"Come one, Come all." The department of music at Hope College is sponsoring the annual Christmas Madrigal Feast on Friday-Saturday, Dec. 11-12, at 7 p.m. in the Maas Center auditorium.
As in the time of Shakespeare, guests gathered at the royal court for an evening of singing, dancing, feasting and general merry-making. The feast will feature fine food, a wassail toast, figgy pudding and a boar's head procession.
The auditorium will be decorated in the manner of a castle's grand feasting hall, complete with tapestries and suits of armor to help lend atmosphere. The wait staff will be garbed in period attire.
Wassail begins at 6:30 p.m. and the feast, served family-style, begins at 7 p.m. Music will be provided by Hope College's Collegium Musicum vocal ensemble with dance from the Renaissance Dancers.
Tickets for the full slate of activities are $25 for adults, $15 for children under 12 and $15 for Hope College students. Costumes are encouraged, but not required.
Tickets may be purchased during weekday business hours at the college's department of music, which is located in Nykerk Hall of Music and may be called at (616) 395-7650. Because of the Thanksgiving holiday, the office will be closed on Thursday and Friday, Nov. 26-27.
The Maas Center is located at 264 Columbia Ave., on Columbia Avenue at 11th Street. Nykerk Hall of Music is located in the central Hope campus along the former 12th Street between College and Columbia avenues.