Did you wake up and open your inbox on Valentine’s Day to a rendition of The Walters’ “I Love You So” sung by Poly Prep’s A Cappella group? Well, so did approximately 120 other Upper Schoolers, according to Student Body President Reese Roaman ’25, who organized the virtual singing Valentines. Roaman remembers witnessing in-person singing Valentines at Poly when she was in middle school prior to Covid and wanted to keep the tradition alive by bringing back a “modified version” of virtual singing Valentines. 

Lower School Music Teacher Jennifer Nelson created Poly’s tradition of in-person singing Valentines to raise money for the A Cappella club, which, at the time, “was still brand new and developing.” Nelson felt inspired by her high school years, where, as a member of the French club, she would go around singing songs in French (like “L’amour Est Bleu” and “C’est Si Bon”). A Cappella would split into small groups (in order to conquer every request), enter classes, and sing a quick song for a student that a friend or admirer bought for them. According to Performing Arts Faculty and A Cappella’s Faculty Advisor Madeleine Wyatt, each year “a short list of songs was created based on thematic suitability and general popularity.” The person buying the song would choose which song they wanted A Cappella to sing from the list. As the club developed and no longer needed the money to sustain itself, all the funds went to charity or a non-profit of A Cappella’s choosing.   

According to Head of Middle School and Former Director of Music Daniel Doughty, “there were a few changes that started to impact the tradition.” First, A Cappella used to rehearse after their other extracurricular activities, from 6:00-7:30 pm. However, Poly eventually stopped allowing students to gather and practice at this time, which only allowed the group their 30-minute period during the club’s block. Doughty explained that with this limited time, “it is not possible to learn 3-4 songs for Valentine’s Day.” Additionally, Poly introduced a policy that banned school-affiliated teams, groups, or clubs from raising money. Lastly, after the pandemic (which made in-person singing Valentines impossible), Poly decided they no longer wanted groups coming in and disrupting class. Poly Alum and Former A Cappella Member Cooper Flinn-Beane ’23 remembers teachers hating the tradition, while Wyatt wrote that most were supportive and all were accommodating. English Faculty Gerald Stone said he thinks the in-person tradition was fun and that the singers were always exceptionally talented, but the tradition was also “totally disruptive.” In an email, Wyatt wrote that “it was communicated to A Cappella by the administration that the tradition was welcome to continue, but without any disruption to classes or collection of funds.”

During the pandemic, for Valentine’s Day in 2021, A Cappella created a video Valentine to “help promote a student’s small business relief initiative at that time,” according to Wyatt. The group sang Adele’s “Make You Feel My Love.” Each singer sang their part at home with their earbuds on, sent the video in, and then Wyatt composed the song to make it sound as if all the singers were singing together in the same room. She created a YouTube video where each singer was in their own square. It was a creative solution to maintain the tradition and bring some joy in trying times. 

The virtual singing Valentine this year had the same goal of bringing joy, even with all of the school’s policies and limitations. Although they were given short notice, A Cappella made the recording happen: picking a song that many members were familiar with (they performed “I Love You So” at an Upper School assembly back in 2023) and perfecting the song in only two rehearsals. When Roaman approached A Cappella Co-leader Griff Allen ’25 about the idea of singing Valentines, Allen quickly took action: organizing the logistics, choosing the arrangement, and performing the solo for the song. Allen wrote that he felt good when he “heard from some community members that the recording was cute and it made them smile.” A Cappella Member Drew Waldman ’25 also expressed her love for Poly’s Singing Valentine tradition, writing that she thinks it is “cute and positive for the community.” 

You might be asking yourself, what will the future of singing Valentines at Poly look like? Honestly, no one knows. Allen expressed his desire for the return of the in-person singing Valentines. However, Roaman provided a benefit of the virtual singing Valentines, adding that more people can be reached online by email compared to visiting classes in-person. Waldman suggested that other Poly singing groups (Harmonics, Blue Notes, Regular and Advanced Concert Choir) should also get involved in the tradition. Although these students may have different perspectives or ideas as to the future of Poly’s singing Valentines, they all agree that it is a fun tradition worth keeping.