Christmas lights are lit all around town, people are beginning to buy presents and gifts, and everyone is now entering the holiday spirit. Of course, Hall choirs are also in the midst of several winter season performances, including the well-famed Annual Madrigals concerts. 

November 18 was a busy day for Hall choirs, as they spent nearly 6 hours at a dress rehearsal in preparation for the Madrigals performance, which were on the evenings of November 19 and 20. Madrigals this year were the first in-person performances for Hall choirs since 2019. 

At this performance, Hall’s choirs, including the Choraliers, A Cafella, Voce di Coeli, Chorale Cantare, Concert Choir, Treble Choir, and Bass Choir, wore medieval costumes while singing a variety of holiday, broadway, and classical pieces. 

Traditionally, these concerts are held at a local church, where acoustics are vibrant and a dinner is served; however, under restrictions due to COVID, the performances were held this year without a dinner in the Hall auditorium.

Madrigals usually refer to English or Italian songs of the late 16th and early 17th centuries, where the text is often related to a medieval theme. 

One way the Choraliers emulated medieval times was a choreographed stage entrance accompanied by the rhythm of a flute, a common instrument in the Middle Ages.

Madrigals is a “different type of music than the music we normally sing,” says Senior Choralier and bass Tyler Bach. “[It carries] on the tradition that has been part of Hall’s music program for so long. The music and theming doesn’t appeal to everyone, but it has been one of the biggest musical performances of the year for us for so much time now, [and] it means a lot to those of us that have experienced it in many different forms throughout the years.” 

During the 2-hour performances, choir members wore medieval costumes to represent royalty of a medieval court under the reign of King Mauricio Vega Estades and Queen Eva Sanchez-Navitsky, two seniors at Hall. 

Aside from the classics that everyone sang, each choir had their own unique repertoire, which consisted of a set of 3-4 songs they’ve been preparing since the start of the school year. 

But the nights contained more than just music.  Thanks to a script written by choir teacher Brett Boles, dialogue was prevalent throughout the production, with different students having their own roles. 

Furthermore, parents had the opportunity to write and record their own “toasts”: poems to show their love, support, and gratitude for their children.  These were played on a large projection screen. 

Students showed much dedication and enthusiasm throughout the months of preparation. Bach says, “I get to dress up in a cool costume and perform with close friends.” 

He explains the roots of his appreciation: “I have spent so many years looking up to the ‘royal family’ of Choraliers during past Madrigals, and now I get to be one of them.”

Senior Choralier alto and co-president Simone Galm says, “The opportunity to have our first concert together really bonded us.” 

The Choraliers have held several bonding activities outside of school, but Galm explains that “there’s [a] different type of connection when we’re all working to produce this beautiful sound.”  The simultaneously stressful yet successful experience “[proves] that we truly have built a community where we build each other up in every good way.” 

And, of course, Galm adds that the concert was “a trial run for our concerts going forward,” helping them figure out what to musically learn and improve on individually and as a group. 

Upon hundreds of hours of rehearsal and passion, Madrigals is truly a feat for Hall’s choirs to be proud of. 

But the holiday season is far from over! Over the next month until January, Choraliers will be looking for opportunities to sing and perform at different “Telegrams” events. 

And of course, throughout the next month, don’t forget to listen to your favorite classics!

Happy Holidays!