Looking Back on the March 20-21, 2026 Division Convention and Contest with AACC Members Success

 Looking Back on the March 20-21, 2026 Division Convention and Contest with AACC Members Success

The 2026 Southern Division and Central Division contests/conventions for the Mid-Atlantic District (M-AD) were combined for a great event on March 20-21 at the Towson University Performing Arts Center in Towson. (The AACC is in the Southern Division of M-AD.) Neither the Harmonizers nor Metro Voices competed in the chorus contest, but there were ten quartets in the contest with active AACC members and several with former members! There were 30 quartets registered for the first round on Friday night.

The list of quartets with active AACC members included: BELTWAY with Rob Santine, Kevin Mendez, Josh Myers and Ryan Mextorf; SIDE HUSTLE with Tanner Perdue, Matt Darouse, Ian Trent and Cooper Schwartz; MENTAL NOTE with Jeffrey Mauro, Scott Beach, Jerry Candrelli and Mike Geipel (this quartet had to scratch on Friday night as the tenor was ill); SENTIMENTAL with Rob Santine, Lance Fisher, Josh Myers, and David Breen; INSTAGRAMPS with Rob Seay, Rick Taylor, Jay Butterfield and Steve White; FIRST TAKE with Alex Corson, Tony Colosimo, Drew Wheaton, and Andrew Havens; BREAKTHROUGH with Mike Fasano, Jordan Zimmerman, Jason Lee and Ken White; GQ with Amanda Saudroni, Katheryn Gillis, Ali Houser and Samantha Tramack; BETTER TOGETHER with Elizabeth and Tony Colosimo, and Heather and Andrew Havens; and SUPERNOVA with Maggie McAlexander, Tessa Walker. Serena Davis and Amanda Pitts.

Former members in quartets included Will Daniel Simmons in SECRET BEST FRIENDS; Garry Von Lehn in Remnant; Bob Hirsh in CAPITAL CLASSICS; and Jim Lake in SURPRISINGLY COMPETENT. 

Southern Division champ quartet was BETTER TOGETHER, second place was SUPERNOVA, and third place was BELTWAY. INSTAGRAMPS was declared Southern Division Senior Quartet Champ.

The Saturday night finals round was for those quartets hoping to qualify for the International contest in July and six AACC groups made it into that round. Some quartets automatically qualified for St. Louis (with more being named after the other qualification contests are held around the Society including GQ, FIRST TAKE and SECRET BEST FRIENDS.  

Although AACC ensembles did not compete in the chorus contest, there were a number of AACC members involved as directors or singers around the district: David DesPortes sang with Rittenhouse Chorus; Bob Arbetter sang with Old Dominion; Bob Mathes sang with Dundalk; Mike Wallen directed Richmond and Scott Beach, Mike Geipel, Jerry Candrilli. Bob Wilson and Clark Chesser sang with Richmond; Kris Zinkievich directed and Biff Gaut, Tim Buell, Bob Hirsh and Logan Glauser sang with Heart of Maryland; Julian LeFore directed True North Chorus that place second in the Central Division Chorus contest; Garry Von Lehn sang with the Catoctones; Jim Lake and Bob Hirshsang with DC; and Sean Devine was co-director of the Dream Chorus. 

The Virginians from Richmond were named Southern Division chorus champions. 

Anyone who wants more detail of scores, go to midatlanticdistrict.com, click on events and follow the trail to scores from these contests. 

As you might expect there were a number of AACC members involved as M-AD leaders and event staff for the weekend. Ken Rub was production stage manager for the contest weekend with several BHS members as helpers including Patricia Chow from AACC. Mike Kelly headed up audio video and tech matters. Mike Fasano is executive vice president of the M-AD and helped with the stage operation.  Other AACC members on the M-AD board besides Mike include Dave Welter, treasurer and Sheryl Berlin, board member at large. 

A good number of members and family and friends attended to cheer and support the contestants this year including a number of long-time members and many new members and their families.  

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

 

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