The men straighten their ties and take a breath before one of them starts playing the harmonica. The note lasts a second before they start singing.
“Heart of my heart, I love you. Life would be naught without you.”
The Sounds of Indiana barbershop quartet continues singing “The Story of the Rose,” one of five songs the performers prepared for Valentine’s Day this year.
The number only lasts a minute and 20 seconds.
“Sometimes we get raucous laughter, and then other times we get tears and but it's always fun,” said Mike Witt, a tenor in the group, “and it always leaves people happy, and that's the best part.”
Bloomington’s primary barbershop quartet finds itself busier around Valentine’s Day.
There are 10 people in the group that split up to go to different performances starting as early as 8 a.m. on Valentine’s Day.
“We scramble sometimes, but we've been able to meet all of our commitments,” he said. “But that's one of the fun challenges, is going out and grab a hold of a guy and say, you can't not be there.”
Witt said recording and sending e-valentines around the state and country has become more common. They also sometimes sing live on Zoom calls.
The group’s website says e-valentines are $25 and an in-person appearance is $50. The latter includes a fresh rose.
The group recently did a short concert after an interview in the WFIU newsroom, eliciting applause from reporters and editors.
“I can say that singing for people is a lot more fun than singing for a camera,” Witt said.
Other songs the group has rehearsed for Valentine’s Day this year include “All I Do Is Dream of You” and “I Love You Truly.” They practice once a week.
“It's a challenge, because you're always learning new music,” Witt said. “You're always concentrating on learning to blend with someone else. It's teamwork. You have to pay attention. It keeps me mentally active. It's a great hobby.”
Sounds of Indiana is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
