(PAOLI )— Celebrating 26 years of a community tradition, Orange County Players will stage its Yuletide Madrigal dinners Dec. 12, 13 and 14 at Paoli First Presbyterian Church.
Performances will begin at 7 p.m. and include the traditional 5-course madrigal feast and a chamber ensemble concert of period music. Guests sit family-style at large tables to complete the feel of a medieval feast.
Paoli First Presbyterian Church will prepare the medieval meal, which includes salad, pork loin, apple-raisin dressing, new potatoes, green beans, bread, and date cake.
Doors will open at 6:30.
The Madrigal began in 1993 as a dream of Larry Hollan and Gary Spear. This duo had worked on many productions together and Spear had performed with the Indiana State Madrigal group during his college years. It was decided that this kind of production should be brought to southern Indiana. So in 1993, the production of the first-ever Orange County Players Madrigal began under the direction of Spear with Hollan taking on the role of assistant director and production coordinator.
Yuletide Madrigals are performed near Christmas with a focus on that special and sacred time of the year. The OCP Madrigal is performed each year at the end of the first full week of December.
Gary Spear will direct this year’s event and Larry Hollan will serve as the assistant director/coordinator.
Singing in OCP’s madrigal this year are sopranos Kristina Allen, Megan Foye, Claire Hester Goller, and Darlene Larrison. Altos include Hanna McClure Combs, Beverly Hester, Denise Straley, and Maria Wishart. Tenors include Patrick Fields and Kate Henderson. The bass section features Steve Byfield, Howard Detweiller, Mike Hester, Hollan, and Sam Kinsey. Bard Casey Foy.
The madrigal concert will feature traditional 14th and 15th-century music including “Alleluia Incantation,” “Angels We Have Heard On High,” “Carol of the Bells,” “Magnificat,” “If Ye Love Me,” Cherubim Song,” “Hallowed” and “The First Nowell.”
Tickets cost $20 per person from cast members or $18 plus a small fee if purchased on Eventbrite. Call (765) 607-0996 for reservations or questions.
