Singing Valentines

Singing Valentines is the name for a fundraising program that is popular with barbershop choruses in the U.S. and Canada. The delivery of Singing Valentines is usually done by a barbershop quartet from a chapter affiliated with the three major International barbershop societies:

Note that this is not really a variation on the singing telegram, since the message detail is not dictated by the sender. Rather, quartets usually deliver a canned package of one or two barbershop songs with a personalized card and either roses or chocolates.

Song selection

Each chapter is free to choose their own music. For male barbershop chapters, the typical[1] two song selection is:

There are standard barbershop arrangements for these two songs from the Barbershop Harmony Society collection of twelve polecat songs (that society members are encouraged to learn).

The female barbershop societies[2][3] do not suggest particular songs for chapters to use in this fundraiser.

Logistics

Some of the larger choruses are able to field enough quartets to deliver as many as 200[4] Singing Valentines in two days, usually on the February 13 and 14. Often, deliveries to assisted living facilities or nursing homes can be scheduled for the weekend.[5]

Other Singing Valentines

Although the delivery of Singing Valentines is typically done by a barbershop quartet, other a cappella singing ensembles have been known to set up similar fundraising programs, particularly on college campuses.

Notably, there is even a reference to Singing Valentines in chapter thirteen of the popular book: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.[6]

See also

Notes and references

  1. ↑ Successful Singing Valentines Manual from the Barbershop Harmony Society
  2. ↑ Sweet Adelines, International
  3. ↑ Harmony, Incorporated
  4. ↑ To Russia With Love, Style Weekly, March 27, 2006
  5. ↑ In tune for the holiday of love, Far West End Press, February 1, 2008
  6. ↑ Harry Potter's Singing Valentine from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

External links

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