Cazenovia — Looking for something different to give your special someone on Valentine’s Day? The Harmony Katz Men’s Barbershop Chorus has announced that its “Singing Valentines” will be available as special gifts to loved ones throughout Central New York on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 12, 13 and 14.
Harmony Katz chorus, based in Syracuse, travel throughout the Central New York communities to people’s homes, work offices, schools, restaurants and nursing homes to deliver their gift by singing two love songs and providing a rose, box of chocolates from Nun-Better and words of endearment.
The Harmony Katz have been offering Singing Valentines for years and do it to “bring a lot of joy to people’s lives,” said member Ken Reger. “Everyone who does it loves it. … Some people who order it every year.”
The Singing Valentines have three standard songs they often use: “Let Me Call You Sweetheart,” “Heart of My Heart” and “I Love You Truly.” Upon special request, they can sing others as well. Reger said classroom students become excited watching the quartet serenade their teachers; everyone in a restaurant turns to watch, some asking the quartet to sing for their loved ones too. In the car driving from place to place, the quartet often reflects on the joy of surprising people: “Did you see the look on her face?”
The chorus itself serves as the New York chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society, which has about 30,000 members in the U.S. and Canada. The Harmony Katz has 57 members, of which 16 to 20 participate in the Singing Valentines to comprise four to five quartets. These men rehearse every Tuesday night at St. Daniel’s Church in Syracuse.
In addition to Valentine’s Day, all 57 members of the Harmony Katz do events at Christmastime and throughout the year. They can do a quartet for birthdays, anniversaries or other occasions as well. Their proceeds go to the Food Bank of Central New York, which voted as their charity of choice in 2010. They have given $12,500 in the past few years, which is enough to buy 37,000 meals. Their chorus theme song is “We Sing to Feed Them All.”
For more information to order a singing valentine, call 303-6767 or visit harmonykatz.com.
