Barbershop Quartet Delivers Valentines

By Adam Bednar, Staff Writer February 14, 2010, Carroll County Times

The Elderly Brothers Quartet, dressed in tuxedos and red ties, walked down the street to the home of Dave and Liz Colfelt, while trying to keep their balance on patches of ice on Spring Drive outside of Westminster.

The group was greeted by Dave Colfelt and, once inside, they gave Liz Colfelt a rose, a small heart-shaped box of chocolates and proceeded to sing “I Love You Truly.”

“I think they’re great,” she said following the performance.

This was the first of three stops for the quartet Saturday, which for $35, performs throughout the county as a personal Valentine’s Day gift.

The proceeds from the singing Valentines go to support the Carroll County chapter of the Old Line Statesmen Barbershop Chorus, to which the members of the quartet belong.

In fact, quartet members said they don’t perform for the money.

Some said they like to perform because of the reactions of the people when they sing to them.

Jim Ensor, who was originally recruited to the Old Line Statesmen Barbershop Chorus because of his handlebar mustache, said that the first time he sang for someone as a Valentine’s Day gift, a daughter had arranged for a group to sing for her mother. He said when they started singing the mother started crying, which in turn made him cry.

“I had tears running down my cheeks,” he said.

Others said that they just love to sing.

Dave Highfield, who performed with a barbershop quartet called the Dimwits when he was in college, said that he was always singing in some sort of community chorus or church choir.

“I always have to get singing out of my system, so to speak,” he said.

Doug Bayliss, who has only been a member of the local chapter of the Old Line Statesmen Chorus since December, said that he has been singing in barbershop quartets since high school, and that he loves the four-part harmony that quartets sing.

Barry Linthicum, who has performed with different barbershop choruses throughout the state, said he continues to perform, just because it’s fun.

Following their performance at the Colfelt house, the group walked back down Spring Drive and stopped at the house of Sue and Stan Ingalsbe and repeated the performance.

“This is a unique Valentine’s Day [gift], that’s for certain,” Sue Ingalsbe said.

Reach staff writer Adam Bednar at 410-751-5908 or adam.bednar@carrollcountytimes.com.