Looking Back on the May 30, 2023 Alexandria Put Together Quartet Contest

 Looking Back on the May 30, 2023 Alexandria Put Together Quartet Contest 

 

Members of the Alexandria Chapter had a fun time at this week’s meeting with the Put Together Quartet Contest and Chapter Awards presentation.

 

To get things started, associate director of the Harmonizers, Tony Colosimo, conducted a warm up session for the combined ensembles in the auditorium on the risers – to get all the singers ready for the contest.

 

Administrator Terry Reynolds made a few announcements with details about next week’s music work plan and an outline of how this week’s schedule would work.  He also reported that Michael Berkson will conduct Slack webinars/office hours over the next week! Michael sent out a follow-up email with details on how to sign up. 

 

Chapter president Noah Van Gilder then presented the annual service awards for 2022 (he did acknowledge that this presentation was a little later than normal).  A complete report of the award recipients will follow this report in a day or two.

 

After the awards ceremony, there was an extended break so quartets could warm up and be ready to perform.

 

Chairman for this year’s Put Together Quartet Contest was Tyler Carpenter who announced the order of appearance before the break started and the contest stage was set up.

 

Emcee for the contest was Kevin Mendez.  Jack Pitzer was secretary for the judging panel and introduced this year’s panel of five members we don’t see often.  Sam Brothers was in the front row for ten years.  FOUR MAN VOCAL BAND quartet filled the rest of the judging panel spots. The quartet name was first established in about 1975 with Randy Lazear, Rick Savage, Alan Durick and Rick Loveland.  The name was created one night at a Geno’s afterglow. (Rick brought the paper napkin that was used to note the new quartet name.). Randy still sings tenor. Bob Bates sings lead. Larry Walker is baritone and Dave Cureton is bass. The quartet meets weekly and has continued to meet and sing for over 20 years.   

 

After the contest ended and while the scores were tabulated, FOUR MAN VOCAL BAND sang two songs including one called “New Math” to explain how they had created their scores!

 

This year’s contest had seventeen quartets! There were combinations of singers from the Harmonizers and from Metro Voices.  There were three categories of performances – regular or traditional song, a comedy number, or a tag – which was a new category for this contest. Winning quartet singers were each presented a medal with a red, white and blue neck strap. Tyler announced the winners and presented the medals.

 

First place quartet for comedy was DOOT WHOPPERS with Cy Shuster, Calvin Schnure, Joel Golden and Rob Barnovsky.  Second place was JOE, RICK AND THE NELLIES with Joe Cerutti, Rick Savage, Ken Rub and Matt Ambler.

 

First place tag quartet was FOUNDING FATHERS with Tessa Walker, Kaj Vaisanen, Maggie McAlexander andJason Lee.  Second place was FOUR STAND INS with Maggie McAlexander, Josh Myers, David Breen and Kevin Mendez. Third place was ONE HIT WONDER with Elisabeth Cosh, Sheryl Berlin, Sophie Clarke and Mary Cooper. 

 

First place traditional quartet was ILLUMINATED NOCHES with Josh Myers, Devin Gerzof, Lance Fisher andDavid Breen.  Second place was THIRD TAKE with Jason Lee, Lance Fisher, Josh Myers and David Breen. Third place was WHY WE SING with Michael Berkson, Jason Lee, Maggie McAlexander and Turner Arndt.  

 

Tyler presented a ribbon to David Breen who sang in the most quartets in the contest!

 

After the winners were announced, artistic director Joe Cerutti thanked Tyler and all the contestants. After the 50/50 drawing, Joe welcomed everyone to come to the afterglow at the Harmo House for pizza and more tag singing.  He wrapped up the fun evening with “Keep the Whole World Singing.” 

 

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 74^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 May 28, 2023 Community Sing and Harmonizer Recognition of Military Appreciation Month

 Looking Back on the May 28, 2023 Community Sing and Harmonizer Recognition of Military Appreciation Month

The Alexandria Chapter held a community sing in recognition of Military Appreciation Month on Sunday, May 28, 2023, at The Bike Club in Alexandria from 3-5 pm. Special guests were Mo Field and Amelia Charnock of Beatles-A-Day pandemic fame. When the Pandemic hit, they came up with the idea to record and post a Beatles song every day.  It was a success and they continued to post 600 times!

Members, families and music friends filled the space and cheered and sang on Sunday. 

Emcee was Joe Cerutti, chapter artistic director.  He welcomed the crowd and introduced the guest singers who had driven to Alexandria from Toronto. Amelia and Mo (with her guitar) coaxed everyone to get into singing and playing their “instruments” that were issued to everyone – sticks, kazoos, egg shakers, tambourines. 

Singers who needed lyrics looked them up on Google as needed.  

