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Singing Valentine Quartets
Bring Spirit and Fun
to LHS on Valentines Day

A perfect boutique of red roses or heart shaped chocolates on Valentines Day are always reliable gifts, but nothing beats the thrill and overwhelming embarrassment of getting serenaded in front of your chemistry class. Continuing in the footsteps of many years past, Valentines Day at LHS is a long anticipated day full of high spirits, musical talent and pure excitement. A mixture of pink bowties, black dresses, red ribbons and heart thumping harmonies filled the halls of LHS on Thursday, February the 14th.

Each year, for three dollars, LHS students can purchase a singing valentine, a live performance of a love song, to send to a friend, boyfriend or girlfriend during the course of the day. They fill out a little card stating to whom it is addressed, what block they wish to send it, the teacher’s name, and they also have the option of adding a quirky little note at the bottom. Singing to girls are the three guys’ quartets, singing to boys are the three girls’ quartets, and a quite new addition of a mixed quartet sings to both guys and girls. The teams also sell, organize, and send the valentines.

Most groups decide to use a catchy introduction that gets them into the class where they then read the name of their victim. This varies among groups. Some are longer pieces of real songs while others are simply a few agreeable chords that get the team across the threshold and onto their stage. Then, after the group calls out the name of the victim, the fated person gets to decide whether he/she wants to sit in a chair in front of the whole class and receive the valentine or if he/she wants to simply stay where they are. Most end up sauntering to the front of the room, red in the face, smiling from ear to ear and sitting before their class.


An all-boys quartet practices before Valentine's Day

Besides the quirky costumes, selling of valentines, and the actual delivery, the behind the scenes work that brings this day together is quite interesting. Back in December when Valentine’s Day seems months away, the remaining members of all the quartets from the year before meet and decide their plans for the new year. They set up audition dates and think generally about what the groups could look like. The boys and girls hold separate auditions but they are generally in the same week and are both geared towards just having a great time and getting some new and different people involved. Once the auditions are over, three all-girls, three all-guys, and one mixed quartet remain.

Then, each group splits off and begins to work on getting their act together for Valentine’s Day. Some plan rehearsals each week and keep on a straightforward schedule while other groups just throw in rehearsals here and there. While they all enjoy making music, quartets have a great time just getting to know each other and doing other fun things together.

A mixed quartet poses for a shot

The groups have found that the fact that there are only four members in each group gives the quartets a whole different feel than any a cappella group at LHS. While a cappella groups range from 12 to 17 members, the small size of the quartet is both rewarding and challenging. Songs usually have one person to a part, so each member has to know his or her own part cold in order for the piece to be in good shape for performance. On the other hand, being in a smaller group makes it much easier to get to know everyone really well and get extremely comfortable with each group member.

As the big day approaches and the number of sold valentines increases, the ordeal of separating the valentines has to be dealt with. As a tradition, the night before Valentines Day all groups come together for a little “get together to eat” / “let’s divvy up the valentines” party. This year the rowdy singers flocked to Dina Tyson’s house where the boys and girls split up the valentine deliveries. After snacking and visiting, each group got to perform one of their songs before the others. Plopping a pseudo victim in the chair, each quartet showed off its best song while circling the giggling prey.

On the night before Valentine's Day quartets get together and practice on each other

Singers look at this night as not only a great time, but also a fun way to see what each group has been up to. Most quartets leave the party together and gather at one member’s house where they spend the night. Another long held tradition, this night is filled with final touchups on songs, figuring out details of costumes, pumping out maybe one more song and, of course, eating and further getting to know one another. One member remarked about her experience by stating, “At the end of the day on Thursday, it was so strange to think that this whole thing is over. By the end, I felt so close to my quartet because besides making music together, I felt like I really got to know each one of them. I felt so proud of what we had accomplished together in quite a short time”.

Even though each quartet journeys into the classrooms with the same mission, each group this year developed their own unique flair as well as their own set of songs to sing. Quartets reuse songs from years past or arrange a song they found would be fun just for that year. How many songs they end up shaping together, if they use introductions, their costumes, and the vibe they give off is the quartet’s own spin off of the basics.

Singing Valentines this year was a complete success and a whole lot of fun for all. If you’re an LHS student and either love to sing love songs and serenade your friends, or are looking for a new way to show someone you care, audition for a quartet or buy a Singing Valentine next February!

-Sarah Hebert-Johnson
(Photos: Christina Ramos)