Step back into the Renaissance period to enjoy the music, humor, and cuisine of the time as the Elkhart High School Choir Department presents an early gift this holiday season! From singing to acting and much more, those who attend Madrigal Dinner are certainly in for a festive treat!
This production marks the 47th year of the Madrigal Dinner here at Elkhart High School. The event is slated for Dec. 7 in the EHS Main Campus Auditorium and will feature two total performances: one being held at noon and the other at 5 p.m. With the outstanding vocals of the Madrigal Singers, songs such as The Boar’s Head Carol and Personent Hodie are being performed, along with several songs from the Renaissance era. Not only that, these talented, young performers are also putting on a play called Who Killed the Kilt?, an interactive and comedic murder mystery that will guarantee laughs from the audience. While enjoying the show, the audience will also be served delicious food! Guests will be treated to a full-service meal of salad, chicken, potatoes, green beans, apple dumplings, and wassail!
Head EHS Choir Director, Mr. Jeff Reinert, is most looking forward to watching the Madrigal Singers perform and bringing the show to life. “The students have been preparing well,” states Reinert. “The week leading up to the show is very busy and requires attention to many details.” Despite the pressure from the upcoming event, EHS senior Olivia Gutierrez is more excited than anyone. “This is, in fact, my first year participating in and even attending the dinner,” claims Gutierrez. “So, it is a very new experience for me, but I am very excited to participate and see how things go!” Like Gutierrez, it is also EHS senior Janessa Douglas’s first year being a part of the Madrigal Dinner. “I am excited, but also very nervous…because I don’t really know how to act and don’t think I’m particularly good at it,” Douglas vulnerably admits. “But, I will try my best to be as in character as I can while performing.”
Unlike both Gutierrez and Douglas, this experience is not new for EHS senior Noah Dibley, who will be playing the lead male role as the King. “This will be my fourth year participating in the dinner, so I am very excited to be finishing the full circle.” Dibley has spent enormous amounts of time and effort getting his role as close to perfection as possible. “Preparing for this event has been very fun learning all of the songs and drilling the script into our heads,” expresses Dibley. “I can’t wait to see how the whole performance comes together.” Dibley is looking forward to his “swan song” in what will be his final year in the Madrigal Dinner, as well as the Elkhart High School Choir Department.
Elkhart High School’s 47th annual Madrigal Dinner is one for the ages! Visit the EHS Main Campus Auditorium to experience the “Magic of the Madrigal.”
