Hear ye, hear ye! The majestic idea of the renaissance is back with the 39th annual Madrigal dinner.

“It’s sort of like Medieval Times, but with silverware. Instead of sword fights and jousting, we have a plethora of music for the audience to enjoy. We completely convert the auditorium to look like a festive, holiday medieval castle, with our performers surrounding the audience, as they enjoy a fantastic three course dinner,” Nathan Rancatore, madrigal director said.

Madrigals is a huge event in the music department every year as many students come together to create this magical show. There are many different parts of the Madrigal dinner, making it easier for students to find something they would want to do as part of the show.

“We offer multiple opportunities for students to participate in the madrigal program. For singers, we have the Madrigal singers and Madrigal Ladies. Both groups are auditioned and have a pretty rigorous rehearsal schedule since the dinner will consist of both ensembles performing over twenty pieces [of music],” Rancatore said. “For actors, we have the Madrigal Actors. The actors bring our script to life and add some wonderful comic relief, as well as some more wholesome moments.”

Most students do not realize that anyone can join Madrigals. The musical department has a desire to grow and wants students to know there is always room for more.

“The Madrigal Dinners are not just a choir thing. It involves the entire music department, as we have several Madrigal instrumentalists’ ensembles and both student and parent volunteers behind the scenes with set construction, dinner preparation and more to make sure that the dinner runs as smoothly as possible,” Rancatore said.

There are many different memories made during the Madrigal dinner, and some are just based on the music itself.

“My favorite part of the Madrigal dinner is when we stand around the candlelit room and sing Silent Night. It always gives me the chills,” sophomore Samantha Zigmant said. “I wish everyone could see how great this production really is. All of the Madrigal performers have such a deep connection with one another and with the music.”