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Greek mythology had the sirens, capable of luring
men to their deaths with their enchanting songs. Claremont McKenna
College has the music of madrigals, caroling so intoxicating that,
when accompanied by a five-course feast, rings in certain death
to holiday dieting.
Having just celebrated its 20th anniversary on
campus, Madrigal Feast remains one of CMC’s most anticipated
annual events, taking place over a period of five days at the Marian
Miner Cook Athenaeum and feeding and entertaining more than 1,600
students, faculty, staff, and visitors. The programs begin each
evening as arriving guests are escorted to linen-draped tables topped
with lighted candles, poinsettias, cheese, bread, and wine. Student
‘wenches’ serving food and drinks to each table then take
orders for wassail or eggnog, both poured in souvenir Madrigal mugs
for taking home. For the serving of the wassail, and with each of
the five courses that follow, students in The Claremont Colleges
Chamber Choir, directed by Ana DeMichele, serenade guests with a
series of madrigals: centuries-old pastoral songs sung a cappella.
The feast itself is as consistent as the solid
entertainment. Silver bowls of vegetable chowder are first delivered
to the tables, followed by a menu that includes salmon, tossed greens,
chicken, and, for dessert, whiskey pudding. By the third course,
the damage being done to waistlines is evident. “Please,”
several guests at any given table are likely to say, “Just
a sliver of fish for me. I have no idea where I’m going to
put all this food!”
The evening is truly a feast for all of the senses.
Said one departing guest, “The food was great, but I was also
thinking about how nice it would be to listen to that kind of music
every night, before bed."( Famous last words if you believe
in sirens.)
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CMC's 20th annual Madrigal Feast inlcuded a menu fit for kings. Bread
and cheese awaited arriving guests, as did eggnog and mugs of wassail.
His majesty's royal court eyes the latest offerings from the Athenaeum
kitchen, as their fearless leader readies for a taste-test. As has
become custom, with each course sampling comes the opportunity for
a behind-the-scenes prank, such as lacing the king's dish with food
coloring that turns his mouth blue.
With five different food "removals," (the whisking away
of a served course to make room for its successor), the pace of
the feast is 'Mad' indeed.
A Madrigal Feast tradition involves the 'kissing orange,' a piece
of fruit that is randomly (though sometimes, strategically) passed
around the room. Recipients kiss the cheek of the person they next
hand it to. (Ian Hopper '03, above, tags Marcy Moreno '04.)
Students enjoy CMC's Mad Feast not only for the food,
but for the oportunity to see friends performing on stage.
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