There were trivia questions and some of those in the crowd were Beatles fans and knew answers about album covers, songs released on which album, or details about the individual Beatles. Some Harmonizers knew most of the answers!

After the first sing-along set, the chapter did a tribute to veterans during this special month.  An ensemble of Harmonizers sang “Armed Forces Medley” – Rick Savage, Kellen Hertz, Gary Cregan, Carl Kauffmann, Frank Fedarko, David Welter, Terry Reynolds, Ken Rub, Frank Shipp, Howard Nestlerode, Dean Rust, and Clyde Crusenberry.  All attendees were welcome to stand or wave when “their song” was sung.

Joe shared the moving story of the chapter’s trip to Normandy, France, and to Les Ventes, France, to honor Billie Harris and meet his widow, Peggy.

Dean Rust was the major organizer for the event with help from general manager, Susan Fitzpatrick and Joe.  Kaj Vaisanen, the chapter’s summer intern and Susan staffed the complimentary bar.  There were cheese and meat platters for refreshments too. The staff at The Bike Club helped with audio visual issues. 

The Alexandria chapter gratefully acknowledges the program support it receives from the Commission for the Arts of Alexandria, Virginia. Partial funding for performances is provided by the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.

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 74^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 May 23, 2023 Alexandria Hybrid Chapter Meeting

 Looking Back on the May 23, 2023 Alexandria Hybrid Chapter Meeting

The Alexandria Chapter meeting this week for the Harmonizers and Metro Voices was a busy one with a good number of singers present.  Associate director of the Harmonizers, Tony Colosimo, conducted the warm up session for the combined ensembles in the auditorium on the risers.

Artistic director Joe Cerutti was just off the plane from Germany where he was a judge for Barbershop in Germany (BinG) contest. He was happy to welcome Dave Ermlick and Adam Afifi back to the risers. 

Joe prompted the chapter members to get the free tickets for the sing-along on Sunday, May 28, 3-5 pm at The Bike Club in Old Town – 99 Canal Center Plaza #110.  Dean Rust has also organized a tribute event to honor veterans at that event.  A group of Harmonizers will sing “Armed Forces Medley” to recognize our special guests.  The sing-along will be hosted by Mo and Amelia with lots of Beatles songs.  Mo Field was a coach for the chapter a few years ago.

He also added another major event to the chapter’s schedule – the Mid Atlantic District (M-AD) fall contest and convention will be the weekend of Sept. 29-30 in York, PA.  Both ensembles will compete there. Members should add these dates to their calendar and stay tuned for more details.

Joe encouraged participation in the annual Put Together Quartet contest which will be next Tuesday night, May 30, at SRT – he even offered to sing with any contestants that need a fourth.   Quartets are encouraged to form and prepare a traditional song, a comedy number or even a tag. Guest judges will choose winners that will be given trophies! Registered quartet singers can compete but have to sing a different part in this contest.  Tyler Carpenter is coordinator and he offers to “put together” a quartet for anyone who wants to sing but does not have a quartet yet. Singers from both ensembles are encouraged to enter this fun chapter contest. (Word leaked out that Metro Voices will have several entries!). 

Finally Joe lead the applause to recognize May birthdays in the chapter for Jorge Acevedo-Gierbolini, Scott Beach, Geoff Berman, Vinny Capaccio, Will Cox, Mike Geipel, Mark Klostermeyer, Nick Murane, Craig Odell, David Reyno, Bob Rhome, Zak Sandler, Tessa Walker, Johan Westberg, Doug White, and several Metro Voices singers.

Both ensembles worked on “Why We Sing” to start the night.  (Joe thanked Brian Ammerman for serving as the “pitchman” for the chorus. After a while, riser ready singers stayed on the risers and all others sang from their seats in the auditorium. Everyone was encouraged to take notes on their music during this work session.  Singers returned to the risers with a chance to self-record in order to seek comments from music team leaders.

Communications director Steve Murane hosted the chapter’s business session.  Sheryl Berlin, chapter education director and dean of the M-AD Harmony College East, encouraged singers to attend the event the weekend after our retreat back up at McDaniel College. 

 

President Noah Van Gilder also announced that the chapter will present the annual awards at the May 30^th meeting. He also announced that our COVID committee will stand down and the chapter will end vaccine requirements for attendance, but they do encourage members to stay home if they are sick for any reason. Noah thanked the committee chaired by Jason Lee for their dedicated service.  The chapter members responded with their applause as thanks.

Steve reminded attendees to sign up by June 1 to attend the 75^th anniversary party on Tuesday, June 20 at SRT. This special evening will include some singing by the chapter; remarks from several special guests from the BHS; displays created by the chapter’s history team; special Diamond Honor Awards presented to just a few members who have provided exceptional services to the chapter over the years; a video history to enjoy; plus refreshments and an anniversary cake cutting ceremony and entertainment from BETTER TOGETHER. Carl and Cathy Kauffmann have organized the event on behalf of the 75^th anniversary committee. 

