A Madrigal Comedy and Three Kinds of Blues

A classic evening of Renaissance love songs leads naturally into a modern set of three kinds of blues, in the annual spring concert of the HSU Madrigal Singers and the Mad River Transit jazz group, on Sunday May 2 in Fulkerson Recital Hall.

In the golden age of the English madrigal it was called a Madrigal Comedy: a concert of songs about love. The HSU Madrigal Singers performs songs of love’s season of spring, courtship, and love’s complications, before songs celebrating the culminating event that defines Shakespearian comedy: the wedding.

The songwriters include the traditional John Dowland, Thomas Morley and Robert Jones, and Henry Purcell’s “In These Delightful Pleasant Groves,” but also a movement from “Five Hebrew Love Songs” by contemporary composer Eric Whitacre.

The Mad River Transit jazz singers update these themes with blues tunes by John Coltrane, “Toots” Thielemans, Johnny Mercer and Harold Arlen. Soloists include Claire Bent, Sara Scibetta, Calista Labolle and Brandy Rose.

MRT singers are backed by the rhythm section of Darius Brotman on piano, Sam Reynolds on bass and Jonathan Kipp on drums.

The HSU Madrigal Singers and MRT perform on Sunday May 2 at 8 pm in the Fulkerson Recital Hall on the HSU campus in Arcata. Tickets are $7 general, $3 students/seniors, from the HSU Ticket Office (826-3928) or at the door. Free to HSU students with ID. Directed by Harley Muilenburg, produced by HSU Music Department.

Media: Arcata Eye, Humboldt State Now, Humboldt Beacon.