Madrigal:  Scripts

Director Interview Author Interview Script 1      Script 2      Script 3 Script 4      Script 5 Historical Notes

Script 4

(The guests are beginning to arrive--look professional!!)

Would the house of _______follow these?
Hampshire, Berkshire, Cambridge, Dorset, Manchester, Dover, Essex, Nottingham, Sheffield, Southampton, Oxford, Sussex, York
Give the BIG houses plenty of time to move into the other room before you call the next house. 

You'll need to call each house about 2 or 3 times. LOUDLY!

C-1 Attention!!!!  Good lords & ladies fair
We bid these welcome, we bid thee share
Our feasting and our revelry
Our music and our company

C-2 The time is fourteen and seventy-five, The place is England
So be alive, and choose a role for thee that's right
Duke, Duchess, Lord or Knight, Thou can'st be whatever thou wilt.
So play the role and play full tilt.

C-3 Let no man come into this hall,
Groom, page, nor yet marshal
But that some sport he bring withal
For now is the time for celebration

C-4 The room is now a castle hall, and we are players one and all
Well, let's be on with I pray, for all too soon comes morrow's day.

C-5 (EVERYONE) And now to bring the King's Court in
We proclaim, let the celebration begin!

* * * A GREAT AND MIGHTY WONDER * * *

C-6 Dear friends and royal court, please be seated. (HUGE PAUSE so everyone can be seated) Come, dear friends, let us continue our festivities with singing. Make we joy now in this feast!!!

* * *  MAKE WE JOY * * *

C-7 Our friend Hans Hassler has written a song to celebrate life!!! Let us sing, dance, eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow waits for no man.

* * * TANZEN UND SPRINGEN * * *

C-8 Good Lords & Ladies, such music does truly charm the soul, but let us now test our limbs and dance. What would a celebration be without a Pavanne which doth quicken both our spirits!

C-9 Come, friends of the Royal Court, let us dance the Pavanne.

* * * The Pavanne Dancers * * *

C-10 Thank you, dear friends, your grace and charm is most commendable. 
Your talents are most outstanding.

C-11 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. (Chamber choir members usher the guest to the center court.) Lady/Lord _________-we welcome you to our court. (FOR LADY GUESTS: Your beauty and charm has proceeded you throughout the lands. We rejoice in your presence. FOR MEN GUESTS: We admire your strengths, honor your triumphs and rejoice in your presence.) We dub you SIR/LADY ______of Windsor Castle. Rise Sir/Lady ________. Let us welcome thee. 

C-12 (EVERYONE) Welcome, SIR/LADY______________!

The ROYAL GUEST  responds: I thank you, my friends of the Royal Court. It is truly my honor to spend this time with you. Let the celebration continue.

C-13 Before we feast we thank our God for friends and loved ones dear. 
The ones that gather in our homes as the holidays draw near.
All gathered here, please bow thy heads to ask dear God to bless
The cooks, the food, the songs, and each special royal guest.

C-14 Our heads we bow, our hands we fold, our hearts we offer as of old.
In thanks for food and fellowship and shelter from the cold.

* * * DOXOLOGY * * *

C-15 Stewards! Let us have the Wassail bowl & fill each cup with cheer
So that we may wet our lips, warm our hearts, and offer our toasts for all to hear.
Musicians strike your horns I beg. Hasten the stewards on their way.
To bring the Wassail Bowl to us to toast this festive day.

* * * Brass fanfare * * *

(5 minutes as wassail is brought to each table)

C-16 Lords and ladies, we bid you rise for our Wassail toast. At the completion of each toast given by one of the royal court, all assembled here will lift their cups, and give a loud WASSAIL.

C-17 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.

C-18 WASSAIL!!

C-19 Raise now a cup to the singers tonight!
We trust that our music shall bring you delight!
We pray that the notes that we hit in this hour
Will always be sweet and never be sour!

C-20 WASSAIL!!

C-21 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!!! 

C-22 (ALL MEN) A toast to you all our beloved ladies!!

C-22a WASSAIL!!

C-23 Let us not forget our gentlemen. A toast to our men in this hall!! 
To them, who display continued friendship, loyalty, and affection.

C-24 (ALL LADIES) A toast to you all our beloved men!!

C-24 a WASSAIL!!

* * * GLOUCESTERSHIRE WASSAIL * * *

C-25 One final toast..(Everyone) Wassail to your health...may success & good fortune be with you all!!

* * * HAPPY HOLIDAYS * * *

C-25a WASSAIL!!

C-26   Come, good folks!! Bring on the soups, cooked meat and all the delicacies of this fine celebration.

C27   The new Yule log awaits to light the new year
So come my dear friends, and bring all good cheer! 

C28   My good friends and Royal Guests...
before you eat, instructions in table manners we'd make clear
For in the Book of Courtesy, written in 1430 or near,
The author most explicitly set forth most serious advise
To make yours and others evening of eating nice.

C29    Guests must have clean nails or they will disgust their table companions.
Guests must avoid quarreling and making grimaces with other guests.

C30   Guests must not tell unseemly tales at the table, 
nor soil the cloth with their knife, nor rest their legs upon the table.

C31  Guests must never leave bones on the table; always hide them under the chairs.
Guests must not wipe their greasy fingers on their beards. 

C32   Guests must not lean on the table with their elbows nor dip their thumbs in their drink.
Guests must retain their knives lest they be forced to grub with their fingers.

C33   So now, good folk, since instructions in table manners have been made clear, let us begin the feasting!

C34   (everyone)  SO LET US EAT, DRINK, & BE MERRY!!!! 