Steve reminded members that they should pay their fee for the chapter retreat by 8 pm on May 30^. The annual chorus retreat is June 9-11 at McDaniel College in Westminster, MD. Both ensembles will attend. Housing will be in campus space and the retreat will be in the student building where the meals will be served and where the Saturday night party will be held. There are options to commute too.Craig Kujawa, contest director, is coordinator. (See the May 21^stRetreat Newsletter from Craig about how to request rooming groups and learn of other details.) Coaches for this year’s retreat will be David McEachern from Toronto, and Rick Spencer from Nashville. Arrival is Friday evening and departure is Sunday noon.  

Membership director Jacob Broude welcomed returning guests James McCament, Lenna Jawdat, Kevin Mendez and Jamie Patricia.  First time guests were Ali and Haya who heard us last week when we sang in Old Town. Terry Reynolds directed the chapter “Welcome Song.”

At this point the Metro Voices adjourned to the cafeteria to work on their songs.

The Harmonizers remained in the auditorium and before they worked on their songs, Jacob welcome two new members – tenor Edgar Blancas and bari John Taber. Each was given his new Harmo black camp shirt.

Song work began with “Sit Down You’re Rockin the Boat’ and then on the new song “Calling Dreams” with duets of bass and bari, and lead and tenor before full chorus. 

The singing part of the evening ended with “I’m the Music Man.”  Terry alerted singers that the next new song will be “San Francisco” and it is already on Groupanizer.

 

Joe took a count for afterglow pizza, and directed “Keep the Whole World Singing” after Dennis Ritchey won the 50/50 drawing!

In other chapter news: the interment of Royal Geis at Arlington Cemetery will be on June 12 at 1 pm.  The Harmonizers will sing “I’ll Walk With God’ and “I’ll Be Seeing You.”

 

Chapter leaders received word that cremains of Terry Jordan were recently placed at the burial location with his widow, Ginger, in his beloved Dunbar, West Virginia, by family members. 

The chapter meeting on Tuesday, June 13, will begin at Alexandria City Hall with both ensembles singing for the City Council at 7 pm in their chamber. The mayor will recognize the chapter’s 75^th anniversary. Following that performance, the chapter will reconvene at SRT.

On July 1, there will be a chorus sing with the HEAVY MEDAL chorus, our Barbershop in Germany (BinG) guests. Their members will stay in the homes of our chapter members. The performance will be at the George Washington Masonic Memorial. The BinG chorus in on its way to the International BHS convention in Louisville the next week. 

On Saturday, May 20, operations director Gary Cregan, with help from Randall Eliason, Terry Reynolds, Kaj Vaisanen, Stan Quick, Dean Rust and Jack Pitzer loaded the Harmo truck to move chapter equipment, holiday decorations and uniforms from a Woodbridge storage space to a new unit on South Picket St. in Alexandria, VA.

Birthday celebrations continued at the afterglow in the Harmo House.  There were several guests there to meet other members.

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 74^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 May 16, 2023 Alexandria Sing in Old Town

 Looking Back on the May 16, 2023 Alexandria Sing in Old Town 

Both ensembles of the Alexandria Chapter met at Market Square in Old Town Alexandria at 7 pm this week.  The plan was to sing at the Square and then stroll down King Street and sing where ever there was a crowd, with a goal to sing at the Torpedo Factory steps. This week’s event is part of the chapter’s outreach efforts. The last sing was at the water’s edge at the end of King Street.

The Harmonizers sang “I’m the Music Man” and “Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat.”  Metro Voices sang “It Don’t Mean a Thing.” The two groups combined to do “Why We Sing.”

Weather was a possible threat, but chapter leaders promised a 5 pm alert as to ‘go or no go’ for the sing out and so we did sing – with a few drops of rain at the start. Harmonizer associate director Tony Colosimo and Metro Voices director Tessa Walker directed the songs. Tony welcomed listeners to consider joining us in the future.

Walt Page and Jack Pitzer passed out newly created info cards to the audiences with info on one side about how singers could join the chapter, and on the other side was info on how to find out about shows for the chapter. Chapter general manager, Susan Fitzpatrick, created the cards with the 75^th anniversary logo. 

Terry Reynolds welcomed Rick Taylor and Perry White from Harmony Foundation who were in town, and Ellen Dellert, a long-time fan of the chorus. 

An afterglow gathering was at Chadwick’s after the choruses had sung along King Street.

