TUPELO • The Tupelo High School Madrigals are continuing their annual tradition of singing during the holiday season, but with a different twist this year.
Unable to host their annual Singe Feaste banquet due to COVID-19, the Madrigals will instead host an outdoor event Dec. 11-12 at Fairpark in downtown Tupelo.
Tupelo High School choral director Suzy Williams said the event will be a festival-like setting where those attending can spread out to enjoy the music.
“We’ll keep the tradition going in a new way, adapting to COVID-19 guidelines,” Williams said. “It’s going to have a festival feel to it.”
The Madrigal performances are set for 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 11 and 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 12.
The Madrigals, celebrating their 46th season at THS, dress in Renaissance-style attire to perform songs from that era.
Williams said the outdoor performances will include elements from the Singe Feaste.
“We’re going to go through a mock Singe Feaste,” she said. “We’re going to do the Wassail Song and the Boar’s Head Carol, which we would’ve done had there been a Singe Feaste. You get to hear some of the Madrigal things that are traditional.”
In addition to the Renaissance music, Williams said there will be jazz music incorporated into the set.
“We’re also going to have some vocal jazz and have two halves of the show,” she said. “We’re going to gear this toward both jazz and Renaissance so that it will be appealing to the masses.”
The event will include an opportunity to take photos with Santa Claus and to enjoy wassail and hot chocolate during the performance.
“We’re going to do pictures with Santa and have a backdrop. You can use your cameras and phones to take photos,” Williams said. “We’ll offer wassail and hot chocolate, and we’ll have a stand for that.”
