Raintree County Opera House Guild to Bring Madrigal Dinner Here

The Raintree County Opera House Guild, Inc., is bringing to New Castle Saturday a special part of the Christmas heritage, the Madrigal Dinner.

Working with the Guild are the New Castle Community Madrigal Singers, and the Department of School Food and Nutrition of New Castle Community School Corp. under the direction of Nadine Kirkpatrick.

Along with dining on such food as “Surloyne of Rost Beefe and Yorkshire Puddying,” after first partaking of the “enjoyment of the wassail bowl,” those attending will hear the Madrigals in concert with additional mummers, clowns, musicians and minstrels.

The few remaining tickets for the affair may be obtained by calling Dick Willis, 987-7896, or Juanita Jane Rucker, 529-0210. The place is the Great Hall of Parkview Junior High School and starting time will be at 6:30 p.m.

Charles Craig, musical director of the event, relates that during the Renaissance, ladies and gentlemen would gather at the Great Hall of a prosperous gentleman or Lord of the Realm to celebrate the glad tidings of the Christmas season with feasting and musical merriment.

Over the years, a pattern for the festivities began to emerge. Fanfares were used to announce the various divisions of the evening. Customs from the past and the then present were inserted into the evening. Menus became a tradition beginning with the wassail bowl and continuing with roast beef and assorted viands always to conclude with a flaming plum pudding.

The event Saturday will have its fanfares, too. At the First Fanfare, Madrigal Singers will enter the Great Hall. At the Second Fanfare, the wassail bowl will be presented. The Third Fanfare will bring the boar’s head and the dinner, including “drynkes,” and the Fourth Fanfare will herald the entrance of the flaming “puddying.” The Madrigal Concert will begin with the Fifth Fanfare.

In olden days, the entire group would sing carols of the era in madrigal form. Charles Craig did not announce whether the guests would join in the singing.