With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, Erie High is ready to celebrate the holiday with the choir department’s annual tradition of singing valentines.  

 According to Choir Director Thalia Burd, “Singing Valentines are a way for us to spread love, cheer and friendship throughout the school on February 14th.”

This tradition consists of Topaz and CR5 arranging a capella mashups of love or friendship themed songs, which students can purchase a performance of for their friends or significant other. 

Students have been hard at work to build and perfect these performances since according to Burd, “[they’ve] been practicing since the first day of the semester.”

Sydney Robertson, a sophomore and member of Topaz explains, “I enjoy just being able to sing and hang out with all my friends in choir and just doing what we love.”

Burd adds, “It’s one of the only opportunities the whole school has to hear what choir does, and I think it’s really affordable.” Throughout the school year the choir department hosts four concerts, however since these take place after school they are not attended by the whole student body. Singing valentines offer an opportunity for the whole student body to see all the hard work choir students put into their performances. 

Robertson explains, “It’s really fun to be able to show how hard we work and our talents within the school.”

Burd explains how her favorite aspect of singing valentines is, “the creativity that Topaz and CR5  students show through this.”

Unlike at choir concerts, all of the arrangements sung during singing valentines were arranged by the students themselves, and with that comes its challenges. Robertson describes, “we’re in the process of harmonizing, so finding harmonies that go well together and don’t clash too much.”

“Sometimes people can get the notes wrong with it being a capella…also the tempo can be hard to find or keep…or also singing all day can be tiring for the voice,” adds Roberston. Students still have a few weeks to perfect their arrangements and plan to use those weeks accordingly.  

The cost to purchase the song and a card is three dollars, but if someone would like to add a carnation and a heart shaped lollipop the cost is five dollars.  

There’s a lot for students to look forward to with Singing Valentines, “students should be excited just for a day full of music and fun,” describes Roberston. 

Singing Valentines will be on sale February sixth, seventh, and eighth during all lunches and will not be available after that point. To make sure everyone gets the singing valentines they purchase and classes are disturbed as little as possible, the choir department works with teachers to build that schedule.

“It takes us a long time to make that schedule based on teacher availability and which classes we can go into…so if you wanna take advantage of this opportunity, make sure you plan ahead and buy your Valentine far in advance,” explains Burd. 

Singing Valentines are a great way to support the choir department as well as celebrate your friends this February Fourteenth.