DANVILLE — The Danville High School Madrigal Singers are shaking up their repertoire a bit this season.

The medieval-style Christmas program combines traditional holiday music with modern music sung in acapella in medieval performance garb while audience members enjoy a full dinner show at St. James United Methodist Church.

“It really is a magical night. It’s not something you get to experience every day,” said Wes Billings-Wilson, a senior in the Madrigals group.

“It puts you in the mood for Christmas.”

The specially-chosen choir has rehearsed since September, and many days, rehearses before and after school.

“We are definitely ahead of the game,” Billings-Wilson said. “That’s a great thing to be.”

The music is more difficult than regular choir music, because it is all sung acapella without instrumental accompaniment.

Billings-Wilson is part of the head quintet this year. The top singers are the ones the rest of the group tunes their voices to for each song.

In addition to the evening performances themselves, he said his favorite part of being in Madrigals is getting to sing in so many civic performances.

The group performs for retired teachers and Kiwanis, and this year, the Danville Symphony Orchestra.

The service and civic groups are always great audiences, he added.

“They’re normally an older audience,” he said, “and they eat us up like candy.”

Billings-Wilson said there are some changes to the program this year. One new song is called “Various Themes on Fa-la-la,” which includes portions of “Deck the Halls” and some Beethoven standards, as well as excerpts from “Swan Lake.”

Out this year is the echo song, which has been replaced with something similar in style, he said.

Each year, the group alternates between “Good King Kong” and “Old Uncle Joe.” This year it’s “Good King Kong”’s turn.

The show will be complete with the all-girl “12 Days After Christmas” song and the guys will sing “Mary Sat a-Rockin.”

Ryan Dyar, also a senior, admits he’s a bit sad this is his last year with the singers.

“I’ve been in it since freshman year, so I’ve pretty much got the music down,” he said.

He said choral director Marty Lindvahl has chosen some good new pieces to freshen up the program as well.

“It’s fun too,” he said.

He said the atmosphere of the dinner at St. James is can’t-miss for anyone who hasn’t been to a Madrigal show.

“It’s worth checking out,” he said.

The experience is not quite like any other Christmas or holiday concert, he said.

“It’s a great thing to do in these bleak months when it’s dark outside and depressing. There’s nothing like going to St. James in the second week of December…”

MADRIGAL DINNER

The Danville High School Madrigal Singers will perform their dinner programs at 6 p.m.Dec. 7-9 and a dessert only show at 7 p.m. Dec. 10 at St. James United Methodist Church, 504 N. Vermilion St. Cost is $20 per patron ticket for the dinner show and $15 for regular dinner show tickets. The Dec. 10 dessert-only show tickets cost $10. Order forms are available at http://www.danville.k12.il.us/schools/DHS_Site/index.htm. The completed form, payment and self-adressed, stamped envelope must be sent to 221 Denvale Drive, Danville, IL 61832. Call 446-7235 or 474-3077 with questions.