A cappella quartets making rounds on Valentine’s Day

There are many ways to express love and affection on Valentine’s Day, and A Cappella Niagara offers one way to do that.

On Feb. 14, A Cappella Niagara will send a quartet, a silk rose and a box of chocolates to your loved one.

“When you’ve done everything else, this is kind of different,” said Howard Bogusat, bass singer for one of the quartets, called JAQ. It stands for Just Another Quartet.

He said he’s been doing this for more than 10 years and it’s a great, fun experience he looks forward to each year.

Clad in tuxedos, he and his quartet-mates travel across the region on Valentine’s Day, showing up unannounced at people’s homes or workplaces. Sometimes they’re even asked to come to restaurants, he said.

When they arrive, he said, they sing that they’re there with Valentine’s greetings before singing a few love songs and then presenting the loved one with the rose and chocolates.

Typically, it’s men hiring the group to come sing for their wives or girlfriends, but he said there have been occasions where men are on the receiving end of the songs.

“It’s interesting all the emotions you get,” Bogusat said. “For the first 10 or 15 seconds there’s a look of shock or bewilderment … it’s just interesting as you’re singing how it morphs into other emotions. Everything from smiling to weeping to giggling.”

When men are on the receiving end, he said, embarrassment or shyness are pretty common reactions.

He describes the people who hire them as sentimental, romantic types of all ages.

On Valentine’s Day itself, he said his group will probably do 15 to 20 appearances.

They’re not completely booked up yet. Many people sign up lastminute, even the day of, and he said sometimes they’re able to squeeze them into their schedule.

To hire one of A Cappella Niagara’s groups, it costs a flat rate of $ 60. Money raised from the day goes toward the Harmonize for Speech Fund, a provincial initiative that provides funds to speech- related programs.

To hire JAQ specifically, Bogusat said people can get in touch with him at 905- 468- 3566.

People can also email infoniagarasingers@gmail.com or visit niagarasingers.com to book one of the quartets.

SUPPLIED PHOTO A Cappella Niagara's quartets are for hire this Valentine's Day, including JAQ, pictured here. The quartets will come and sing for a loved one, also providing a box of chocolates and a silk rose.