Looking Back on the April 22, 2025 Alexandria A Cappella Collective Chapter Meeting
This week’s meeting was a work session for new music and to bring the many new members up to date on songs to be sung for upcoming shows and paid gigs.
Associate director of the Harmonizers, Tony Colosimo, conducted a warm up session for the voice and the face for the combined chorus.
Artistic director, Joe Cerutti, welcomed everyone and expressed his appreciation for those who did the sing out in Olde Town, and offered his congratulations to the development team for the success of spring2ACTion.
Joe explained some of the plans for the One Voice choral festival in Alexandria on Friday, May 9 at 7 pm. During announcements, Megan from the Alexandria Choral Society who is hosting the event, came to our chapter meeting to pass out flyers and welcome our chapter as one of the eight ensembles who will compose the 480 singers. It is the first-ever city wide choral festival for Alexandria. AACC call time will be 5 pm on May 9 – plan ahead for this early Friday evening call time. AACC will sing “I’m Still Standing” and “Defying Gravity” with Samantha’s solo, plus three songs that all choral groups will sing together. AACC will wear their semiformal uniform. See Becca Williams for more details if needed.
Next week, AACC will meet again at AlexRenew; then on Tues. May 6, there will be a dress rehearsal at Schlesinger at 7 pm. At this point, the AACC chorus worked on the songs for the May 9 event.
Chapter executive director, Stan Quick, coordinated a brief business meeting this week. Tyler Carpenter distributed ballcaps recently ordered by members with one of the chapter logos – AACC, Harmonizers or Metro Voices. He also filled in as membership coordinator this week and introduced guests. First time singer was Devin Turner. Returning guests were Leah Bernstein, Shira Perlmutter and Donald Medor. Jackson Byrd and Heidi Brown were given their names tags as our newest members. Assistant Harmonizer director, Jason Lee, directed the chapter’s “Welcome Song.”
At this point in the evening, Metro Voices and the Harmonizers worked separately on their music. Samantha Tramack and Maggie McAlexander shared tips on how to learn new music with Metro Voices members. Their ensemble also held a good discussion about learning and preparing for appearances as an individual and as an ensemble. Joe pushed hard to tighten up the vowel production on some songs the Harmonizers are singing.
Four AACC members are providing the barbershop quartet for a “Music Man” performance at Dominion High School this weekend – Mireille Kouagou, Zak Sandler, Joel Golden and Calvin Schnure.
Joe extended congratulations from the chapter to Tuner Arndt who was engaged recently to Jessica Hale.
Joe also recognized the passing of Jim Clancy, longtime director of the Dallas Vocal Majority. Jim was 88 and was their director when they earned their 12 gold chorus medals. He was a friend of the Harmonizers and was guest speaker for our Togetherness Dinner at an International Convention in the 1980s. He worked as a jingle writer and also was a prolific arranger – the Harmonizers still sing a few of his arrangements such as the beautiful “Silent Night” we use during the holidays. Their chorus was in DC to visit with us and do a show at Constitution Hall is 1987. Joe encouraged our newer members to check out some of the VM recordings that are standards for the hobby.
The deadline to join the chapter’s International trip to Ireland is May 31. See Brad Jones ASAP if interested.
Alan Wile coordinates the weekly 50/50 drawing – a ticket holder gets half and the other half is donated to the Mid Atlantic Endowment Fund in the name of the Alexandria Chapter. Jason Lee directed “Keep The Whole World Singing” to wrap up the meeting prior to adjourning to the Hamro House for afterglow.
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.
