Christmas is coming! – Madrigal Group Sneak Peek

On a particularly miserable November night a few weeks back, I found myself basking in the ambiance of a candlelit Sallie’s chapel. The mesmerising voices of the St. Andrews Madrigal Group serenaded me with the likes of ‘Gaudete’ and ‘Adam Lay Ybounden’ as they practiced for their upcoming Christmas concert, and I must say that I found myself utterly transfixed and in the festive spirit. These must surely be some of the most talented musical prodigies that St. Andrews has to offer: the power that the group produced was utterly astonishing, and their voices rang beautifully throughout the chapel.

The faces of MAD Group

The seventeen-person group was founded in 1946, and is directed by the professional but high-spirited third year, Jonathan McNaul. He commands the singers with an expertise that inspires both awe and jealousy, for his talent is completely admirable. The Stand caught up with Jonny to find out a little more about the group and their history, and he was able to tell us that “although madrigals form the core of our repertoire, the group also performs music spanning the breadth of choral history, from the medieval period to the present day”.

“Our next big event will be on Thursday 4th December at 7.30pm in St Salvator’s Chapel. The concert, ‘Cristes Maesse’ contains a programme of medieval and contemporary Christmas music and at only £2 for students it really is a bargain. The music is really chilled and perfect for a study break and as a little reminder that despite exam stress, Christmas is just round the corner. The group has been working very hard on the programme this year so we’re very excited!”

Aside from being painfully talented (seriously, I’m way out of my depth here), the group is also made up of some of the most genuine and exuberant people I have met here in St. Andrews. I recently crashed their Wine and Cheese Social to get to know them a little better, and found myself joyfully knocking back Merlot whilst they chatted and sang away with each other. Make sure you get yourself over to Sallie’s Chapel on December 4th for a Christmassy event that should not be missed! More information here.

Photo Credit – Fiona Yelland, Madrigal Group Facebook Page