Christmas is coming early to Glenwood Springs all thanks to a very musical gift… but it’s not from Santa Claus. 

The Mountain Madrigal Singers are back to deck the halls with their free Christmas concerts, all occurring during the first two weekends of December. 

Also known as “Madrigals” by people in the community, the group will be performing four concerts on Dec. 2, 3, 8 and 9 at the Glenwood Church of Christ, 260 Soccer Field Rd. Glenwood Springs. 

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The Mountain Madrigal Singers got started in 1981 and sang only madrigals, a music genre that was popular up to the early 17th century. Although they only had eight members at the time, the group has grown over the last 48 years and now showcases 18 participants, all of which are dedicated singers made up of purely volunteers. 

Now, their family-friendly music is all about Christmas.  

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“I just call it a Christmas choir,” said Laura Porterfield, director of the Mountain Madrigal Singers. “We sing all Christmas music, so we sing spiritual music and we sing all the fun traditional songs … anything that’s traditional we sing.” 

Porterfield also mentioned that the group loves to prepare at least one “out-of-the-box” Christmas piece, so listeners can expect they’ll have a few fun numbers prepared for their concerts. All of the songs are memorized, which leaves room for some moving around when the song fits. 

“There’s a little bit of choreography, not a lot, but enough to keep things interesting,” Porterfield said. 

Aside from the singers, the group’s musical accompaniment varies from year to year. Normally, their band includes two piano players, a flute player and a drummer. 

The concerts are completely free of charge, though the Madrigals rely on yearly donations from organizations and community members to keep their concerts going. All of the proceeds go toward buying their music and putting on the concerts. 

“That’s how we pay for our program because each piece costs around $200 for us to use,” Porterfield said.” 

This year, the Madrigals have 18 songs in their program. The rest of their money often goes into printing, advertising, and occasionally paying a pianist to accompany their performances. 

Porterfield said that in the earlier years after the group’s formation, it was rare for them to break even from their donations. Now, their profits are “in the black,” meaning they manage to pay for everything, with some funds left over for next year. 

“For many years we were in the red, and so we decided we had to step up our game a little bit to try to get more donations,” Porterfield said. “Now, for probably the last 15 years, we’ve been in the black every year … people are very generous in this area. Now that people know we’re around and that we need help, they’re very generous.” 

Outside of their volunteering, the participants come from a wide range of professions. Some perform music as a living, from choir teachers and coaches to church choir directors, some have experience with musical theater, and others simply love singing. 

“Almost everybody in the group gives us a donation as well, so they’re donating their time and they donate their money,” Porterfield said. “That’s kind of unheard of, too.”

In addition to a wide range of professions, they also display a wide range of ages. Their youngest singer is a senior at a local high school, and their oldest are a few men in their 70s. 

Porterfield said they’ve managed to find some of the singers through word-of-mouth. Others have contacted Porterfield after seeing posts about the group on Facebook, or in newspaper ads.  

“There’s a very rich abundance of very, very talented musicians in this valley, and we kind of have our own little network where we know each other,” Porterfield said. “For me it’s kind of funny, but I’ll hear someone talk with a really deep, low voice and I’ll say, ‘Do you sing?'” 

The Madrigals saw many older singers retire from the group during their two-year pause in response to the pandemic, leaving the current group as a mix of older and newer singers. Back when the members were consistent year-to-year, however, Porterfield said they would often get recognized on the street. 

“People would see the group members out and about the city and ask if we’re doing madrigals again and telling them thank you,” Porterfield said. “We’ve received cards from people in the community thanking us for making their Christmas special.” 

Porterfield said she also gets approached by community members occasionally, as she’s been in the group for 33 years. She started out as a singer, and ultimately ended up directing the group, which starts preparing for the concerts as early as September. 

“The first thing I get starting about August is, ‘Are you going to do madrigals this year?'” Porterfield laughed. 

The concerts are an hour and half in duration and will take place over two weekends: 

• 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2
• 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3
• 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 8 
• 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9

“They (Glenwood Church of Christ) let us use the facility for free. A lot of places are charging, and so it’s hard to find someone that will let you rehearse and perform there for free,” Porterfield said. “So we’re really grateful to the Church of Christ.”

Porterfield said the group offers free babysitting for families with small children who want to enjoy the concerts. 

“I’m just excited to be singing,” Porterfield said.