Choir to perform at 13th annual Madrigal Feaste

Jordan Middle School hosts choir fundraiser

The Palo Alto High School Choirs will be hosting its 13th Annual Madrigal Feaste on Dec. 5 and 6 for the first time at Jordan Middle School due to Paly construction.

“We are really excited to have it at Jordan,” Paly Choir Director Michael Najar said. “They have a really great venue that fits our needs perfectly.  We are hoping to continue to have it there for future years.”

The Madrigal Feaste is the biggest choir fundraiser of the year and will use the profits for choir’s operating costs and scholarships for students. The event will include repertoire from Concert Choir, Spectrum, The Madrigal Singers and the a capella groups. The Jordan Choir will be joining the Paly Choir to perform on one of the concert days.

The Madrigal Feaste is one of Paly Choir’s unique events, as it includes choral repertoire, theatre and a meal. Choir hopes to take audience members back to the 15th century King Henry VIII’s Westminster Palace. The full experience will also include a storyline and elaborate costumes.

Costuming is a huge part of the event and is run by senior Clare Kemmerer and her mother Carlene Kemmerer. The costumes maintain the 15th century atmosphere and show off the hierarchial contrast among nobility, gentry and peasants. Paly Choir currently has about 200 costumes and continue to make new costumes every year as well as tailor costumes to fit students.

“We do 15th century costuming for the Madrigals,” Kemmerer said. “We have tiers of costumes, the Madrigals get the best costumes and then it goes down from there into Spectrum, gentry and then peasants.”