For the 29th consecutive year the extracurricular singing groups, Madrigals and Court Singers, put on the Madrigal Dinners. This is the 18th year for choir director Chris Corpus who inherited the program.  

“It’s been a tradition; it’s been going on for almost 30 years,” Corpus said.

The meal began when the court singers proceeded in with a boar’s head. The night ended with Silent Night performed in dim candlelight. This performance takes months of preparation.

“The madrigals start rehearsing in August before school starts, and the court singers start rehearsing in September,” Corpus said.

The instrumentalists do not rehearse for quite as long.

“We had a few after school rehearsals about twice a week for a month,” junior trumpeter Rosa Rolon said.

The event lasted two days. A meal on Saturday (Nov 28) and another two on Sunday (Nov 29). The event was hosted at First Presbyterian Church, where it’s been for the last three years.

“It’s been all over,” Corpus said. The event has been at a total of five different locations.

The students involved love being able to be a part of the dinners, but there is one thing the male students could live without.

“The boys complain about wearing tights,” Corpus said. “They like the hats, but hate the tights.”

The females, however, love the costumes.

“[The costumes] were really comfortable…and I like that it fit the time period that the performances were set in,” Rolon said.

Madrigal member Seba Nassar said he really loved the event.

“It brings people closer during the holiday season,” Nassar said. “‘One Horse Open Sleigh’ was my favorite. It was an interesting arrangement of a traditional piece.”

Although it takes a lot of hard work, the Madrigal dinner brings out the Christmas spirit.

“One of my favorite compliments that people make after the dinners is when one of our guests says that ‘really put me in the holiday mood,’’” Corpus said.