Last night (30 November), right after work, I drove to Julie and Joan's apartment. There, we got into Julie's SUV and headed to Eliot Unitarian Chapel in Kirkwood for the 46th annual Eliot Chapel Renaissance Madrigal & Christmas Rout. This year's show--which runs from 30 November to 2 December-- is "A Chaotic Christmas."
The three of us found our table in the sanctuary and were later joined by the six other guests assigned to our table. There were nine tables with up to nine guests each for this show. Each table was serviced by a volunteer wench, who poured drinks and served cake to us. Musicians from the St. Louis Recorder Society played through much of the evening. The sanctuary was decorated with holly boughs and tapestries.
The program began with the procession of The Not-Ready-For-Reformation Players into the sanctuary. This was followed by a wassail toast, in which we sipped from cups of apple cider. The Boar's Head was brought to the principals, Sir William Cecil and Queen Elizabeth I; however, they passed on eating it. The Fool and Lady Beatrice, along with several castle guests, were in the thick of the action, which displayed much wit.
We (Julie, Joan and I) didn't know that we could bring our own food in to this event. Fortunately, one of our fellow table guests had a box of peanut butter cookies, which she shared with the rest of our table. It did well to satisfy us. There was water at each table to drink.
The Greenleaf Singers performed madrigals during the show. They performed traditional music of Renaissance Era England, along with a couple of surprising tunes. One was a madrigal arrangement of the Bee Gees' 1977 hit "Staying Alive." The other was "Good King Kong" by P.D.Q. Bach (a fictional composer created by satirist Peter Schickele). They definitely added to the lighthearted feel of the evening.
After the intermission, the Yule Log was brought into the sanctuary accompanied by song. Each table received a Yule Log cake, a chocolate cake with chocolate icing. The wench cut the log at each table and gave a plate with the slice to each guest. It was most delicious. Hot coffee was also served with the cake.
The Greenleaf Singers sang three carols before the players led us all in singing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" and "Silent Night" to conclude the program. This was my first time attending a madrigal and Julie, Joan, and I sure enjoyed ourselves.
The three of us then got into Julie's SUV for the drive back to her place, where I got out after a good night kiss with Julie and got into my car to drive home. It was a long night after a long day of work, but it was a great evening and a wonderful way to usher in the Christmas season. The madrigal will return next year on 5-7 December 2024.
Later.
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