On Thursday, October 27, at 7 PM, beautiful music rose from the auditorium at Queensbury High School. The high school’s Madrigals, a chamber group of highly talented teenage vocalists, threw a cabaret show to help support funding for their overseas trip.
Normally, the group sings a variety of styles from Renaissance to Jazz, while always striving for a high caliber of musicianship in every performance. However, for this show in particular, they honed in their skills to perform 18 acts from spooky sets including Beetlejuice, Harry Potter, Hocus Pocus, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Phantom of the Opera, just to name a few.
This year, the Madrigals are organizing a school trip to France. Previous trips funded by the community include Ireland/London in 2011, Italy in 2009, Salzburg/Prague in 2007, and Italy in 2005.
The leader and organizer of the group, choral teacher Matt Gaulin, works with Encore Tours, a travel agency that works with oversea organizations to book, schedule, and provide public relations for our students who are performing in front of an overseas audience.
“It’s incredible how many people show up to listen to our students, and it is a great chance for the students to bring their passion with them as they see a new city through the lens of a musical education,” Gaulin said.
This year, the Halloween Spooktacular Cabaret raised $1,700 that directly supports the coach cost from QHS to JFK airport and back.
“The students performed very well and the audience was extremely energetic and supportive of everyone who was on stage. Lots of performers came in costume and a fun night was had by all. A big thank you to everyone who supported our group!” said Gaulin.
