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Madrigal Feaste brings in more than 400 for this year’s two-night holiday event

By Shawn Linenberger - | Dec 8, 2015

Another Madrigal Feaste has concluded in Tonganoxie.

And yet again, large crowds filled the Tonganoxie Middle School commons area for the annual event.

More than 400 people attended the two nights of food and merriment.

The Tonganoxie High School Vocal Department again performed for the THS Madrigal Feaste, which was Friday and Saturday at TMS.

THS vocal instructor Tom Gifford said that 187 people dined Friday and a capacity crowd of 224 was there Saturday.

“So many volunteers work so hard to make it happen,” Gifford said. “Parents, alumni and other community members.”

And, of course, Carolyn Day, who Gifford said continues to serve as “queen mother.” She soon will be back at work looking for decorations and other items for the 2016 installment of the event.

In the past, the event had featured both THS and TMS vocalists, Gifford said this year’s event featured THS students.

He said the choir concerts have been separated, so THS and TMS each now have their own.

Performing this year were three high school vocal groups: Chieftain Singers, THS Concert Choir and the newly established Treble Choir.

On Friday and Saturday, vocalists performed a modified version of the inaugural THS Madrigal Feaste back in 2001, called “The Jester’s Test” by Paul Brandvik. In it, the two main characters, the Jester (played by Braden Shryock) and the Troubadour (played by Luke Falk), compete for the title of the King’s Jester.

Royalty for Friday’s Feaste was Zach Berry as king and Kaitlin Hall as queen. On Saturday night, fellow seniors Joshua Lingo played the role of the king and Emma DeMaranville the queen.

The menu was hot wassail (spiced apple cider), bread loaves, soup, ham steak, green beans, roast potato and a fruit tart.

This past weekend marked the 14th year of Madrigal Feaste. The renaissance-era-themed event had banners hanging in honor of each year’s Feaste so far.

TMS vocalists win awards

Tonganoxie Middle School had two students selected to the Kansas Middle School All-State Choir in Ashtin Barnes and Jack Duvall.  They are the first TMS students to have been selected since the state changed the participation from “Director’s Choice” to submitting an mp3 audition 10 years ago.

The choir is for grades 7-9, so they competed against many high school freshmen to achieve the honor.

The two vocalists will be going Feb. 26 to Wichita to rehearse with the other all-state singers and give a performance at the 2016 Kansas Music Educators Association In-Service Workshop at the Century II Center.

TMS also had its vocal concert Tuesday, while the TMS band concert will be 6 p.m. Thursday at the Tonganoxie Performing Arts Center on the THS campus. Students in grades 5-8 will perform.

And the THS concert band will have its winter performance at 7 p.m. Monday at the performing arts center.

THS singers look to perform

Gifford said his singers don’t have anything scheduled currently as far as holiday performances in the community, but he said he hopes to take students out to care homes in the community.