Each year, Sidwell’s a cappella groups participate in a long-standing tradition: singing telegrams. For only $5, students can send a musical performance to a friend, teacher or classmate to surprise and entertain the school community. Beyond the fun, the event also serves as one of the a cappella club’s primary fundraisers, with all the proceeds going towards purchasing new sheet music.
Sidwell’s a cappella club is made up of three groups: COSO, consisting of tenors and basses; Passing Notes, a soprano and alto ensemble; and Tempo, a mixed voice group. Each group rehearses regularly throughout the year, but practices become more frequent in the weeks leading up to singing telegrams or other performances to ensure perfect presentation.
Passing Notes, in particular, has developed a reputation for its well-received song choices. The group has performed “Toxic” by Britney Spears for several years due to its popularity. This year they expanded their selection to include “Love on Top” by Beyonce and “Hot to Go” by Chappell Roan.
Senior Miya Routh, a head of Passing Notes, said “ I really like doing ‘Hot to Go,’ cause that was the only one that we specifically learned this year for singing telegrams … and Kaila [a Passing Notes singer] arranged the music for it which was really cool.”
For Routh, one of the most rewarding aspects of participating in singing telegrams is seeing the reactions from recipients. “I feel like a lot of people afterwards have said it made their day, which is really nice and always fun to hear,” she said.
The song selection for singing telegrams ranges from classics to modern hits with some songs chosen for their universal appeal and others for their humor. “I think my favorite song to sing for singing telegrams this year has been Treasure by Bruno Mars,” said senior Owen Wilson-Black, who has participated in the tradition since his freshman year, “We sang it for all the math teachers when they were in a math department meeting, and Mr. Lee and everyone really enjoyed it, and it’s also a hit because everyone knows so all the students really like whenever we go around and sing it.”
Senior Sahiba Kalotra, a member of Passing Notes, said she enjoys performing “Toxic” for its comedic effect. “I think Toxic [is my favorite] just because it’s like a funny song,” she said, “It’s more friends giving it to friends and it’s not necessarily just a love song.”
Singing telegrams have also led to many unforgettable moments — some heartwarming, others unexpected. Kalotra recalled how the group helped a student ask someone to prom. “I remember we were part of like a promposal for someone, which was really cute because we got to sing a song, and then the girl who was asking him sang a solo part, and it was cute to see an actual promposal up close [and] be a part of it,” Kalotra said.
On the other hand, Wilson-Black recounted a more awkward moment. “We sang to a couple who — we didn’t know this, but they broke up five minutes earlier, and we were singing on behalf of the guy to the girl, and she was crying, and we didn’t know why, but we kept on singing, and then we learned later on,” Wilson-Black said.
Some performances even draw unexpected attention from students and faculty. Kalotra remembered the best reaction she’s received, saying that “one time we were singing in the library and we got applause from the whole upper floor.”
While singing telegrams remain a key part of Sidwell’s a cappella culture, participation has fluctuated over the years. Wilson-Black noted how demand has changed since he first started.
“I’ve been doing it since ninth grade. I think it’s changed because it used to be super popular, like, we would be getting constant orders up to three weeks after Valentine’s Day and we would have to tell people to stop. I think this year people just don’t know as much about it, and so they aren’t buying as many, but I think it’d be really cool if it came back,” Wilson-Black said.
Singing telegrams can be delivered in February during lunch or break as long as they don’t interfere with class periods and can take place anywhere on campus. Whether it is a light-hearted joke among friends, a heartfelt gesture or a surprise moment of public attention, singing telegrams remains an iconic tradition at Sidwell, bringing both music and embarrassment to the school community.
