Send a Singing Valentine

If you can’t find a Valentine’s Day card that expresses what’s in your heart for that special someone, why not let someone else say it for you--in song?

The a capella barbershop quartets of the women’s Capital Accord Chorus are offering Valentine’s Day serenades for this Tuesday: two songs, chocolate and a digital photograph as a memento. For a preview, listen to the video.

Chorus members hail from Maryland, D.C. and Virginia. Maggie Alspach, a charter member of the chorus, drives more than an hour from her home in Carroll County to attend Tuesday night practices at , while the youngest member of the chorus, Kate Morrical, lives close by on University Boulevard.

Over half of the current members joined the chorus less than two years ago. Most Tuesday nights, 20-25 women attend, “but we’re edging up into the mid-30s,” director Sherry Stanton said.

Chorus member Sandra Marquardt attributes the growth in membership to a flurry of social media and posting lots of fliers. She also credits the , which offered six weeks of hardcore training and an opportunity to sing with the chorus.

The is very open to new members and encourages interested women to stop by Sligo Middle School, where they practice most Tuesday nights from 7:30-10 p.m.

Any woman who wanted to join the chorus would first visit and take a voice test. Then she would practice with the chorus for the next 4-6 weeks, and at the end, complete an audition. “It’s not a threatening audition,” Stanton said. “We just want to make sure a capella is your thing.”

A Valentine’s Day serenade is available at any time on Feb. 14 for a $50 donation to the Capital Accord Chorus. To reserve, call 301-585-2422 or send an email to valentines@capitalaccord.org.