Terry also had a printed note for each singer with the following reminders of upcoming chapter events:

Sunday, May 28, singers are invited to gather at The Bike Club in Old Town for a 3-5 pm session to enjoy Beatles-a-Day with Mo and Amelia. The chapter will also welcome Veterans for this Memorial Day Weekend and an ensemble of Harmonizers will sing the “Armed Forces Medley.” 

The annual chorus retreat is June 9-11 at McDaniel College in Westminster, MD. Both ensembles will attend. Housing will be in campus space and the retreat will be in the student building where the meals will be served and where the Saturday night party will be held. The registration deadline was Tuesday – although there is likely a way to attend if a singer missed a deadline. There are options to commute too.  Craig Kujawa, contest director, is coordinator. Coaches for this year’s retreat will be David McEachern from Toronto, and Rick Spencer from Nashville. Arrival is Friday evening and departure is Sunday noon.  

The interment of Royal Geis at Arlington Cemetery will be on June 12 at 1 pm.  The Harmonizers will sing “I’ll Walk With God’ and “I’ll Be Seeing You.” 

The chapter meeting on Tuesday, June 13, will begin at Alexandria City Hall with the choruses singing for the City Council at 7 pm in their chamber. The mayor will recognize the chapter’s 75^th anniversary. Following that performance, the chapter will reconvene at SRT.

The chapter’s 75^th anniversary celebration on Tuesday night at SRT. This special evening will include some singing by the chapter; remarks from several special guests from the BHS; displays created by the chapter’s history team; special Diamond Honor Awards presented to just a few members who have provided exceptional services to the chapter over the years; a video history to enjoy; plus refreshments and an anniversary cake cutting ceremony and entertainment from BETTER TOGETHER. Carl and Cathy Kauffmann have organized the event on behalf of the 75^th anniversary committee. 

On July 1, there will be a chorus sing with the HEAVY MEDAL chorus, our Barbershop in Germany (BinG) guests. Their members will stay in the homes of our chapter members. The performance will be at the George Washington Masonic Memorial. The BinG chorus in on its way to the International BHS convention in Louisville the next week. 

Saturday, May 20 is a work day for the chapter.  Operations director Gary Cregan has found a more convenient and less expensive storage unit for the chapter’s ‘things.’  The move day is Saturday May 20.  A good-sized crew is needed for this effort. Please let Gary know if you can help – operations@harmonizers.org. Starting crews will meet at 14123 Jefferson Davis Highway in Woodbridge at 8 am. The new unit work will done at 880 South Picket St. in Alexandria, VA 22304.

The annual Put Together Quartet contest will be Tuesday night, May 30, at SRT.  Quartets are encouraged to form and prepare a traditional song, a comedy number or even a tag or two. Guest judges will choose winners that will be given trophies! Registered quartet singers can compete but have to sing a different part in this contest.  Tyler Carpenter is coordinator and he offers to “put together” a quartet for anyone who wants to sing but does not have a quartet yet. Singers from both ensembles are encouraged to enter this fun chapter contest.

In other Harmonizer family news, congratulations to Jacob Broude who was married the first weekend of May to Isabella.

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 74^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 May 6, 2023 Alexandria Crawfish Boil, May 9 Hybrid Chapter Meeting

 Looking Back on the May 6, 2023 Alexandria Crawfish Boil, May 9 Hybrid Chapter Meeting

The Alexandria Chapter had a busy week starting with the crawfish boil on May 6 and then a full night of singing on Tuesday May 9 at Scottish Rite Temple (SRT). Both ensembles participated 

Ken Rub, chapter development coordinator, organized the Boil at the Harmo House.  All members were invited.  Those members that  raised at least $250 during S2A, were free.  If not, it was just $10 per person. The weather was great, the patio and deck were a great place to visit and enjoy the goodies. Hosts Joe and our intern Kaj had games out front.  Joegrilled burgers, brats and sausages for those who wanted the alternative protein.  The cold drinks were great on a warm Saturday afternoon. Scott Kahler came from New Orleans to be the chef for the crawfish boil. The chapter members consumed about 60 pounds of crawfish that was flown to Alexandria that morning.  It was boiled with celery, onions, mushrooms, potatoes, corn, garlics, sausage and lots of spices.  When the pot was ready, it was drained and the goodies poured out onto a paper-covered table for folks to gather round and feast!  It was also Kentucky Derby day, so at 7 pm folks gathered round the TVs to watch. 

For Tuesday night’s meeting on May 9, Maggie McAlexander did the vocal warm up session for the combined ensembles on the risers in the auditorium at SRT.  One exercise she used was “pizza is great – I can’t believe how many pieces that I ate!”

When artistic director Joe Cerutti took over, he apologized for needing to talk so much but there are many chapter events on the calendar for the next few weeks.

