Wellesley High senior Liliana Sydorenko went all out in asking her boyfriend, Blake Harju, to attend the Wellesley Cotillion with her in January.
Liliana, who sings with the Rice Street Singers, Song Sisters and Acapella Anonymous at WHS, asked some friends to join her in serenading Blake, who is the lead sound engineer at the high school for the performing arts department. After Liliana got a positive response from a small group of friends, she created a group chat and things expanded from their, with more students volunteering to sing and play instruments. Lilian wound up writing a 4-part vocal and instrumental arrangement, and the group showed up at Blake’s house on a chilly Tuesday night to deliver the invite, complete with Christmas lights.
Liliana’s helpers included Jadon Czerniach on keyboard, Clare Kelley on viola, David Kelly on euphonium, Maia Foley on bells, Brett Zaorski on drums and for the a cappella voices, Elizabeth Robbins-Cole, Grace Seaborn, Maia Grissino, Ryan Magrisi, Sydney Braunstein, Emi Schneider, Chloe Cohen, Keleyia Rochelle, Courtney Cho, Lydia Tusler, Michael Ossam, Jeffrey Ossam, John Muenning, Ryan Magrisi, Lindsay Heffernan, Julianne Klurfeld, Owen Matejka, Jacob Paul, Dylan Yang, and a special appearance by WHS ’17 graduate and Acapella Anonymous alum Ben Matejka.
