The Records of the Madrigal Singers

Abstract

Important Information for Users of the Collection

Historical Note

In the fall of 1958, a group of musically-inclined students at the University of Maryland at College Park began gathering during the noon hour to sing madrigals for their own enjoyment. Madrigals are secular polyphonic songs with parts for four to six voices, usually having no accompaniment; the style developed in Europe during the Renaissance. In 1959, the group was officially recognized by the university and became known as the Madrigal Singers, under the direction of Rose Marie Grentzer, a professor of music and chairperson of the Music Education Division of the University of Maryland.

Due to the nature of the music, the group remained small over the years, ranging from twelve to twenty-two singers and musicians. The students, both undergraduates and graduates, came from various academic departments on campus. Membership was gained through audition, and singers slowly joined the group after a "warming" period. The Singers performed concerts of music from the Middle Ages up to the modern day, though the focus was always the Renaissance. They used Renaissance-period instruments and wore Renaissance costumes specially crafted by the Home Economics Department.

The Madrigal Singers performed locally and internationally. Local highlights included concerts at the White House, the headquarters of the Organization of American States, and the Folger Shakespeare Library. Performances were also held on the University of Maryland campus and at other schools, libraries, museums, and organizations, as well as at national meetings, such as the Music Educators National Conference. In the late 1960s and in 1970, the group gave several personal performances for the author Katherine Anne Porter with selections from the author's own song book.

The Madrigal Singers also sang on television and radio and made recordings for distribution to other countries. Beginning in 1960, the group performed each Christmas season on Baltimore, Maryland, television as the WBAL-TV Carollers.

Their success as a musical group reached its pinnacle in 1964 when they participated in a U.S. Cultural Presentations Program tour sponsored by the State Department. For fourteen weeks from February to May, the Madrigal Singers performed over ninety concerts in eleven countries in the Near East, North Africa, and the British Isles.

The Madrigal Singers disbanded after Rose Marie Grentzer's retirement in 1974.

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The records of the University of Maryland Madrigal Singers span the period 1958 to 1974; the bulk of the material dates from 1959 to 1970. The collection consists of correspondence, clippings, publicity, student lists, performance-related documents, sheet music, one recording, photographs, and memorabilia. The major topics covered include requests, plans, programs, and notes of appreciation for concerts, especially the State Department tour.

Custodial History and Acquisition Information

The papers of the Madrigal Singers were transferred to University Archives in July 1974 by Rose Marie Grentzer. The collection was transferred to Special Collections in Performing Arts in August 2010.

Processing Information

Arrangement of Collection

This collection is organized as four series:

• Series 1: Administrative Records
• Series 2: Production Files
• Series 3: Correspondence
• Series 4: State Department Tour Records
• Series 5: Recordings
• Series 6: Photographs
• Series 7: Memorabilia

Detailed Description of the Collection