First event – Tuesday, May 16, the chapter will meet at Market Square at 7 pm.  Then sing on the steps there before strolling down King Street ending in the Torpedo Factory area for another sing on the steps there.  No doubt there will be impromptu sings along the way.  We will pass out contact cards to listeners about joining the chapter or coming to hear us sing, or to hire us to perform. The evening will end with an informal gathering is an Old Town ‘watering hole’ nearby. There will not be any meeting at SRT that night. Harmonizers will wear their black camp shirts.

Second event – on Sunday, May 28, singers are invited to gather at The Bike Club in Old Town for a 3-5 pm session to enjoy Beatles-a-Day with Mo and Amelia. The chapter will also welcome Veterans for this Memorial Day Weekend and an ensemble of Harmonizers will sing the “Armed Forces Medley.” 

Third event – the annual chorus retreat is June 9-11 at McDaniel College in Westminster, MD. Both ensembles will attend. Housing will be in campus space and the retreat will be in the student building where the meals will be served and where the Saturday night party will be held. The registration deadline was Tuesday – although there is likely a way to attend if a singer missed a deadline. There are options to commute too.  Craig Kujawa, contest director, is coordinator. Coaches for this year’s retreat will be David McEachern from Toronto, and Rick Spencer from Nashville. Arrival is Friday evening and departure is Sunday noon.  

Fourth event – interment of Royal Geis at Arlington Cemetery at 1 pm.  The Harmonizers will sing “I’ll Walk With God’ and “I’ll Be Seeing You.” 

Fifth event – the chapter meeting on Tuesday, June 13, will begin at Alexandria City Hall with the choruses singing for the City Council at 7 pm in their chamber. The mayor will recognize the chapter’s 75^th anniversary. Following that performance, the chapter will reconvene at SRT.

Sixth event – the chapter’s 75^th anniversary celebration on Tuesday night at SRT. This special evening will include  some singing by the chapter; remarks from several special guests from the BHS; displays created by the chapter’s history team; special Diamond Honor Awards presented to just a few members who have provided exceptional services to the chapter over the years; a video history to enjoy; plus refreshments and an anniversary cake cutting ceremony and entertainment from BETTER TOGETHER. Carl and Cathy Kauffmann have organized the event on behalf of the 75^thanniversary committee. 

Seventh event – July 1, there will be a chorus sing with the HEAVY MEDAL chorus, our Barbershop in Germany (BinG) guests. Their members will stay in the homes of our chapter members. The performance will be at the George Washington Masonic Memorial. The BinG chorus in on its way to the International BHS convention in Louisville the next week. 

Eighth event – May 20 is a work day for the chapter.  Operations director Gary Cregan has found a more convenient and less expensive storage unit for the chapter’s ‘things.’  The move day is Saturday May 20.  A good-sized crew is needed for this effort. Please let Gary know if you can help – operations@harmonizers.org. Starting crews will meet at 14123 Jefferson Davis Highway in Woodbridge at 8 am. The new unit work will done at 880 South Picket St. in Alexandria, VA 22304.

Nineth event – the annual Put Together Quartet contest will be Tuesday night, May 30, at SRT.  Quartets are encouraged to form and prepare a traditional song, a comedy number or even a tag or two. Guest judges will choose winners that will be given trophies! Registered quartet singers can compete but have to sing a different part in this contest.  Tyler Carpenter is coordinator and he offers to “put together” a quartet for anyone who wants to sing but does not have a quartet yet. Singers from both ensembles are encouraged to enter this fun chapter contest.

Singing started with both ensembles working on “Why We Sing.” Some of this rehearsal time was for ‘riser ready’ singers with others observing and listening to Joe coach them.  Then he invited everyone back onto the risers. 

The chapter business session was coordinated by communications director Steve Murane. He extended an invite from chapter education director, Sheryl Berlin, for barbershoppers to attend the M-AD Harmony College East on June 15-18 at McDaniel College. Sign up at midatlanticdistrict.com.

Michael Berkson encouraged members to “sing on” to the new communications platform the chapter is using – SLAK.

Membership director Jacob Broude welcome this week’s guests: returnees Edgar Blancas, Todd Minners, John Taber, Jamie Patricia and Lenna Jawdat; and first time guest James McCament.  Terry Reynolds directed the “Harmonizer Welcome Song.”

After a ten-minute break, Metro Voices adjourned to the steps in front of SRT to begin their session. They worked on “It Don’t Mean a Thing,” “If I Were a Bell,” and “I Can See the Light.” 

The Harmonizers worked on “Calling Dreams.”  After sectional work, the guys returned to the risers where Joe worked with the chorus on this challenging new song.  He expressed his pleasure with the way the chorus was doing already on the song.

In other Harmonizer family news, Lew Klinge’s mother, Naomi, died in her sleep on May 6, in Iowa.  She was 97.  Our thoughts go to Lew and his family. 

