At first glance, you would think that they’re just a regular singing group. The Madrigals, however, are full of magic, talent, and high performance.
Madrigals originated in the Renaissance era, and madrigal groups typically sing Renaissance folk music. Here at LFHS, the Madrigals focus on holiday music; some are sung foreign languages such as Latin, German, and Spanish. The song lists also include carols and biblical hymns.
“It takes a lot of talent to be in the Madrigals; auditioners must have a high quality singing voice, music reading skills, performance skills, and the ability to learn a piece or multiple pieces of music in less than a day,” said choir teacher Mr. Matthew Begale.
While the students in Madrigals are not required to be in choir, many students take the class to help boost their understanding of music in order to join this group.
“I really appreciate how you don’t have to be in choir…I am in a professional choir outside of school, which I think helped train me musically for this group and got me used to the intense rigor of the choir,” junior Lauren Hanson said.
The Madrigals also wear traditional, hand-made Renaissance period costumes to match the songs they perform. Throughout this winter, you can watch the Madrigals perform holiday hymns at Joffrey Ballet, Knollwood, Onwentsia, DPM, LBMS, The Rotary Club, downtown Lake Bluff and Lake Forest. They also do a special performance for LFHS students and their parents at the spaghetti dinner.
“…I chose to join Madrigals because I really enjoy singing, especially at a high level, and I don’t have room in my school schedule to join choir during the school day,” Hanson said.
The Madrigals is a very magical group, not just because of their amazing musical talents, but due to the amount of work behind their performances.The Madrigals learn over 20 pieces of music in less than 12 rehearsals and have 13-14 performances. Their first performance is this Friday at the tree lighting in Market Square. During these performances, the members make many joyful memories.
“My favorite memory of Madrigal so far has been performing at Ontwensia and making a rap about Madrigals with my friends and singing it there,” senior Reese Hubbard said.
With dedication, talent, and true holiday spirit, the Madrigals truly bring a magical spirit at LFHS and beyond.
