The University of Southern Indiana Chamber Choir will host the 54th annual Madrigal Feaste Thursday through Sunday, December 4-7, in Carter Hall, located in University Center West on the USI campus. Performances will begin at 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, December 4-6, with doors opening at 6:30 p.m., and the Sunday, December 7 matinee performance will begin at 1 p.m. with doors opening at 12:30 p.m.
First performed in 1969 and USI’s most enduring musical tradition, the Madrigal Feaste takes guests back to 15th-century Ireland as the Choir entertains with selections of old English madrigals, Irish traditional folk songs and carols, as well as stirring choral selections for the holiday season. Performances combine vocal and instrumental music, dancing, drama, elegant Renaissance garb and fine dining.
For the past 30 years Daniel Craig, Associate Professor of Music and Director of the USI Chamber Choir, has led the Madrigal Feaste and has been an integral part of the College of Liberal Arts. For many years, he has taken students to Ireland to perform in iconic historical churches and New York City to perform in Carnegie Hall. He is planning some extra performances to mark his upcoming retirement.
“A reunion of former Chamber Choir members will take place prior to the Saturday night performance. Alumni will be singing with the current choir at the end of the performance,” says Craig. “It will be a nostalgic moment and a fun way to celebrate my last performances of the USI Madrigal Feaste.”
This year’s menu will include salad, soup of beef and barley, herb baked chicken and vegetables and bread pudding with rum sauce. Accommodations for dietary restrictions and allergies can be made during ticket purchase online or over the phone.
