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mokenamessenger.com life & arts
the Mokena Messenger | December 6, 2018 | 21
Lincoln-Way Madrigals celebrate 49 years of tradition
Analisa Trofimuk
Freelance Reporter
Despite Lincoln-Way
Community High School
District 210’s decision to no
longer allow the Lincoln-
Way Madrigals to perform at
local churches after receiving
a letter from an organization
called The Freedom
from Religion Foundation
warning the district that
such a practice violated the
Constitution, the high school
singers did not lose their holiday
spirit.
The district eventually
changed its tune after impassioned
pleas from area
residents and the Madrigals’
founder, Charles Stark, to
support the longstanding
tradition, and now the 2018
Madrigal season is fully underway.
Over fifty community
members gathered for the
Lincoln-Way Central Madrigals
opening performance
at the Mokena Community
Public Library District on
the evening of Nov. 28, and
hundreds more are expected
to attend the dinner performances
scheduled for this
week.
The LWC Madrigals,
made up of several chorus
groups, opened the evening
with a Christmas classic,
“We Wish You a Merry
Christmas.”
“This is my favorite performance
of the school year
because it gets me in the
holiday spirit,” Dan Lewis,
17-year-old senior tenor
said.
Throughout the evening,
the students performed a
variety of traditional holiday
songs and hymns, including
some in other languages.
Louis Baser, 16-year-old
junior bass, said his personal
favorite song in the
Madrigal’s repertoire is,
A traditional Madrigal dress is made with intricately
embroidered brown fabric. The LW music parents assist in
putting together the outfits every year.
“S’vivon Sov Sov Sov,”
(Dreidel Spin, Spin, Spin)
which the group sings entirely
in Hebrew.
Baser is the student class
president and is involved
in several other extracurricular
activities, including
National Honors Society,
Spanish National Honor Society,
speech team, and he
participates in the school’s
plays and musicals. He said
being able to perform with
the Madrigals is something
he enjoys most because it
gives him a break from the
school day.
“I think it’s really fun to
learn all the music, especially
in other languages,”
Baser said. “Plus, most of
the students in choir are also
in Madrigals and we are all
close friends.”
The students were decked
out from head to toe in renaissance
attire. The girls
wore intricately embroidered
gowns and headpieces
with veils to match.
Each of the boys wore hats
decorated with feathers,
velvet uniform-like outfits
and stockings. Most of the
costumes were either purchased
or handmade with
the help of Lincoln-Way
music parents.
LWC Choir Director Mike
Bultman has directed the
chorus groups for the past
24 years, and said it is not
difficult to get the students
excited to participate in this
group because they appreciate
the tradition.
“It’s worked into our culture.
This is important to the
kids and they want to be a
part of it,” Bultman said.
The students begin rehearsing
for the holiday
performance in the summer.
Throughout the first half of
the school year, they practice
during the school day
at sixth hour. Each of the
students are assigned parts
based on their vocal range.
The Lincoln-Way Central Madrigals open their performance Nov. 28 as they sing and walk
among the crowd at the Mokena Community Public Library District. Photos by Analisa
Trofimuk/22nd Century Media
Opening performances typically
take place in late November
and early December.
Allison Genardo, 17-yearold
alto, said the Madrigals
dinner performances are on
another level. Guests experience
a full range of entertainment
from singing to acting.
The dinner performances are
scheduled to take place at
Lincoln-Way Central, located
at 1801 E. Lincoln Highway
in New Lenox, at 6 p.m.
on Thursday, Dec. 6 through
Saturday, Dec. 8. Tickets are
on sale at the Lincoln-Way
Central website at lwcmusic.
org.
The Madrigals closed their
performance with, “Silent
Night,” which earned them
a standing ovation from the
crowd.
RIGHT: Louis Baser,
a 16-year-old bass,
announces the last number
for the evening, “Silent
Night.”