In an office break room, a classroom or a crowded restaurant, the room shifts the moment four men in tuxedos step forward with a long-stemmed rose.
Conversations stop. Phones come out. And then the harmony begins.
For more than five decades, the Barbergators Chorus has been bringing a cappella music to Gainesville. Founded in 1973, the group is one of over 700 chapters of the Barbershop Harmony Society.
“Our motto right now is bringing harmony to Gainesville,” said Dave Jacobs, the 60-year-old president of the chorus. “That’s literal harmony — four parts, a cappella — but it’s also about bringing people together socially.”
While the chorus performs concerts throughout the year, including a holiday show every December and a summer concert in June, its most anticipated tradition comes every February: Singing Valentines.
What began as a fundraiser more than 16 years ago has evolved into something far more personal.
“Instead of giving someone a thing, you’re giving them an experience,” Jacobs said. “It’s an audience of one.”
Each Valentine’s Day, members take off work and spend the day traveling across Alachua County to deliver musical surprises. About half of the performances happen at workplaces, where unsuspecting recipients receive serenades in front of coworkers.
“I remember one year we sang in an office building, and I think everyone on the entire floor knew we were coming except for the recipient,” Jacobs said. “You know you’ve done a good one if there are some tears at the end.”
For Robert Tucker, a 70-year-old rental property manager, his journey with the Barbergators started with a newspaper audition ad 18 years ago.
“I thought, ‘I think I can do that,’” Tucker said. A former UF accounting professor, Tucker said he wanted to dabble in something fun: music that connected with people.
There’s nothing quite like Singing Valentines, he said.
“There’s something about focusing on one person,” Tucker said. “You’re not singing to 400 faces. When you see someone moved to tears, that’s different. That’s real connection.”
Tyson Adams, 58, who has been with the group for more than a decade, said he was drawn back to barbershop harmony after missing the sense of community he once found in choir.
From the first time he was pulled into a quartet and handed a song, he knew he’d found something “electric,” he said. It’s the reactions to Singing Valentines that make Valentine’s Day his favorite gig of the year.
“You can see it melt their heart,” he said. “It’s emotional. You share that moment with them. They’re not going to forget it, and neither are we.”
Piney Gonzalez has received a Singing Valentine four times. The 55-year-old UF College of Engineering employee described the singers as gentlemen, saying they always make her day special.
The first time, Gonzalez’s surprise came from her ex-husband. Now, it comes from her boyfriend. Even after multiple deliveries, she says the magic hasn’t worn off.
“The singing is amazing,” Gonzalez said. “It’s always nice to get something sung to you by someone who cares about you. It’s a little extra.”
The “little extra” is what keeps the Barbergators coming back year after year. Whether they’re singing in a fifth grade classroom, a corporate office or a quiet corner of a restaurant, the goal remains the same.
Every Tuesday at 7 p.m., the chorus rehearses at Grace Presbyterian Church, refining chords and polishing performances. But for many members, the most meaningful performances happen face to face, just inches away from the person they’re singing to.
And when the final chord rings out and the rose is handed over, it’s clear the harmony lingers long after the singers walk out the door.
Saugat Shrestha is a contributing writer for The Alligator.
