Singing Valentines

Singing Valentines is the name for a fundraising program that is popular with barbershop choruses in the U.S.The delivery of "Singing Valentines" is usually done by a barbershop quartet from a chapter affiliated with the three major U.S. barbershop societies:
* Barbershop Harmony Society
* Sweet Adelines International
* Harmony, Incorporated

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.

ong selection

Each chapter is free to choose their own music. For male barbershop chapters, the typical [ [http://www.barbershop.org/web/groups/public/documents/native/cb_00154.pdf Successful Singing Valentines] Manual from the Barbershop Harmony Society] two song selection is:
* "Heart of My Heart, I Love You" (the chorus from "the Story of the Rose"), and
* "Let Me Call You Sweetheart"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 [ [http://sweetadelinesintl.org/ Sweet Adelines, International] ] [ [http://harmonyinc.org/ Harmony, Incorporated] ] 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 [ [http://styleweekly.com/article.asp?idarticle=11783 To Russia With Love] , "Style Weekly", March 27, 2006] Singing Valentines in two days, usually on the 13^th and 14^th of February. Often, deliveries to assisted living facilities or nursing homes can be scheduled for the weekend. [ [http://www.fwep.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19255828&BRD=2584&PAG=461&dept_id=517950&rfi=6 In tune for the holiday of love] , "Far West End Press", February 1, 2008]

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. [ [http://www.hp-lexicon.org/hogwarts/singing_valentine.html Harry Potter's Singing Valentine] from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets]

ee also

* A cappella music

Notes and References

External links

* [http://starbulletin.com/2006/02/07/features/story03.html Quartets sing to your heart's desire on Valentine's Day] , "Star Bulletin", February 7 2006
* [http://www.stargazettenews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080312/COLUMNIST05/803120317 To Horseheads with love, from Okinawa ] , "Star Gazette", March 12, 2008