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Script 2Pre-showE-1 Welcome, dear friends & royal guests. Allow us to entertain you as preparations begin for these evenings festivities. Our friends from Hampshire will now perform. What cheer! Good cheer! E-2 Thank you, dear friends, for those lovely selections. Our friends from the province of Nottingham would enjoy performing two selections for your pleasure. Here We Come A-Carolling & Il est ne. Concert Choir - Here We Come A-Carolling Concert Choir - Il Est Ne E-3 We delight in your performance. Your musicality is impeccable. E-4 You are most kind, dear_____. Allow us to perform one final tune for our guests. Sleep Tiny Baby. Concert Choir - Sleep My Baby E-5 Thank you, friends of Nottingham, for your concert. E-6 Dear _____, our ensemble from Berkshire has rehearsed for this evening. Please allow us to favor our our audience with two of our favorite holiday tunes. E-7 The men of Berkshire shall perform the 17th century English carol "I Saw Three Ships" E-8 And the ladies of Berkshire shall perform the lovely folk song "A la nanita," a lullaby to the infant. A Cappella Choir - I Saw Three Ships A Cappella Choir - A la nanita E-9 Dear friends & royal guests, you have been most kind in your response. We will close our concert with an arrangement of two delightful Welsh carols. We present A Celtic Christmas. A Cappella Choir - A Celtic Christmas S1 Thank you, lovely ladies & gents for the concert. Lady ____, do I see from afar members of the Royal Court? S2 Dear ____, I do behold their drawing near. What Ho? Arise, arise! My Lord & Lady approach. S3 For in this hall we do resort. Resort for many a day. S4 Good evening, all ye gentle folk, from
places near and far.
S5 The spirit that so long ago swept o'er the world
like fire
S6 So enter now and take your ease, enjoy the drama
within,
S7 What ho? Let us begin. S8 And now good folk, I beg you take leave of this chamber and follow our dear townspeople as we make our way to the grand banquet hall. S9 Townspeople.... let us greet our guests and make
welcome be. (begin calling the courts one by one....each court will be
led by a group of servers into the banquet hall) Nottingham, Berkshire,
Dorset, Essex, Norfolk, Oxfordshire, Sussex, Hampshire
(10-12 minutes as guests enter hall) S8 Lords and Ladies, and noble guests! This Royal Court bids you welcome to this hall, which by our command, has been fitted for an evening of feasting, singing, and dancing for the general merriment of you all. S9 As has been our custom, this Royal Court has annually invited guests from the reaches of our land to come and spend this special holiday celebration with us. S10 Let no man come into this hall,
S11 Tonight let us fill this hall with merriment, laughter,
good food, and music.
* * * A GREAT AND MIGHTY WONDER * * * S12 Come, dear friends, let us be joyful. Let no sorrow o'ertake us. S13 Our friend, Orzazio Vecchi wrote a special song
for this special evening.
* * * So Ben Mi ChÌa Bon Tempo * * * S14 Good Lords & Ladies, such music does truly
charm the soul, but let us now test our limbs and dance.
