The Paly Choir’s Madrigal Dinner, held Dec. 15. and 16. in Parish Hall at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church was a success for performers and viewers alike.

Over 100 people were in attendance both evenings. The ticket sales from this two-day event raised funds for the upcoming choir trip to Mexico. The choir plans to perform in locations such as: Mexico City, Queretaro, San Miguel de Allende, and Guadalajara.

For the Madrigal Dinner, Parish Hall was staged as an English Court of the 16th century and most Madrigal Singers spoke with a British accent and wore traditional garb.

The Parish Hall’s décor was reminiscent of most churches at Christmas time, with garland and twinkling holiday lights strung from the rafters.

Pieces that were sung included: Deck the Halls, A Merry Christmas, Lavendar Song, and Beatus Vir. Soloists Torin Robertson, Theda Howard, and Kate Fruchterman, highlighted the broad range of talent throughout the evening’s performance.

Aside from singing, the program included a jester who actively involved the audience in magic tricks. Prior to dinner, cast members escorted people to their seats and bickered about the current state of England. Comic relief was inserted into the dialogue between performers that poked fun at President Bush, healthcare and global warming. Some of Bush’s glamorous statements were stated, such as: “If we don’t succeed we run the risk of failure,” and, “Is our children learning?”

Throughout each serving, the singers serenaded the tables with traditional pieces of the Madrigal era and songs by composers such as Tchaikovsky, Fissinger, and Vivaldi.

All the choirs were involved in the production, including the Beginning Choir, Concert Choir, Madrigals, and Spectrum.

“I thought it was a culmination of a lot of months of hard work and the first time we truly realized our Madrigal Dinner dream in a way,” Michael Najar, Paly choir director said. “After four years of just trying it, we finally got it right because it’s so hard to coordinate singing, theatre, food, and have a dinner performance. I thought the kids did incredibly well and I couldn’t be happier.”