Evan Minniti culture editor
There is an old saying, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” For the Madrigals singers, this is certainly the case. As the school year kicks off, 13 new singers have joined the program.
The inclusion of the new members, which includes an unusually high number of sophomores, will lead to a greater balance in the composition of the program. However, current Madrigals hope their sound will stay consistent.
“The current makeup of Madrigals is definitely more balanced in terms of numbers. Sound, however, remains somewhat constant,” senior Daniel Kohanbash explained. “There is a certain level of sound that each section must produce to achieve a good group blend, and our director always brings out the best sounds in our choir.”
Kohanbash, who has been a member of Madrigals since his sophomore year, has never seen a lineup of new members quite like this before.
“Madrigals has gotten slightly bigger than last year, and has the most sophomores since a couple of years ago. Usually it’s the same mix of mostly seniors, then juniors and a dash of sophomores,” Kohanbash said.
For senior Madrigal Lauren Aviram, changing membership has always been an invariable part of the program.
“Each year, Madrigals has been so different. I, along with two others, have been in it since my sophomore year and we have seen the changes in sound but mostly personality. Also, our experiences in and outside the class change each year too, so that’s cool,” Aviram said.
Aviram explained how Madrigals selects new members.
“[New members] were selected based on talent, sight reading ability, rhythm reading ability and overall contribution to the sound of our choir,” Aviram said. “Towards the beginning of the year, we always have to take time to teach the newbies rules and procedures, but after that, we are one big family.”
Josh Coone, a senior member of Madrigals, doesn’t think that the new members will change the Madrigal’s sound.
“I will say that we do not have a more balanced sound, but simply [that we have always] had a balanced sound. Each year, Madrigals is composed of completely different people and each group is unique in its own,” Coone said.
Aviram is optimistic about the future of the Madrigals.
“Madrigals is a very special group at BHHS because it holds a long lasting legacy and each year we continue to expand and fulfill the name of Madrigals.”