By Claudia Loucks
Geneseo Current
Beginning in 1979, students from the music department at Geneseo High School have been taking guests a step back in time to “Merrie Ole England” at the annual Madrigal Dinners.
This year’s dinners, which mark the 43rd year of performances, are at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 5; Friday, Dec. 6; and Saturday, Dec. 7, in the Geneseo High School Concert Hall Commons, 700 North State St. Performances begin at 6:30 p.m. with early seating beginning at 6 p.m. Ticket reservations are required and may be purchased by visiting GHS Madrigal Dinner Concert by going to vancoevents.com and searching “GHS Madrigal” or using the following link. www.vancoevents.com/us/events/landing/48331 Tickets are $28 per person, and will go on sale Friday, Nov. 15.
Guests will dine on a medieval feast, including bread, salad, pork loin, twice baked potato, green beans and Figge pudding with a cup of wassail, and be entertained by the Madrigal Singers, as well as the Madrigal Brass, Recorder Choirs, mimes, and entertainers.
The singers and brass also will be featured at the Geneseo Christmas Walk on Saturday, Dec. 14, and will perform and 6 p.m. that night in Central Theater.
Geneseo High School seniors Dylan Gehl and Elizabeth Mroz are cast as king and queen in the 43rd annual Madrigal Dinners to be presented by students from the music department at GHS on Dec. 5-7.
When the Madrigal celebrations began in 1979, they were held in the former St. Malachy’s Church before the performances were moved to Grace Church in 1986. Since 2019, the events are held in the GHS Concert Hall Commons.
The Madrigal cast is under the direction of GHS choral director Stephen LaCroix, who said the Madrigal Dinners were started by former music and drama department directors, James Rimington, Victor Bianchetta, and the late Harvey Green.
LaCroix said the dinners involve approximately 100 high school students each year, including singers, brass players, recorder ensemble, harpsichordist, beggars, fair maidens, a poet, a cook, serving wenches, mimes, wait staff and those who help with hair and makeup in addition to character roles that vary each year with changes in script.
“Parent involvement is key to the success of the dinners as the parents oversee the many tasks to make it a detailed and personalized performance for the audience,” he said.
Madrigal singers audition in May each year for the upcoming season and singers begin rehearsing weekly beginning in August.
“Time after time students remark that their Madrigal Dinner involvement was the best and most memorable experience of their four years of high school,” LaCroix said.