Reincarnations, Op. 16 (1940), by Samuel Barber, is a set of three choral madrigals published in 1942 by G. Schirmer. The last two madrigals were specifically composed for the Madrigal Chorus at the Curtis Institute of Music. Barber was invited, in 1938, to form and direct the Madrigal Chorus by Randall Thompson, then director of the Curtis Institute. The young composer was living in New York City at the time and was unhappy. Barber found the life of an artist to be boring and did not have many friends. He was also growing weary about the chances of himself making a living as a composer. Barber saw the Madrigal Chorus as a challenge that would, hopefully, spark his creativity. The 25-member chorus was formed and met for two hours every Monday. Barber made the commute to Philadelphia from New York City every week. The chorus became a formidable performing force over the three academic years, from 1939 to 1941, Barber directed the group, giving concerts, and performing on the radio.

The composer set about studying and transcribing the scores from previous masters of the madrigal, such as Monteverdi, di Lasso, and Palestrina. Barber also began composing works, in his personal style, in the genre of the madrigal as well as other choral works. For this group, Barber also composed The Virgin Martyrs (1938) and A Stopwatch and an Ordnance Map (1940), and both were published in the same year as Reincarnations.

The three madrigals found in Reincarnations are all based on James Stephens' poetic adaptations of earlier Gaelic songs attributed to Raftery, a group of three authors. Stephens, a favorite poet of Barber's, created new forms in his poetry based on these Gaelic songs, hence the title of Reincarnations.

The first madrigal, composed by Barber during the summer of 1937, is titled "Mary Hynes." This Stephens poem was taken from a song about the most beautiful girl in a village. The madrigal is set in a two part form. The first half, which claims that Mary is such things as "the dart of love" and "the love of my heart," is quick and lively. This section, which is repeated, grows in loudness until its end. The second section, beginning with "lovely and airy," is tender and lyrical. Delayed entrances and counterpoint are used.

"Anthony O'Daly" is the title of the second madrigal of Reincarnations. The text is about a captain of a rebel group who was wrongly executed. The captain accepted his death heroically and did not betray the other rebels. Barber composed this madrigal in December 1940 for the chorus. The opening of the madrigal is tranquil with a pulsing accompaniment in the basses. There is tremendous emphasis on the line, "For O'Daly is dead." The third madrigal, "The Coolin," was composed in November 1940. This song, in regular stanza form, is based on a romantic trip to the side of a hill for two lovers.

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