The Harmonizers met with Metro Voices for the closing events – a reminder of some important deadlines, the 50/50 drawing won by Devin Gerzof, and “Keep the Whole World Singing” with Drew Fuller as director.

There was a good crowd at the afterglow from both ensembles.

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 74^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 May 2, 2023 Alexandria Hybrid Chapter Meeting

 Looking Back on the May 2, 2023 Alexandria Hybrid Chapter Meeting

The Alexandria Chapter meeting this week was for the Harmonizers and Metro Voices (MV) at Scottish Rite Temple (SRT). Artistic director Joe Cerutti did vocal warm ups for the combined ensembles on the full eleven sections of risers. (Thanks to the crew who came early to set up risers for both groups in the meeting place.) Associate director Tony Colosimo was coaching in Germany this week.

Both ensembles will meet next week too, and then on Tuesday, May 16, the whole chapter will gather at Market Square in Old Town and sing at the Square and at the Torpedo Factory and wherever else there are folks who would enjoy the music.  The evening will end with a social time in one of the spots in that part of town.

Joe was ecstatic about the successful Spring2ACTion and the $80,000 raised by all the members and their patrons – far exceeding the $75,000 goal. The best part of the story is that the members all worked together on this project. He also was happy about the fun and successful Cabaret – what talent! 

Members were also alerted about a June 13^th appearance at the Alexandria City Hall at 7 pm. The singers will report there sharply at 7 and sing for the Council and accept the Proclamation for our 75^th anniversary from the Mayor. The singers will depart City Hall and reassemble at SRT. 

Then on June 9-10, both ensembles will have a retreat at McDaniel College in Westminster, MD. Coaches for this year’s retreat will be David McEachern from Toronto, and Rick Spencer from Nashville. Members should be signing up for this important weekend. Arrival is Friday evening and departure is Sunday noon.  Housing and meals will be in the student housing area.

On Tuesday May 30^th, the chapter will hold its always-fun Put Together Quartet contest. Be on the lookout for details from Tyler Carpenter coordinator of the event. Members of both ensembles are encouraged to “put together” quartets for that night of fun.  Trophies will be awarded to the top places for a traditional barbershop song and the top places for a comedy number.  All a cappella. Surprise judges to be announced. 

At this point Metro Voices adjourned to the cafeteria to work on “Why We Sing” in small groups and their other songs.  

Joe thanked the Harmonizers for a terrific show in Newport News – the music was so consistently well sung. And the fellowship for the trip out-of-town was good too.

The Harmonizers began work on the new song commissioned for the Harmonizer’s 75^th anniversary, in memory of Sandy Stamps -“Calling Dreams.”  It is composed by fellow Harmonizer and noted barbershop arranger, Rasmus Krigstrom.   The section leaders met with their guys and after 20-minutes or so, the guys returned to the risers where Joe worked with the chorus on this challenging new song.  He expressed his pleasure with the way the chorus was doing already on the song.

The chapter business session was moderated by communications director Steve Murane.  Michael Berkson presented the upcoming plan for the whole chapter to switch to SLAK as a new communications platform. Michael will help instruct and guide the transition.  Many members are already familiar with SLAK from their work place. He can be reached at maberkson@gmail.com.

Ken Rub thanked everyone for the team effort for our fundraising push on Spring2ACTion. He saluted the members who had created their own fundraising accounts, and the five members who raised more the $1,000 – Frank Fedarko, Ken Rub, Stan Quick, Joe Cerutti and Randall Eliason. 

President Noah Van Gilder also recognized the successful event and particularly thanked development director Ken Rub for his leadership.

Chapter operations manager Gary Cregan announced the chapter is planning to consolidate the storage units we now rent into one and move to a new location at a lower cost. Work teams are needed for May 20^th. Stay tuned for details to sign up.

Ben Watsky substituted for membership director Jacob Broude and welcomed guests – Lana Jawdat and Stephanie Litt for Metro Voices, plus Nadiv Kaspi and Rocco Visconti for the Harmonizers. Recent guest John Taber was back this week from a trip to New Zealand. Edris Qarghah stopped in to see us – he lives in the Boston area now. Jamie Patricia was visiting again.  It was great to have Joel Golden back on the risers this week. Will Cox directed the “Harmonizer Welcome Song.”

In other Harmonizer family news, Steve White’s mother, Susan, died suddenly April 26^th in Elizabethtown, PA.  The family had just been with her the night before to celebrate her 92^nd birthday. Our thoughts go to Steve and his family. 

Ken Rub also announced the plans for this year’s Coronation 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 – quiche like will be served in England for the Coronation!  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 small groups 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 75^th anniversary.  The groups were conducted by Tessa Walker, Jason Lee, Ben Watsky, Lance Fisher and David Breen.  Following the small group work, Joe worked with the combined chorus. There were some members of both ensembles singing in all four of the SATB sections.

