L-W Madrigal Choirs Won't Sing At Churches; Good Move By D210?

The madrigal choirs for Lincoln-Way High School District 210 will no longer sing at churches or other religious services following a complaint by a nonrpofit group that argued such performances were unconstitutional. In a letter sent to Supt. Scott Tingley in February, the Freedom From Religion Foundation cited the separation between church and state and claimed that the school system was sending "a message of approval of the church to impressionable students" by allowing the choirs to sing at these venues.

“The appearance that the district endorses a religious message is even stronger when religious iconography is present or when the choir sings devotional religious songs, as appears to be the case with every instance of district madrigal choirs performing in churches," Ryan Jayne, the group's staff lawyer, wrote in February's letter to Tingley.

The foundation's initial complaint stemmed from a December 2017 performance by Lincoln-Way West High School's madrigal choir at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Manhattan. Instances of the choir singing at other churches in 2014 and 2015 also were mentioned in the letter, and an online search found video of Lincoln-Way East High School's madrigal choir singing at Frankfort United Methodist Church in December 2016.

RELATED: Read the Full Letter to L-W District 210 Supt. Scott Tingley From the Freedom From Religion Foundation

In response to the complaint, officials have decided to limit madrigal choir performances to secular settings. Although the madrigal choirs at the three Lincoln-Way high schools have performed at churches over the past 30 years, this is the first time it has been raised as an issue.

Traditionally, madrigal choral groups dress in Renaissance-era attire and perform songs from that era. The music is considered secular despite some concerts being held at churches and occurring in December around the Christmas holiday.

SUBSCRIBE: Get Real-Time Alerts and Daily Newsletters From Frankfort Patch

Critics of the complaint don't think madrigal church performances are as clearly unconstitutional as the foundation contends. Lennie Jarratt, a project manager for the Heartland Institute, an Arlington Heights-based conservative think tank, told the Daily Southtown that the deciding factor should be whether public school students participating in the madrigal choirs are forced to perform at churches or religious services.

“As long as it’s not a requirement that they have to go to the church and sing to be a part of the group, I have zero problem with them doing this all voluntarily,” Jarratt said.

That's a slippery slope, though, and it requires a certain amount of vigilance by group's like the Freedom From Religion Foundation, said Annie Laurie Gaylor, the organization's co-president.

“Religion is inherently divisive and the district made the right decision to end its church performances to become more inclusive of students of varying beliefs in its choir program," she said.

YOUR TURN: Do you think Lincoln-Way High School District 210 officials made the right decision to prohibit its madrigal choirs from performing at local churches? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section.

Lincoln-Way East High School's madrigal choir performs in 2016 at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Matteson. (Screen shot from video via Bill Miller | YouTube)