By Shelley Smith
ssmith@salisburypost.com
Hear ye! Hear ye! The students of East Rowan High School and Erwin Middle choirs held their annual Madrigal Dinner Saturday night. Dressed in medieval attire, and complete with a king, queen and court jester, students performed songs, danced and entertained their guests throughout the dinner.
Guests could not eat with utensils, only their hands, or it was off with their heads! Feasting on a meal of chicken, potatoes, cookies, carrots, celery and rolls, guests also indulged in magical musical performances, excellent food and plenty of comic relief, such as a sword fight and palm reading.
Elizabeth Cook, director of the Erwin chorus, has been participating for nearly 10 years.
“For me, this brings the music alive,” she said. “To perform something like this in costume makes more of an impact and is something students will remember for a long time.”
Dean Orbison is the director of the high school’s chorus groups.
“A lot of the guests enjoy eating with their hands, but they won’t tell you that,” he joked. “Although our main fundraiser is Broadway Revue, this is a great way to raise money, and it’s something I’ve always wanted to do. The kids really enjoy it.”
Funds received from the dinner go toward each school’s chorus trips, such as chorus competitions. More than 45 parents volunteer, cooking and preparing the meals for each of the shows.
“It helps the high school kids be mentors to the middle school kids, and it’s just a fun night out,” said Orbison.