Tuesday, December 9, 2003 / Vol. 99, No. 25

Copyright 2003 The University Leader & FHSU

Madrigal Dinner successful once again with festive fun

Brandie Johnson
Staff Writer
brandie_a_johnson@yahoo.com

The community of FHSU and beyond were summoned by the Lady of the Castle to celebrate the Yuletide season this past weekend, Dec. 5-6, for the 40th annual Madrigal Dinner.

Guests for the annual celebration mingled in the lobby of the Memorial Union as they awaited for the festivities to begin. Shortly after 6 p.m., heralded trumpeters announced the arrival of the Lady of the Manor, Countess Brenda (Brenda Meder, Hays Arts Council director).

Countess Brenda announced her distinguished guests the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland who were portrayed by Virgil (director of the Endowment Association) and Diane (assistant vice president for Student Affairs) Scott.

Each party to attend the Madrigal Dinner was issued tickets with a certain “house” or “castle” designation they were “representing,” so to speak.

As each house was brought to the dining hall, they were announced to the rest of the guests.

Robert Luehrs, professor of history, has been a member of the Madrigal Dinner cast for the past 20 years. This year, however, Luehrs hung up his doublet and tights and concentrated on behind-the-scenes efforts.

“Forsooth, ‘twas passing strange yet withal a wondrous thing to be able to enjoy this sumptuous and savory Renaissance feast without worry about my next cue or my next speech,” Luehrs said.

Luehrs and his wife (Christiane, instructor of English) dined with the Countess and her guests Saturday evening.

“The evening went very well indeed,” Luehrs said. “Brenda Meder, the gracious Lady of the Manor, and Virgil and Diane Scott, the elegant Duke and Duchess of Northumberland, were all perfect, peers without peer. The singers were magnificent, so was their director William Rayburn (assistant professor of music) in his debut as the Manor’s maestro. All praise also to the Brass Quintet and the String Quartet.”

Kristen Lindsten, career services scheduling and statistics coordinator, attended the Madrigal Dinner for the first time Friday evening.

“This was my first time to attend the Madrigal Dinner and I had a wonderful experience,” she said. “The atmosphere was great and the music and the singers were excellent. Overall, it was very entertaining.”

Meder has been on the organizing committee and has served as Lady of the Manor for five years. Meder had attended the Madrigal Dinner as a guest in the past (1979 or 1980) and had not been back to it for a number of years. She had not been able to obtain tickets and scheduling did not permit her to attend the event.

“I thought it was wonderful to see the Lord and Lady of the Manor,” she said of her first experience with the Madrigal Dinner. “I am very excited and enthused about being the Lady of the Manor.”

Meder first assumed the role of Lady of the Manor in 1999.

“Robert Luehrs is a wonderful counterpart,” Meder said. “He embodies so much the spirit of the Madrigal Dinner.”

The Luehrs’ assumed the roles of King and Queen of England who stopped by to visit the Lady of the Manor during the 2001-2002 Madrigal Dinner events.

The Madrigal Dinner has been performed at FHSU since 1964, except for two years during 1967-1969 while the Memorial Union was undergoing renovation.

While this was the first year Luehrs had not performed during the Madrigal Dinner, Meder said it was sort of a “passing of the guard” because he was an integral part of the Madrigal Dinner. Another corner to turn for the Madrigal Dinner is the fact this was the last year Steve Wood, Memorial Union director, was to be part of the event. Saturday evening marked the 27th year Wood would be on the committee and in the event in an official capacity.

“Diane and Virgil Scott were the visiting Duke and Duchess,” Meder said. “They did a wonderful job. They had a good time and enjoyed their roles. It’s exciting when a first-timer has had a wonderful experience and really enjoy themselves.”

William Rayburn, director of choral activities, assumed the role of Maestro Di Cappella (Madrigal Maestro), formerly occupied by Rager Moore.

“The members of the chorus were wonderful,” Meder said. “Although the Madrigal Dinner has been wonderful for years, people enjoyed the final concert featuring different music. A change always involves a bit of uncertainty but it can pay off. It paid off this year with different musical voices and music,” she said.

Guests of the Countess feasted upon tomato bisque soup, beef and Yorkshire pudding, breast of fowl (mustard chicken breast) and a dessert of apple dumpling.

Each phase of the dinner was introduced…the advent of the boar’s head, the appearance of the traditional plum pudding in flaming splendor, all added to the occasion.

Following the presentation of the flaming plum pudding, the chorus enchanted the audience with a concert of soft, peaceful music, featuring Jan Pieters Sweelinck’s “Hodie Christus Natus Est” to Heinrich Isaac’s “My friends we now must leave thee.”

After the Countess bid farewell to her guests, the royalty strolled outside the ballroom to await the leaving of the guests.

“The Madrigal Dinner served up pageantry, tradition, warmth, mirth and merry-making nicely seasoned with a bit of Shakespeare and a lot of good cheer,” Luehrs said. “There was even a bagpiper and a magician who went from table to table performing his illusions.”

Lindsten said, “The Madrigal Dinner is a good way to kick off the holiday season.”

“My wife and I were so enchanted by the mood of the occasion that the next day, we put away our somber, teacherly responsibilities and Grinch-like grumblings to slap some carols in the CD player, wrap a few presents, and, amid memories of Christmases past, decorate our tree.”