You were walking in the basement of LFHS as Christmas songs flooded the halls. Maybe you thought you were hallucinating, because it was only September, but there was a simple reason: Madrigals rehearsals had begun.

Madrigals is an audition-only acapella group that performs at country clubs in December, bringing holiday cheer while dressed in elaborate renaissance costumes.

Now, it’s November and, though the singers have been rehearsing for two months, things have started to pick up. The first performance is less than a month away.

“There are 23 songs, and they’re all pretty long, so we started practicing early,” said senior Nora Sharman. “We started with just weekly rehearsals on Tuesdays but, once we hit November, rehearsals happened twice a week.”

People join for a variety of reasons, typically after being involved in choir or another circular music ensemble.

“I enjoy choir and I thought it’d be a fun experience and opportunity,” said freshman Egan Walsh.

Aside from the sound of singing through the halls, you may also hear ringing. Maybe that’s just senior Declan Boyle, who “plays the C3 and E flat 3 handbells.” He said the handbells are used in the songs to “spice it up.”

“About a dozen of us volunteered for bells. Over the next few weeks, the bells group will meet after rehearsals to practice these bell tracks,” Boyle said. “When we do our final run throughs and get into the show season, we’ll be playing alongside the singing.”

Madrigals are often recognized from their pleasant sound, but there’s also a key visual aspect to the group: the costumes! Each dress is unique in its design, so the costume picking is “a lengthy process.”

“It goes off of seniority so the girls who have been a part of Madrigals the longest get to pick first,” said senior Sarah Noble. “This year, I got a light blue dress with big sleeves and I’m very excited to wear it.”

As the singers get further into the rehearsal process, leaders are picked. There are three leaders that help direct the songs at the performance spaces. This year’s leaders are seniors Nora Sharman, Siobhan Boyle and Leah Barnes.

“We have section leaders at the beginning who help learn the music. Then, once we actually perform– which is at country clubs all around the Lake Forest and Lake Bluff area– we have leaders carry pitch pipes and lead the ensemble,” said Sharman.

The songs have been rehearsed, the bells practiced, the costumes chosen and the leaders picked. So what happens next? It’s time to perform! 

“Everyone always says Onwentsia Club is the best place to perform because they give us really good chips, but I personally really like performing at Knollwood Country Club just because it’s a really positive environment,” Sharman said. “But, my favorite performance is the middle school tour. We get to interact with the students and we pick the most fun songs.”

The Madrigal singers also get to perform in “incredibly unique places” that most high schoolers wouldn’t get to experience.

“My freshman year, we went to perform live for the WGN News out of Chicago. We took a bus up there one weekend and we sang on live TV,” Boyle said. “Last year, we sang at the Joffrey Ballet, and we got to be down with the pit orchestra.”

Though the experiences and extravagance of Madrigals is exciting, the real heart of the group comes down to the friendships created. To create these special bonds, the group has a few core traditions.

Each rehearsal starts with “mads” and “regals.” Everyone in the group says their “mads,” which are the peaks of their week, and then their “regals,” which are the lows of the week. Creating this accepting environment to share allows the group to share their positivity, not just with local country clubs, but also with themselves.

The Madrigal singers will kick off their season at Knollwood Club on Dec. 1.

This year’s Madrigal members include: 

Soprano – Millie Foley, Alexandra Makowiecki, Rosie Meyer, Sarah Noble, Ruth Dan, Fiona Inkmann, Jay Rener, Nora Sharman

Alto – Leah Barnes, Mia Castro, Kennedy Keating, Evelyn Lara, Siobhan Boyle, Reese Hubbard, Lily Kienzle

Tenor – Rudy Malnati, Malorie Mursau, Evan Spezzano, Brady Stadolnik

Bass – Liam Sheridan, Griffin Shortsle, Kleber Zea, Declan Boyle, Connor Knighton, Will Trager, Egan Walsh