Minnesingers Take to the Stage

Long before Glee there were The Minnesingers.

This year the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School singing troupe is turning 45-years-old. To celebrate, as part of their spring performance this weekend, they are taking a tour down memory lane. One of the numbers will be a medley of songs performed over the past near half-century. The group will also perform the Seven Deadly Sins through song and dance.

The Minnesingers were formed in 1967 thanks to then high school choral director, Tom Mills. Very soon the group began taking European tours, allowing successive generations of Vineyarders to discover both themselves and the larger world through a love of music. This weekend’s concerts will feature a backdrop of photographs taken during many of these tours.

But, of course, it has always been the hometown performances that resonate most. Many of the student singers are the progeny of Minnesingers past, all of whom will most definitely be attending this weekend’s shows. Not that one has to have Minnesingers blood flowing through their veins to make the cut or enjoy the show. After all, for this weekend more than any other, it’s a good bet the whole heart of the Island will thrum to the rhythm of song.

Showtimes are tomorrow, May 19, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, May 20, at 3 p.m. All shows take place at the Performing Arts Center at the Regional High School.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for students and seniors.