Chandeliers, Christmas trees and an overall castle-like feel – complete with suits of armor and crested banners – transformed Carter Hall into a hall fit for a feaste. The 43rd annual Madrigal Feaste, presented by USI’s Chamber Choir, was held last weekend to raise money for the cost of the choir’s traveling performances.
Chamber Choir Director Daniel Craig stood in front of a cast of 58 students before Saturday night’s Madrigal Feaste, the choir’s third performance of the season.
“Sing from your heart,” Craig told the choir. “Make an emotional statement tonight. Make tonight sincere music – music that says, ‘I am loyal to my school.'”
“The idea of sincere music and tradition coming together, it builds bonds like you wouldn’t believe,” Craig said. “My favorite part of this now is seeing people that I see every year. They come every year. They brighten my day. They think enough of this place, and those kids, to come and do this every year. What’s not to love about that? You can sing all night, but we made a family tonight.”
Choir members, dressed to accompany the sweeping decorations of the hall, filed out and returned with guests in tow, leading them to their seats in the long rows of tables. A group of jesters pranced around the guests and greeted them by saying, “Welcome to my party!”
Craig said the Madrigal Feaste is the best way in Evansville to start your holiday season and feel the spirit of Christmas.
In two and a half hours, the choir presented the guests with dinner, comedy, singing and dancing. During the scheduled events, Craig, along with the choir, offered lessons and blessings to all through toasts and cheers of wassail.
“Here’s to our wives and girlfriends – may they never meet!” called one choir member, among several other toasts to good health.
Wenches plastered their lips with the brightest shades of lipstick and planted kisses on the smiling cheeks and shining heads of men, explaining, “The wax of lipstick helps hair grow! It’s a delicate process.”
Jesters pranced around the tables, told jokes and heckled the choir. Craig threatened their antics by saying, “I understand you can get an adequate education at SIUE!”
After the presentation of a boar’s head and several courses of food, the choir invited younger and older guests alike to dance. Couples danced together while one wench led a little girl in the dance and leaned down to say, “You’re so good at this!”
The concert portion followed the dances, which had quickened and ended in applause, cheer and smiles. The audience, filled with many lipstick-lacquered guests, turned to watch the choir framed in the light of the Christmas trees. In the course of the songs, mothers and fathers held their children on their laps while couples sat with arms around each other. An older woman sat with her hand covering her mouth as silent tears trailed her face.
Craig recounted the story behind certain songs, such as the “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” while the choir sang along. The three jesters acted out each gifted item, such as tugging on one’s hat for “eight maids a-milkin’.” The end of each song was accompanied by a hearty, lasting applause from the audience.
The evening concluded with guests and choir members singing together. Craig looked out at the guests and said, “We bid ye hold this night fondly in your heart.”
“Every person should experience the Madrigal – the energy,” said Becky Hickman, mother of a freshman Chamber Choir member, as guests began to leave.
“This experience is unlike anything I have ever done,” said Samuel Wentzel, sophomore theatre major. “I’ve gained a lot of friends from this.”
Craig, who took over the Madrigal tradition in 1990, said he loves his job as a musican and conductor.
“But my favorite part is watching a family be born, and watching family members be reunited,” he said. “Tonight there were at least 15 or 20 alumni in this choir here, and they knew a lot of the music that we were performing and they were out there singing along. And people who have not been here in 20 years showed up last night and tonight, and it was like they had never left. They were back home.”