sang “I’m Still Standing,” “Hey Jude” and “Why We Sing.” Thanks to Matt Ambler and Rick Savage for solos.
As program announcer, Terry Reynolds introduced the songs and plugged the startup of the youth chorus and plans for a seniors chorus. General manager, Susan Fitzgerald, was on hand to greet visitors and provide more information about joining the chorus, upcoming shows or other ways to support AACC. After the performance, several AACC members engaged with guests while others broke down the risers and loaded the truck. (Thanks to Don Harrington for this report from Arts on the Avenue.)
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 76th year of the Alexandria Chapter. - YeEd)
The Chapter Mission Statement Enriching lives through vocal harmony in the greater DC area.