* * *Brass Fanfare * * *

(5 minutes of brass - 10 minutes of harpsichord/record - strolling minstrel)
(Soup & Salads are served & eaten)

C35   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 * * *

C36   So drink and be merry... prepare for a feast of delight
Brown bread of bran, sweetmeats a-plenty....and EVERYTHING RIGHT!!!

* * * Brass Fanfare * * *

(5 minutes of brass while main course is being served)
(The main course is served.  15 minutes of recorder music/harpsichord)
(Strolling minstrel - 15 minutes)

C37   Attention Lords & Ladies. The feast is now over! Let us rejoice and be merry!

C38   My good friend, with the feast being over, I do think our guests have enjoyed themselves.

C39   (From off stage)  Oh Master Josh!!! You are much too kind.

C40   Only for you my sweet.

C41   Lord & Ladies, you must see all the gifts my dear one has give me. 
Unfortunately they are so many I can only tell you about them.

C42   We all are aware Josh has a great heart of gold. Please show us his gifts to you.

C43   Well...all right!!! 

* * * 12-DAYS OF CHRISTMAS * * *

C46   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.

C47   Centuries ago, the minstrels brought to England's Isle 
From countries near & far, a dainty Madrigal singing style. 

C48   Sung by chambermaids, masters, stewards and dames
In court and hall, the fashion it became.
Tonight we will share such songs with you
Basking in the candle lights hue.

C49   Allow us to sing for our friends so dear
And fill this hall with holiday cheer.

* * * MUSIC PERFORMED BY ACAPPELLA & CONCERT CHOIRS * * *

c1 The friends from Sherwood would love to sing a fresh new Spanish folk song for your pleasure.

c2 Our dear friend Lord James is here to perform this delightful Christmas canon with us. Lord James would you please grace us with your talent?

c3 The English translation is dear child, sleep now.
In the meantime, your mother sings.

* * * NINO QUERIDO * * *

c3   Thank you royal friends and Lord James. Our next selection is an exciting greeting to all our friends who are with us this evening.

c4 Masters in this hall, hear we news today. Brought him over sea and every I you pray.

C5 Ox & ass him know, kneeling on their knee, Wondrous joy had I, this little babe to see.

C6 Noel sing we loud. God today hath poor folk raised and cast a-down the proud.

* * * MASTERS IN THIS HALL * * *

a1 Thank you Sherwood friends. The court from Berkshire would now ask the honor to share two  selections for your evening's enjoyment.

a2 Just recently this special carol was written for us to perform at this evening's festivities.

a3 While by my sheep I watched at night. Glad tidings brought an angel bright. There shall be born so he did say, in Bethlehem a child today.

a4 There shall he lie in manger mean. Who shall redeem the world from sin. Lord evermore to me be nigh.  Then shall my heart be filled with joy.

a5 How great my joy. Praise we the Lord in heaven on high.

* * * WHILE BY MY SHEEP * * *

a6 Thank you, dear friends, for your kind reception. Our Swedish friend, Lord Sven, has written a beautiful Swedish lullaby that we would like to perform for you.

a7 The translation is: Advent time is coming to a lonely house. Put a new candle in the candleholder. Something shall happen in this frosty Advent. I'm expecting a gift that the Lord has sent.

a8 This gift is the kind of gift we give each other each day. Open the door of your house; let the little light shine in.

* * * ADVENTSTID * * *

C50 We thank thee one and all for such a display of your musical gifts. In truth, such beautiful music our spirits you did lift.

C 51 It's been a time since last you ate, so bring forth the dessert so grand the pudding, rich and flaming to be enjoyed throughout the land! Rejoice & be merry, good folk!

* * * Brass Fanfare * * *
(dessert is served & coffee/tea is poured)
(10 minutes of harpsichord/recorder music is played)

C50 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.

C51 Though most of our madrigal singing is quite spontaneous, we will perform special compositions written especially for our guests and friends this evening. 

C52 Tonight my good friends, we welcome you to join our holiday cheer. The feast is over, we now present more songs for you to hear. Come all musicians, COME!!!

* * * COMEm ALL MUSICIANS, COME * * *

C 53 The heart is tired at Bethlehem. No human dream unbroken stands yet here God comes to mortal hands, and hope renewed cries out: Amen!!

* * * THE HILLS ARE BARE AT BETHLEHEM * * *

C54 I am living to nourish you, cherish you. I am pulsing the blood in your veins feel the magic & power of surrender.

* * * CLOUDSONG * * *

C55 Let me tell you about my Fair Phyllis, what a BABE!!

* * * FAIR PHYLLIS I SAW * * *

C56 Well, you think your Phyllis is something to brag about. You have NO idea what you're missing until you meet my Bonnie.

* * * MY BONNIE LASS SHE SMELLETH * * *

C57 Men, we're quite impressed with your lady friends. However, may we please continue our concert with a normal everyday Christmas carol that everyone knows? Thanks.

* * * CAROL OF THE BELLS * * *

C58 Let's have fun! This holiday should be filled with laughter & joy. How about celebrating this evening with a great 15th century SLEIGH RIDE! (Anyone with deer horns or fun Christmas hats or, let's wear them.)

* * * JINGLE BELLS * * *

C59 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.

C60 Our gratitude go to you for celebrating this time with us and best wishes for a safe return are left to you alone.

C61 Come, my royal friends and townspeople...let us join our voices in a song of gentleness.

* * * CANTATE DOMINO * * *

A62 May the sights and sounds of this night fill all of us with the joy and peace of this holiday season. 

C82 WE SINGERS OF THE MADRIGAL AND ALL WHO MADE THE FEAST

C83 WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS, FROM THE ELDEST TO THE LEAST

C84 AND WE ADD OUR SINCERE WISHES THAT YOUR NEW YEAR MAY BE BRIGHT

C85 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)