S15 Come friends of the Royal Court.....let us dance the Pavanne. * * * The Pavanne Dancers * * * S16 Thank you, dear friends, thou hast danced the royal dance with commendable grace. S 17 Lords & Ladies of this Court, I have noticed we have in our midst a special guest from afar. My Royal Friends, let us escort lady/lord__________ to our center court. Lord/Lady _______we welcome you to our court. (FOR LADY GUESTS: Your beauty & charm has proceeded you throughout the lands. We rejoice in your presence. FOR MEN GUESTS: We honor your triumphs and rejoice in your presence.) We dub you SIR/LADY ____________of Windsor Castle. Rise Sir/Lady________. Let us welcome thee. S17 Welcome SIR/LADY ____________________! THE ROYAL GUEST RESPONDS: I thank you, mine good people. Let the celebration continue. S18 Before we feast we thank our God for friends
and loved ones dear,
S19 Our heads we bow, our hands we fold, our hearts
we offer as of old
* * * DOXOLOGY * * * S20 Steward! Let us have the Wassail bowl, so that we may wet our lips, warm our hearts, and offer our toasts!! Quickly...fill our cups, good friends, and begin our feasting tonight. * * * Brass fanfare * * * (5 minutes as wassail is brought to each table) S21 Yes, dear friends & guests..a toast is in order. Let us stand. (Pause) Let us toast to this festive occasion. S22 A toast to LADY/SIR_____________. May health and happiness attend her. May every joy of the season be hers, and may she be blessed by Providence with longevity. S23 WASSAIL!! S24 A toast to the ladies in this hall!! To them, who are the quiet strength of our lives, the rarest flowers of our courts, and the highest inspiration of our hearts!! S25 A toast to you all our beloved ladies!! S26 WASSAIL!! S27 Let us not forget our gentlemen. A toast to our men in this hall!! To them, who display continued friendship, loyalty, and affection. S28 A toast to you all our beloved men!! S29 WASSAIL!! * * * DRINKHAIL * * * S31 One final toast. . . Wassail..to your health:....may success & good fortune be with you all! * * * HAPPY HOLIDAYS * * *
S33 Come, good folks!! Bring on the soups, cooked meat,and all the delicacies of this fine celebration. S34 The new Yule log awaits to light the new year
S35 My good friends and Royal Guests...
Guests must have clean nails or they will disgust their table companions.
S36 Guests must not tell unseemly tales at the table, not soil the cloth with their knife, nor rest their legs upon the table. Guests must never leave bones on the table; always hide them under the chairs. S37 Guests must not wipe their greasy fingers on
their beards.
S38 So now, good folk, since instructions in table manners have been made clear, let us begin the feasting!!! S39 So let us eat, drink, and be merry! * * *Brass Fanfare * * * (5 minutes of brass - 10 minutes of harpsichord/record
- strolling minstrel)
* * * Brass Fanfare * * * S40 It is said that long ago, a young student was studying in the quiet of Shotover Forest, when suddenly that quiet was broken, and he lowered his book of Aristotle to see charging him at full tilt a mighty, wild boar. Whereat the student raised his Aristotle again, but this time to ram it sharply into the boar's jaws with the cry: Graecum est!. Thus, as the saying goes, He choked the savage with the sage. He brought the head back to be able to retrieve his good copy of Aristotle, and ever since, a boar's head has been borne to the table accompanied by the famous song: The Boar's Head Carol. * * * THE BOAR'S HEAD CAROL * * * S41 So drink and be merry... prepare for a feast
of delight
* * * Brass Fanfare * * * (5 minutes of brass while main course is being served)
S42 Attention, Lords & Ladies. The feast is now over! Let us rejoice and be merry! S43 My good friend, with the feast being over, I do think our guests have enjoyed themselves. S44 My dear, you are right, although I fear that some of our guests have enjoyed themselves too much......especially the food!! S45 I fear so also my friend. Some of them have been heard guzzling, munching, and worst of all.....CHOMPING!! S46 I heard them asking to pass the salt and the pepper and the mustard and the vinegar....(everyone react out loud in disgust) S47 And sire, someone even had a fly in his soup!!! (Everyone gasp) But thou need not worry, dear friend...it did not eat much!! S48 Is there a doctor in the hall????!!!! * * * BANQUET FUGUE* * * S49 My good friends...have I told you of my lovely little white hen?? She is so beautiful with her fluffy white feathers. And she lays such perfect eggs!! S50 But she cackles too much!!! S51 And she makes too much noise!!! * * * THE LITTLE WHITE HEN * * *
S53 Centuries ago, the minstrels brought to England's
Isle
S54 Sung by chambermaids, masters, stewards and
dames
S55 Allow us to sing for our friends so dear
