Serenaded on Valentine's Day at the Senior Center

Helen Aspeslagh’s daughter Linda has been living back at the family home in Riva for the past few months, far away from her home in Denver. But Linda is taking care of her mom Helen after cancer surgery, and transporting her to and from doctors appointments and her visits to the South County Senior Center. There, she catches up with friends and has lunch twice a week.

Monday was a regularly-scheduled day to visit the Senior Center on Stepney Lane in Edgewater. It was also the day that Linda had scheduled the Maryland Express barbershop quartet to stop by and sing a couple of songs for Helen, who is 83.

"I just wanted to do something special," Linda said.

Linda said that her dad died a little over two years ago. "He was so romantic with her, writing her love letters and singing to her." Linda said.

Linda assembled a scrapbook for her mother of her dad's love letters and pictures of the two during their 56-year marriage. Linda wanted to take the book to the senior center to show to Helen's friends.

She thought sending the singers would be a fun way to introduce the scrapbook—and a way to make Helen feel special for the day.

"She has been through heck with her health, and with dad dying," Linda said.

The tuxedo-clad singers, Charlie Schlagel (baritone), Dave Bankard (bass), Glenn Phillips (lead) and Brian Owen (tenor), arrived right at noon and sang two songs, "I Love You Truly," and "Let Me Call you Sweetheart."

"I thought it was fabulous," Helen said. "My daughter does nice things for me every day, but this was really exceptional—she's exceptional," she said. 

The singers said that they began advertising in January for delivery on or around Valentine's Day. Their first bookings typically arrive in early February, although they don't just work the Feb. 14 holiday.

"We are all active in other choirs, and we sing for retirements and birthdays, other events," Schlagel said.

The quartet usually sings two songs at each stop. Their Valentine's repetoire consists of the two they sang for Helen, plus "Heart of My Heart." In addition, they give the recipient a silk rose and a card. The cost to send Maryland Express is $50.

They were busy over the weekend, and on Monday made 15 stops in all.

"We all work for the government by day," Schlagel said. "And we take a day of leave to be able to do this."

"This is really my kind of music," Helen said. All the women at the table nodded in agreement.