Madrigal Singers
Beverly Hills High School Madrigal Singers 2005-06
(click for pic of 1999-2000, 2001-02, 2003-04)
The Beverly Hills High School Madrigal Singers have been representing Beverly Hills throughout Southern California and the United States for 44 years. The 33-voice ensemble is renowned for the diversity of its performances, performing music from renaissance to jazz, from Broadway to the avant garde. They have toured to and competed in music festivals in Washington, D.C., Orlando, Honolulu, Boston, Mexico City, Acapulco, & Northern California, and they have performed for most of their community's major organizations.
In the Spring of 2004, the Madrigals performed a series of concerts in Cannes, France, as part of the Sister Cities Program between Bev Hills and Cannes. They were welcomed most graciously, dined (but not wined) by their hosts, and cheered in their performances.It was a landmark trip for all involved.
Gold Medal Winners
In April of 2003, the Madrigals took top honors at the Heritage Festival in San Francisco, receiving the highest scores of any chorus, 1st Place Gold in their catagory, and the Adjudicator's Award for excellence. Last year, Madrigals won 1st Place Gold at the Heritage Choral Festival in Boston. The received two scores of 99 out of a possible 100, and they won the Festival's Spirit Award for their enthusiatic spirit on and off the stage, and their support of other performing ensembles at the festival.
In 2000, the Madrigals were in New York City for an exciting festival presented by World Projects International, with faculty including Moses Hogan, Weston Noble, and Richard Nace. After performing at Lincoln Center to a packed house, they were awarded a Gold medal for outstanding work. In 1999, at the same festival, they also received Gold Medal ranking and were praised by Dr. Noble for versatility of style "such as I have not seen in my 51 years in education!."
In April of 1998, the Madrigals participated in the Heritage Festival of Gold in Washington, D.C., with other outstanding choirs, all of whom sang in Kennedy Center for the festival finale under the baton of Dr. Eph Elly.
In February of 1997, the Madrigals toured to Acapulco, Mexico, which is Sister City to Beverly Hills. There they performed for schools and civic organizations, at mass in the central Cathedral, and for Sister City events. Additionally, they performed for the picturesque town of Taxco, where they were hosted by the Mayor of Taxco. Last year, as a small thank you to their Acapulco hosts, the Madrigals led a fund-raising drive at Beverly which raised and sent $1,800 to flood victims in Acapulco.
The 1996 season's tour took the Madrigals to the prestigious Pacific Basin Choral Festival in Hawaii, performing with outstanding ensembles from New Zealand, Norway, Canada, and the United States. A panel of three noted choral judges awarded the Madrigals the Gold Medal for outstanding performance.
An Historic Invitation
In 1993, the Madrigals toured New Zealand as the first foreign choir to be invited to that country's national choral festival, premiering a cycle of pieces commissioned of New Zealand's outstanding choral composer, David Hamilton, and performing with the top high school choruses in New Zealand.
Robert Holmes, founder of the Madrigal Singers, passed away in 1999. We still honor his memory.
Every December, the Madrigals bring music of the holidays to dozens of organizations, businesses, and private parties, performing last past season over 40 times. Concerts range from programs at Albion Street Elementary School, our little sister school in East Los Angeles, to gala fund-raisiers for so many of Beverly Hills' major philanthropical organizations.