In December 1964, the Chorus started a Christmas tradition called the “Madrigal Dinner”. During this year they offered four settings; each on a separate day. As one news article written at the time noted, “In addition to the traditional Yuletide meal of Old England, including wassail cup, roast sirloin of beef and plum pudding, the dinners will feature Madrigal Singers, who will entertain during and after the meal in authentic costumes of the period. The meal will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the UD Student Union Ballroom, with guests being heralded to the meal by trumpeters playing a fanfare and processional. The trumpeters will also be on hand to announce the arrival of the wassail bowl, boar’s head and plum pudding."
In 1965, the President’s Dinner for the Faculty became the second Madrigal Dinner. Two dinners were held with each meal provided for approximately half of the full-time faculty and administrators, including their wives or husbands. According to documents within the Archives, the total attendance for both dinners was around 300 people. In 1966, the Chorus went back to four settings, each on a separate day. The price went from $4.00 in 1964 to $4.50 at this time. This was the last year the event took place at the university. The images in this collection are from the 1966 Madrigal Dinner rehearsals.Chorus member name: Czerwinski, Marilyn; Ernzen, Phil; Haney, Mary; Kapron, Mitch; Kupstas, Juanita; Lindquest, Eric; Matoshko, Velma; Nanni, Dan; Palombit, Betsy; Pettinger, Kathy; Whelage, Lois