Candlelights carried by performers, jesters theatrically carry out their story, elaborately sewn costumes sweep across the stage, and voices rise in harmony for Metea Madrigal’s annual Yuletide feaste, to recreate a centuries-old celebration rooted in history, music, and community. 

“The Madrigals show is based on a 16th-century feaste that used to take place in England,” one of Metea’s Madrigals directors, Ron Korbitz, said. “It was designed and put together to celebrate Christmas.”

The performance draws inspiration from the Renaissance era, a time when art, music, and culture were rapidly evolving. Some examples of artists and thinkers of this era are Shakespeare, Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Galileo Galilei, whose influence still resonates today. 

According to Korbitz, the original feastes symbolized a turning point in history. “This feaste was a kind of rejection of the medieval and a welcoming of a new age of enlightenment,” he said. 

At Metea Valley, Madrigals is more than just another choir. While students must audition to earn a spot, the program fosters a deep sense of belonging that lasts long after graduation.

 “Once you’re in, you’re kind of a lifer,” Korbitz said. “We have people…that come back to see the show, and we bring them up on stage, and they sing with us.”

Preparation for the show begins months in advance. The ensemble meets every Thursday throughout the first semester, starting with a casual late-summer picnic meant to help students bond. As opening night approaches, rehearsals intensify.

 “Once we get to tech week…we’re here Monday through Friday,” Korbitz said. “So it’s pretty crazy.”

The Metea Madrigals tradition itself began 12 years ago when Metea’s choir director and co-director for the Madrigals, Paulette Boddy, introduced the program to the school. 

“She wanted to bring this type of music and this type of performance to Metea, because we didn’t have anything like this,” Korbitz said.

Roles are divided by experiences, from Madrigal singers to Ladies’ Maids and members of the Court. Yet the program continues to evolve, welcoming a wide mix of students each year. Each year, the Madrigals’ show looks different, complete with new storylines and themes. 

Students choose the themes themselves. 

“When the seniors… they’re the ones that come up with a theme,” Paulette Boddy said, calling it “a rite of passage.”

Seniors also design the sweatshirts and help define the show’s identity. 

“This year they wanted to have some sort of… cursed crown theme,” she said, which Korbitz then adapts into a full narrative.

The timing is no coincidence; the holidays can be stressful, so the Yuletide Feaste is performed near the end of the year to bring a bit of reprieve and joy amid finals and end-of-year reflections.

“I think people leave our show feeling… just feeling fulfilled and just a little bit better when sometimes it’s a difficult season,” Boddy said. “We try to give the gift of music to our community.”

At its core, Metea Madrigals is about joy, storytelling, and shared experience.

“Just come and see the show. We have a lot of fun, and it’s a beautiful show,” said Ron Korbitz.

For many who attend, that beauty lingers long after the final note, making the Metea Madrigals not just a performance, but a cherished tradition.