* * *MUSIC PERFORMED BY ACAPPELLA & CONCERT CHOIRS* * * C-1 Thank you, dear friends & family, for joining us this evening. Let us continue these festivities with a special round written by Sir William Boyce especially for our ensemble. C-2 Come join us Lady____ and share your talents with us as we perform this delightful composition. * * * ALLELUIA * * * C-3 Thank you Lady___. Masters! Masters of this Hall!! News from o'er the water has come! C-4 Of a Babe born in a stall. Hopeful are all good folk on earth, Noel, Noel sing we all! * * * MASTERS IN THIS HALL * * * A-1 Thank you, dear friends, for those splendid selections. It is our time of making music for these royal guests. Allow us to perform this master 17th century carol for your enjoyment. A-2 Let our hearts be filled with joy!! How great our joy!!! Praise we the Lord in heaven on high! * * * WHILE BY MY SHEEP * * * A-3 Our dear friends in the French countryside have shared this uplifting carol with us. Once again, dear folk, favor our ensemble to perform this carol for you. A-4 He is Born the Child Divine. Come..play the musette and the oboe. Let us make merry. Noel! Noel!! * * * CHRIST IS BORN * * * S56 We thank thee one and all for such a display of these talents. In truth such beautifulmusic doth kindle the hearts of all good men. Let us now partake in the royal pudding so grand!! Rejoice and be merry, good folk!! * * * Brass Fanfare* ** (Dessert is served & coffee/tea is poured)
S57 When gentle Shakespeare strolled the Stratford lanes, and country folk danced on the village madrigals were sung. Madrigal singing, brought to England from Italy in this 16th century, was at first an informal type of private entertainment in the castles and country homes of the landed gentry. Madrigals are songs written for small groups in which several voices skillfully combine so that each part is interesting and independent, melodically & rhythmically. S57A Though most of our madrigal singing is quite spontaneous, we will perform special compositions written especially for our guests and friends this evening. S58 Tonight good friends, we welcome you to join
our holiday cheer.
S59 Our dear friend, Orazio, has composed a special song for our celebration tonight. He writes: sing me a song with not a note of sadness and to cool a lover's burning. Sing me to sleep with a sweet serenading. Oh, so gently from sound to silence fading. * * * Fa Una Canzone * * * S60 A flower of beauty is of the rarest to behold. Such gentleness, grace, and lovliness is by far a treasure to admire. Ah yes, she is my slender small love, my flower of beaty.....she. * * * FLOWER OF BEAUTY * * * S60 A delightful carol from our Spanish friends speak of the Babe in the manger. What should we bring this tiny child? Let us bring the fruits of this beautiful earth for the blessed child. We present to our guests a lovely lullaby which contains a melody of substantial grace. * * *THE GIFT CAROL* * * S61 Our Italian friend, Sir Banchieri, has composed a special humorous piece for this celebration. Combining special sounds & levity throughout this composition, we present. Contrappunto bestiale alla mente - Counterpoint of the Animals * * *COUNTERPOINT OF THE ANIMALS* * * S63 My royal friends...I view our talented lutist
friend from Spain. May we invite him to accompany us? (all nod &
gesture for the guitarist to come to the front)
* * *EVE'S FAIR CHILDREN, SHOW ME KINDNESS* * * S64 Sir ___ & Lady ___, would you be so kind as to accompany us as we perform a favorite carol from Austria? Da Droben vom Berge. * * *DA DROBEN VOM BERGE* * * S65 We thank you, Sir___ & Lady____, for sharing
your fine talents with us.
* * *DECK THE HALL* * * S66 My Lords & Ladies, LADY/SIR________, and noble guests: we must now take leave of this hall and seek repose in our chambers. As we take our leave, let us sing of this holiday season which makes all England glad, provides us with pleasures for our senses to enjoy, and renews friendships which our hearts will forever treasure. S67 Our gratitude go to you for celebrating this time with us and best wishes for a safe return are left to you alone. S68 Come, my royal friends and townspeople...let us join our voices in a song of gentleness. * * * CANTATE DOMINO * * * S69 May the sights and sounds of this night fill all of us with the joy and peace of this holiday season. S70 We singers of the madrigal and all who made the feast. S71 Wish you a Merry Christmas, from the eldest to the least. S72 And we add our sincere wishes that your New Year my be bright. S73 And bid you add your voices as we close with SILENT NIGHT. * * * SILENT NIGHT* * * (When all singers have left the hall and have ended in a moment of silence - then 15 minutes of brass music as singers and servers join in the hallway for greeting of the guests.) |
S52
Lords and Ladies, and Royal Guests: we trust thee hath feasted well.
Now let merriment and mirth take place in the presence and countenance
of our special guest LADY/SIR _____and her Royal Court.