Harmonious "oohs" and "aahs" filled a Santa Fe College music practice room Tuesday night as Gainesville's Barbergators Chorus held their last rehearsal before Valentine's Day.
Barbershop-style quartets, dressed in bright orange jackets and shiny blue vests, will be available to croon to your gal or fella Friday and Saturday in the '20s and '30s vocal style. The quartets can deliver the valentine to your sweetheart's work, home or anywhere else in Gainesville.
"It's a great fund raiser, but it's also good to get out in the community and good to be seen," Barbergator Travis Crew said. "It's a different kind of gift that you don't see often - you don't see four guys in tuxedos just showing up at your job and singing with everyone looking."
The singing valentines go for the tune of $50 and include a flower, a personalized valentine card, two songs and an instant photo with the quartet.
"We have plenty of spots open, lots of availability," said Barbergators' musical director Dave Jacobs.
The chorus had scheduled more singing valentines by this time last year and think more people will order valentines as the holiday approaches, said Barbergator Mike Roth.
"Everybody is always last minute about Valentine's Day," Roth said. "I always was. Why shouldn't anybody else be?"
Last year the chorus performed 30 singing valentines.
"What's fun is really surprising someone who has no idea that it's coming," Crew said.
One quartet from the chorus sang to a woman who worked at Nationwide Insurance, and all the employees on her floor listened in on the singing valentine, Crew said.
The chorus, ranging from 20-to-80 year-olds, sings turn-of-the-century old-time love songs and this year will perform "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" and "Heart of My Heart."
While the choir wants to get the message of the song across, for most of the singers it's more about the harmony. It's more of being a fan of the style, the way the chords are and the way it makes you feel even when you're not familiar with it, Crew said.