After the 50/50 drawing and the usual count for the pizza order at the afterglow, the chorus sang “Keep the Whole World Singing.”

There were a couple octets that sang after adjournment so members could record and submit their recordings for evaluation and then be riser ready next week for “Why We Sing.”

There was a good crowd at the afterglow from both ensembles.

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 74^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 April 26, 2023 Alexandria Spring2ACTion and Cabaret

 Looking Back on the April 26, 2023 Alexandria Spring2ACTion and Cabaret 

The Alexandria Chapter participation in the Alexandria Spring2ACTion was a huge success.

As reported by executive director Randall Eliason, thanks to efforts by chapter members in both the Harmonizer chorus and Metro Voices, we exceeded out $75.000 goal! 

 

There were two matching grants of $25,000. Our ambitious goal was to raise at least an additional $25,000 to trigger those matches and make our grand total $75,000 for our 75th year.

We are pleased to report that as of 8:30 am on April 28 (late donations continue to trickle in) our total is $78,035!

 

In addition, we won $1,250 in prize money for the day - $500 for the most donors during the Power Hour, $500 for the most money raised during the Power Hour, and $250 for 4th place for greatest number of donors for a medium-sized organization (321 donors). All this means that by the time a final donations roll in, we could be over $80,000 total for the day. 

 

More than 40 members created individual fundraising pages that resulted in donations, which is terrific. Thanks must go out to the great teamwork of chapter development director, Ken Rub; executive director Randall; and chapter general manager, Susan Fitzpatrick, who all worked to get out the messages to members, alumni and patrons of the chapter - many of whom made donations during the event. 

 

Finally, the Cabaret in the evening was a very fun event that showcased a lot of the remarkable talent we have within our organization. It was fun to be together as a “watch party” for the final tally on the donations! While we were there, the donations came in that put us over the $75K mark. It was a great way to round out the successful day. If you missed it, you won't want to miss it next year! 

 

Ken Rub and Will Whittaker were organizers (and bartenders) for the cabaret event at the Bike Club in north Alexandria. The taco bar was great and an easy way to serve a crowd. Drinks were available and seating was available around the stage for the show that featured members from both ensembles in the chapter. Carl Kauffmann helped manage the credit card sales at the bar.

 

Thanks to Joe Cerutti, Terry Reynolds, Tony Colosimo and Tessa Walker for organizing the show.  Tony’s choir friend, Paige Rammelkamp, was accompanist for most of the performers.  Alex Chen was emcee for the show. The helpful staff at the venue provided set up, including the stage, lights and sound.  Terry coordinated the Facebook Live coverage for the evening which had about 40 viewers during the evening. Randall monitored the donations and announced when we went over the $75,000!

 

The talented acts for the cabaret included the following:

 

Maggie McAlexander from Metro Voices sang “Arthur in the Afternoon” made popular by Lisa Minnelli.

 

Terry Reynolds sang “Popular” from Wicked with Joe Cerutti as his model.

 

Sophie Clarke from Metro Voices sang “Much More” from The Fantasticks.

 

Harmonizer intern, Kaj Vaisanen, who sings in a Barbershop in Germany youth chorus, performed “The Devil You Know.”

 

Joe and Tony sang a duet of “Lily’s Eyes” from The Secret Garden.

 

Zak Sandler played the piano and sang an original song about his new musical life singing lip trills in the Harmonizer chorus.  It was a great comedy piece!

 

David DesPortes dressed in formal tux with a cane to sing “On the Street Where You Live” from My Fair Lady. He sang a cappella.

 

Alex Pierce from Metro Voices sang “At Last” made famous by Etta James.

 

Tessa Walker joined with Julian LeFlore to perform “It Could Totally Happen” from Like You Like It.

 

Ebb Tide, the acoustic version of the Riptide rock band, played two numbers with band members  Kellen Hertz, Doug White, Joel Golden and Chris Huber.  They also played before the show started for the arriving crowd.

 

Maggie and Tony performed “Soon It’s Gonna Rain” from The Fantasticks.

 

David Breen sang “As Time Goes By” with Joe as his accompanist.

 

The final act was Matt Ambler and friends (Ben Watsky, Sophie Clarke and David Breen) performing “Nobody’s Side” from Chess. 

 

The event ran from 7-9 pm and the social time moved to the Harmo House to extend the afterglow fun. 

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 74^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 April 22, 2023 Harmonizer Show in Newport News, VA

 Looking Back on the April 22, 2023 Harmonizer Show in Newport News, VA

 

(Many thanks to Brian Ammerman who agreed to be the reporter for the Harmonizer Performance Sat. April 22 at the Ferguson Center for The Arts - Peebles Theater on the campus of Christopher Newport University (CNU). Brian labeled himself “NOT YeEd”)

 

I knew this was going to be an awesome day, even if the weather was a bit soggy. 

