On Valentine’s Day, chorus members of Haverford High School continued the annual tradition of Singing Valentines, which involves a cappella groups delivering valentine messages to fellow students in the form of tunes and medleys.  The spread of love could not have been more clear, as singers delivered hundreds of valentines for students in the school.

During the week prior to Valentine’s day, students were able to purchase a card for another student that would be delivered to class on the holiday.  The card was accompanied by a song about love or friendship, sung by a self-conducted group of chorus students. The purpose of these valentines was not only to spread a little love throughout the school, but also to raise money for the choral arts at Haverford.

Choral Council member, junior Liz Joslin has been a part of Singing Valentines since she was a freshman.  This year, her group consisted of seven members, who delivered about twenty valentines per block during first, second, and fourth block.  One member, junior Jack O’Leary, arranged the music for the group in seven part harmony.

“Over the years, we’ve done a lot of fun songs, but my favorite was the Katy Perry Mashup of ‘Teenage Dream’ and ‘Firework’ that we did this year,” Joslin said.  “Every year it’s just as fun as the previous!”

The goal of Singing Valentines was to send a small gift that was more personal and fun than the usual rose or box of chocolates.   Recipients of the valentine were asked to sit in front of the class while they were serenaded or given a mini dance. When a song concluded, the recipient was handed the physical card, and class resumed.  These nice gestures were not only limited to individual students, however, as groups of students and teachers could also be gifted with a Singing Valentine.

The 11 different Singing Valentine groups this year began preparations as early as November.  Choral Council oversaw all of the groups to help with their performances as well as the planning and selling of the valentines.  “The most difficult part would have to be organizing the valentines after they have all been sold,” Joslin said of her experience splitting up the 788 valentines amongst the groups.   However, all of the hard work of Choral Council and the a cappella groups has paid off, as over $2,000 was raised from one of the largest fundraisers chorus hosts.

Among the many students who received singing valentines on Thursday, freshman Nate Drew received three throughout the day.  He said, “I was expecting it to be embarrassing, but having my good friends sing to me made it really entertaining and fun.”   Not being ready for the surprise could have caught some recipients of the singing valentine off-guard, but not for Nate Drew. “Watching all the groups have fun and enjoy themselves up there really brightened my day,” Drew added.   The tradition of Singing Valentines was a way for Haverford students to create fun memories and to cherish the friendships peers have with one another, for both the recipients and the performers.

Although Valentine’s Day has come to an end, Singing Valentines has not.  On Saturday evening, February 23, Singing Valentines can be heard on stage at Haverford Choral Association’s annual fundraiser, Choral Cabaret.   Each group will perform a song from their a cappella selection. Come out to support and see the Singing Valentine groups showcase their talents in the auditorium at Haverford’s performing arts center!