“This is one of those rare once in a lifetime gifts. We have been told it is the best Valentines gift they have ever received. And sometimes they are so touched there are a few tears.” – Dianne Martin of “Good Company”

Valentine’s Day is coming up and we are all thinking about how to best show our loved ones we care on this special day. Chocolates, teddy bears, flowers, they’ve all been done before! I’ve often thought how cool it would be if I could send someone a singing valentine. You know, in the barbershop way, making a huge spectacle for someone special in my life. This year I received a message in my inbox describing this perfect opportunity!

 

I was very interested to learn more about just how special a singing valentine could be! So I talked to Dianne Martin who is part of an all-female barbershop quartet called “Good Company”, who is providing this service to residence in Saskatoon and has been for a few years. She told me they will perform two songs and personalize them to suit the recipient! How cool is that!?

“I ask the client to send me fun information about their loved one. In the case of husband or wife how they met or got engaged, what they love about that person, funny little quirks they adore or a special memory. I then write a script using as much of the information as I can fit into the space in the song. Then I read it while my partners hum the verse.” – Dianne Martin of “Good Company”.

Next is trying to figure out the best person to receive this singing Valentine, there are so many special people in our lives. Who is the best one to choose? I couldn’t help but ask what kinds of people Dianne had sang for in the past.

“We sang for a doctor in his workplace, a teacher in his high school classroom, and for employees in several local business. We sang at lunch time in a restaurant for an older couple whose children had hired us. We even got hired to do a phone Singing Valentine from a gentleman who was in town on business. He heard about us and wanted us to sing for his wife in Montreal! The possibilities are endless! Each one is just so special.” – Dianne Martin of “Good Company”

Ok so, I’m a logistics kind of person, how to get the perfect bang for your buck! I mean it needs to be a surprise, so how do you get it so they are in the right place at the right time? I imagine some planning is involved in carrying out the perfect moment.

“The fun thing is that everybody gets involved. The partner of course knows what is going on, and in the case of an office setting, a lot of the staff get involved as they have the job of making sure the recipient will be there when we arrive. Often the person gets called to the office or there is a pretend meeting scheduled in the board room. Staff hurries to the spot and when the person arrives … well you can imagine. They do not have a clue what is going on. Sometimes the recipient shows a bit of embarrassment (understandable) but you also see the look of pride and of feeling special that someone should honour them, especially in front of their workmates, in such a unique way. It gives everyone a lot to talk about for the next few days. And people always love being ‘in on it’. Secret surprises are great fun.” – Dianne Martin of “Good Company”

Now I bet you have started thinking of some special people in your life that you’d LOVE to send a singing valentines to, maybe a spouse? A son or daughter? Parents or grandparents? A favorite teacher or employer? Or your best friend forever? It would for sure brighten their day! Why not book Good Company? They will be offering singing Valentines on Fri February 12^th in Saskatoon. Spots in the morning or afternoon are still available! The cost is $50.00 and half of the proceeds are being donated to the Heart and Stroke Foundation!

“People just need to call me (306-374-0578) and we can set it all up. Seeing the response and making someone feel so special, the happiness comes right back to us. We love it.” – Dianne Martin