Wearing Renaissance garb and performing seasonal songs, 18-member ensemble, The Madrigals, will take the stage in Bryan Hall this weekend for the School of Music’s 28th annual Vocal Extravaganza.

The concert will feature five vocal ensembles: the Madrigal Chamber Singers, the University Singers, the WSU Concert Choir, Opera Workshop, and VoJazz.

“We always had this event on the Friday of Dad’s Weekend,” music professor and conductor of the Madrigals Lori Wiest said. “It’s a good opportunity to see what the students are doing.”

The Madrigals’ performance will tie into their costuming, and they will sing various madrigal and a capella pieces, Wiest said.

“The performance is about St. Martin’s Day, which happens around Nov. 11. It’s about the spirit of the harvest, drinking beer, eating goose,” Wiest said. “It’s great because we can learn the culture while we’re rehearsing and actually utilize it for a better performance.”

Following the Madrigals, the University Singers will perform, conducted by assistant music professor Dean Luethi. University Singers is a non-audition group and evolves each semester, Luethi said.

Although the group has only been practicing for the past six weeks, the singers have been working together toward their goal of putting on a successful performance, Luethi said.

The language the poet uses about love is relatable not only to his students, but also to the audience, he said.

“Most of them are not music majors,” Luethi said. “But by taking the subject of love, it doesn’t have to just be a relationship, it can be brothers, sisters, moms, daughters, fathers, family.”

The WSU Concert Choir, also conducted by Wiest, will be the third ensemble to perform at the event. The Concert Choir will perform four pieces, including a Turkish folk song adapted by Muammer Sun.

“They’re starting with this beautiful, prayerful piece,” Wiest said. “Then they’re doing this Turkish piece, and it’s about a man who sees this woman who is getting married and knows he cannot have her. The timing of the piece is very exotic.”

Wiest said she expects the performance to be exciting not only to listen to but also to watch. The Opera Workshop will take the stage after the Concert Choir to perform scenes and one-act operas, including excerpts from their upcoming performance.

VoJazz, a jazz and pop music ensemble also conducted by Luethi, will close out the event with a performance of popular songs that Luethi said he expects the audience to recognize.

“It’s pop music in a jazz style,” Luethi said. “The first tune is called Ordinary World. It was made popular in the ‘80s by Duran Duran. It’s a pop tune with a jazz treatment. The last song we’re doing is a song called Spooky, made popular by Dusty Springfield.”

Although Luethi said he chose pieces that would retain the jazz vision he promotes for VoJazz, he also wanted to incorporate some of the pop elements made famous by television shows like Glee.

“The ensembles at WSU are there for performance, and they’re there also to educate our music majors,” he said. “We perform a lot of stuff to gratify us as musicians but also to educate us. I decided to mix in just a little bit, just a flavor of some of the literature you might hear in Glee.”

Part of the proceeds from the Vocal Extravaganza will go toward the group’s tour costs. The money from ticket sales will be divided among the five ensembles, who use it to purchase costumes, microphones, music, and more, Wiest said.

“The students work so hard,” she said. “Many students in our ensembles are not music majors, and they practice and enjoy taking music to a new level and creating something unique. It’s really an excellent thing.”

Vocal Extravaganza will take place Friday, Oct. 11 in Bryan Hall Theatre. Tickets will be sold from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 11 in the Kimbrough Music Building Lobby. Tickets will also be sold in Bryan Hall from 6 p.m. on the day of the performance. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for senior citizens and students with ID, and free for children 12 and younger.