KSU Chorale, Dining Services provide dinner and several sketches in annual festivities

The Yuletide Feaste, presented by KSU Chorale and University Dining Services, was presented last night in the Student Center Ballroom. The annual Feaste will be presented tonight and tomorrow night. Guests will be served an elaborate dinner and entertaine

Credit: Jason Hall

“Let ye who enter direct attend. Our festive night shall now begin.”

The trumpets sounded. Fifty lords and ladies of the court walked through the drawbridge and into the castle, passing the knights in armor. Dressed in deep green, red and blue medieval garb, they sang holding candles, welcoming the queen into her castle.

“Lords and ladies, your Royal Highness Elizabeth Regina,” a member of the court declared.

The KSU Chorale, along with University Dining Services and the Kent Student Center began the 33rd annual Yuletide Feaste on Wednesday.

Students and residents from nearby cities had the opportunity to eat a three-course meal and listen to traditional Christmas music in the Student Center Ballroom. The feaste’s last two days begin at 8 p.m. tonight and tomorrow.

“(The feaste is) excellent as usual,” Hudson resident Joan Schultz said. Schultz has been attending the Yuletide Feaste since 1984. “This is the largest (year for the chorale). The food has maintained its excellence throughout the years.”

The menu consisted of mixed greens and a meat with vegetables and sweet potatoes. Dessert was a chocolate cake on a flaming tray.

The Ballroom was festively decorated with holly and berry centerpieces, poinsettias and an ice sculpture of a Christmas tree. A harpsichordist quietly played in the background. The only lighting came from the dim lights above the tables, which illuminated the tapestries on the walls.

The chorale entertained the guests while they ate by separating into small groups and singing carols such as “Deck the Halls,” “O’ Come All Ye Faithful” and “Joy to the World.”

All together, it took about 3 1/2 weeks of preparation, along with 11 rehearsals, said C.M. Shearer, the director of the chorale. The chorale had to learn carols in Spanish, Russian and Latin as well.

“It’s a chance for us to have some fun, dress up in costumes and sing some fun music,” Shearer said. “The students really have a good time.”

The madrigal choir from Stow-Munroe Falls High School was among the guests attending Wednesday evening.

“They (the chorale) are excellent,” said Dana Phillips, a senior at Stow-Munroe Falls High School and member of the madrigal choir. “They kind of put us to shame. Their music is definitely harder than ours.”

The guests laughed and cheered as the juggler, Akron resident Kevin Delagrange, entertained them after the meal. Juggling everything from balls to knives, he joked about nearby cities as he performed.

“You know why a lot of people juggle in Akron?” Delagrange said. “It’s because Akron doesn’t have that much gravity. That’s why the blimps are there.”

After that, the chorale sang some humorous songs, including one about getting drunk.

“I drink to make people interesting,” a court member sang.

“Work is the curse of the drinking class,” another proclaimed.

Toward the end of the night, the entire room had a series of toasts: to the chefs, to the servers and, of course, to the queen.

Everyone raised their glasses of wassail, spiced ale made with roasted apples and sugar.

“Wassail!” the guests and court exclaimed.

The Yuletide Feaste was 2 hours of laughing and merry songs.

“Everybody seemed to enjoy the show,” said Ryan Patterson, sophomore music education major and a bass vocalist in the chorale. “I did too.”

Contact on-campus entertainment reporter Olivia Mihalic at [email protected].