 

While select individuals and other groups of the Harmonizer family opted to drive themselves to the event, the rest of the Harmonizers gathered at the Scottish Rite Temple (Alexandria not in DC like our last road trip!) to board the bus to Newport News at 12:45 pm, and we departed exactly at 1:02. Wheels on the bus …. round and such they say ….Yay! 

 

The last person boarding the bus, our own K12, Mark Klostermeyer,  reminded “NOT Ye-Ed”  that his duty was to take notes on the trip. Thank our lucky stars for master framers! 

 

The rain started hitting the bus about a half hour into the trip, eased in time for us to get caught in a traffic jam in Thornburg, and was coming down in buckets at our destination. The ride was quiet overall with just a few friendly shenanigans from trouble-makers at the rear of the bus, and just before our arrival show producer Greg Tepe handed out “snacky things.” After winding through the CNU campus for 20 minutes, we excitedly arrived at the venue at 4:30 for a 4:45 stage warm-up. We found our dressing rooms, dropped off our things and headed down the long hall to the auditorium. 

 

As Dave Welter said at first glance, the cozy theater put him in mind of the theater where the Harmonizers sang in Dundee, Scotland - a very intimate, rather quaint venue. Not huge, red velvet seats and balcony. 

 

The warm-up for the performance was conducted by associate director Tony Colosimo who told us that we actually had had a choice of two different venues, a much larger auditorium (where we were later told by Joe that Tony sang with Bocelli - and a picture of it hangs in the school library ….. wait, what now?! )  and the one we were  in for the show, which he thought would be a better fit . Nailed it, the sound was amazingly rich. 

 

Being an alumni of CNU and having performed his junior and senior recitals on the very stage where we sang, Tonysaid it was kind of a weird experience, and felt like he was looking over his shoulder in warm-up  to see if any of his professors were critiquing him. 

 

Joe and Tony then worked through the show music, and all of the normal adjustments and fine tuning points to shape the sound and create the right mindset, with show timing and order guided by Terry Reynolds and Greg Tepe. 

 

We broke for dinner at 6:20 pm, were treated with Subway sandwiches and all the trimmings organized by chapter shows director Doug White, and had a nice break to change and socialize until 7:30 when we returned to the dinner room dressed and ready”.

 

Prior to taking the stage, Joe  made the customary call asking if this was the first show for anyone on the risers.  Our new member Matt Ambler answered the call.  His parents were able to be at the show too, since they live in the area. Welcome, Matt, and huge congrats on your first Harmonizer show! Cheers to many more!

 

We took the stage, and the curtain raised at 8:00 to reveal a healthy audience who turned out to be warm and welcoming, and enjoyed the performance from start to finish, clapping loudly after each song with a standing ovation after select pieces and at the end. Joe Cerutti Sr. and Janet were there with many friend from their neighborhood, as were Tom and Ian Berkey who live in the Williamsburg area and brought a group of their friends too. 

 

The Harmonizers sang all of the music we’ve been preparing and we were also very blessed to have BETTER TOGETHER appear with us.  The quartet sang three numbers and totally crushed them.  The chorus sang “I’m the Music Man” as an opener, followed by “Help from My Friends,” “Something’s Comin,” “Wee Small Hours,” “Sit Down You’re Rockin the Boat,” “New York, New York,” “Never Fully Dressed,” “Impossible Dream” with a quartet of Tony, Lance Fisher, David Breen and Andrew Havens singing the intro, and finally “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”  Emcees for the show were Randall Eliason, Noah Van Gilder, Terry and Tony. 

 

With the show over, we got fist bumps from Joe as we exited the stage.  Happy Director. Happy Harmonizers. Happy Audience. As Ricky Savage said in the dressing room post-show, “if we touched just one life [with our music] it was worth it!” Amen, my friend.

 

Our friends who drove themselves headed to their cars, and the bus, freshly loaded with Harmonizers and our gear, departed at 9:25 pm. Beverages and snacks were provided by the chapter and were much appreciated for the long ride home. We arrived back at Scottish Rite Temple just after midnight, unloaded our belongings and went our separate ways. 

This Harmonizer performance was the final act on Saturday night of the Christopher Newport University ‘Virginia Community Music Festival.’ Our performance was 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. The stage crew was from the campus and the chorus did not have to provide risers.

It was an Alexandria Harmonizer success and a great day with friends, which is why we say “It’s Great to be a Harmonizer”! 

 

Until next time – “NOT YeEd” - Brian Ammerman! 

 

(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 74^th year of the Alexandria Chapter. - YeEd)

 

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