On Dec. 2 and 3, Plainfield South’s annual Madrigals Choir Concert took place in the school auditorium to celebrate the returning holiday season. The performance showcased a variety of band and choir members who have dedicated half of their year to this project.
The yearly madrigals is a sixteenth century era show in which a loose, Christmas-themed plot is intertwined with a collection of holiday hymnals, intended more so to show off the skills of Plainfield South’s choir students in an interesting way. Each year, a new script is written by choir director Jessica Carey after the casting process has concluded, so that she may write characters and plot based on her cast.
“Writing the show was something I was inspired to do by my own choir director,” Carey said. “I watched her pour her heart into making the experience magical for her students, and I wanted to be able to create that same magic and excitement for my own students.”
The concert, entitled this year as “A Royal Family Holiday”, tells the story of King Edward during his Christmas feast, in which his wife, Queen Anna, has secretly invited her disapproving parents. In an attempt to save his pride and the party, King Edward must work to finally earn the respect of his in-laws.
“I did not want to be king for a long time,” said Sam Gould, the senior who played King Edward. “And I also did not think I would get [the part]. But I did get it, and I was really happy. I did [it]. And I did enjoy it.”
The madrigals court, consisting of about eighteen experienced choir members, are chosen in about April or May for the upcoming school year. The leaders of the group, often simply referred to as “Royalty”, are also chosen at this time – these roles include the king, queen, prince, and princess, and often go to seniors. This year, they were, in fact, played by all seniors: Gould, Tessa Sottosanto, Kamden Peterson, and Alyssa LeBron.
There is also a kind of ensemble, entitled the Troubadours and Trouveres, more commonly known to the cast and crew as “T&T”, and a small cast of three jesters who crack jokes,interacting with the audience. This is all not to mention the selection of band members who play during certain parts in the show and entertain for the entire intermission.
“Everyone already knew each other,” said Dylan Eischen, the junior who played Herzog Hans van Puma, Queen Anna’s judgemental father. “[Madrigals] just grew our relationships more than it hurt them.”
Madrigals rehearsals start over the summer and continue into the school year, all leading up to the performance, which always occurs during the first weekend of December. The same songs are performed every year in order to perfect them to their absolute best. The cast even attends the competitive Madrigals Festival each year, this year’s having been held at Illinois State University.
“Everyone was like, ‘you’re gonna be at each other’s throats,’” said Willow Henzel, the senior who played Lady Isabel. “But I loved everyone. I actually cried more [after the show] because I got closer to them because of [Madrigals]. So, I don’t know – I think when you do good stuff in [Madrigals], you’re not going to hate each other as much as people like to say.”
