Posted 11:35 pm Saturday, February 04, 2012
Barbershop Quartets Bring Harmony Through Song For Valentine's Day
By STEWART SMITH
Entertainment Editor
If flowers, chocolates or a candlelight dinner just won't do, the East Texas Men in Harmony might have just the thing for Valentine's Day lovers looking for something a little out of the ordinary.
Entertainment Editor
If flowers, chocolates or a candlelight dinner just won't do, the East Texas Men in Harmony might have just the thing for Valentine's Day lovers looking for something a little out of the ordinary.
Armed with men prepared to sing barbershop style, the Men in Harmony will send out quartets to locations across East Texas on Monday and Tuesday to serenade women (and even some men) with some sweet and affecting tunes.
The East Texas Men In Harmony is a nonprofit organization and the money raised by these singing Valentines is one of the only opportunities the group has to raise funds necessary to keep the group running, said Wilson Renfroe, the group's public relations chairman.
"Out of all the things that we do in a year, this is one of the more fun things," Renfroe said. "It's a very rewarding kind of thing. We compete as a quartet and sing at other events, but this is just kind of a ministry for people. I guess you kind of have to watch it or be on the receiving end of it to (understand it), because someone singing to you in song can be very powerful."
Each singing Valentine will include the traditional song, "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" or the traditional barbershop favorite, "Heart of My Heart," which is also called "The Story of the Rose" and is a gripping love song that pulls at the heart strings.
It can be quite the emotional experience, Renfroe said.
"When four guys walk in dressed in tuxedos, you know that something is up. It's just a very rewarding experience to do that. It may be the most rewarding Valentine ever, expressing love through song," Renfroe said. "
We typically sing to females, though we have sung to guys in mechanics shops and things like that. Their first reaction is often embarrassment, but the second thing is usually emotion as they focus on the sender of the Valentine. We are privileged to be a part of it. If this is done in an office, people often gather around, and, at some point, someone usually ends up in tears."
The singing Valentine may have had its origin in the singing telegram that was invented by George P. Oslin, public relations director for Western Union.
The New York Times state that is was Olsin who sent the first singing telegram, sung to a Western Union operator named Lucille Lipps, by vocalist Rudy Vallee on her birthday on July 28, 1933.
The origin of barbershop harmony, on the other hand, is tied directly to its name. Decades ago, when the barbershop was a major gathering spot, men would try out various harmonies while passing the time, and thus the art of barbershop harmony was born.
Singing Valentines from the East Texas Men in Harmony are available for order now for delivery on Feb. 13 and Feb. 14. The quartets are available to travel across Tyler and outside of Tyler to about a 35-mile radius.
Prices range from $35 to $60 depending on the more specific time requested for a delivery. Singing Valentines may be requested as late as the day needed. To order, or for more information, call 1-800-233-8219. Orders can be made and paid for online at www.etmeninharmony.com.
