“Fanfares for Christmas” Production in “Great Hall” Delights Audience

By Betty O’Neal Giboney

Let Santa Claus officially open the Christmas season for small fry in late November.

But for those somewhat beyond an emotional attachment for the man with the white beard in the red suit, let us henceforward have a “traditional, colorful, 16^th century madrigal dinner,” as it was presented Saturday night by Raintree County Opera House Guild, with Dick Willis as host.

Called “Fanfares for Christmas,” the production was given in the “Great Hall” of Parkview Junior High School . Beginning with a fanfare and continuing through a banquet, superb madrigal singing and a delightfully funny play, “St. George and the Dragon,” a land of make-believe took over.

If you can imagine a plain school corridor being transformed into something reminiscent of, say, the banqueting hall of Hampton Court Palace in England , you may get an idea of the dimensions of the production. Best of all, the setting was not just for the actors, singers and musicians, the audience was included as well.

The magnificent change was accomplished by something called stagecraft, perhaps, under the direction of Dick Willis. Specifically, it involved candlelight, some heraldic banners and a few stage flats.

Singing madrigals with utter perfection under the direction of Charles Craig, were the New Castle Community Madrigal Singers and the Decatur Central Madrigal Singers. Craig, who was vocal music director of New Castle Community Schools several years ago, now teaches at Decatur Central.

Intruding upon the calm of madrigal singing came the mummers with their story of St. George with its happy ending. Throughout dinner there was music by Cathy Craig playing cello and Andrea Taylor, violin, as a duet and Beverly Scott playing the autoharp, Stephanie Vanderlees singing to her own guitar accompaniment, William Zeigler playing the dulcimer and Jim Barr playing the jester.

The handsome costumes had been designed by the Willises, with Vickie responsible for women’s costumes and Dick for the men’s. Nadine Kirkpatrick was in charge of the dinner with “surloyne of rost beefe wythe sauce Robert,” “ Yorkshire puddying” and “flaming rum puddying” and lots of other food besides.

We only can hope that Raintree Opera House Guild meant it in the announcement that this was a “first annual” event. It would be something to look forward to every holiday season to renew the spirit of some very old traditions of Christmas.

It should be noted also that while basketball games were canceled, practically everyone who had purchased a ticket for “Fanfares for Christmas” arrived safely at Parkview School .