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The magical Madrigal Dinner
Published
10 years agoon
By Brian Hurlbut Arts Council of Big Sky
There’s a special feeling in the air during the first week of December in Big Sky, when the air is crisp with winter’s bite and the snow starts to pile up around town. You can feel the tangible tingle of the forthcoming holiday season in your bones.
For me, this time of year is a mixture of nostalgia and excitement. As I get older, I think back to the hectic holiday times spent with family members – some of them long gone – and savor the memories. And now that I’m a father of two young children, I look forward to seeing their priceless expressions on Christmas morning.
The Madrigal Dinner captures all these holiday season feelings and wraps them up into a beautiful package of delicious food, great friends and amazing music, making it a tradition I look forward to every year.
At Buck’s, patrons gather at about 5 p.m., entering the bar area to enjoy a glass of wine and conversation. After an hour, everyone is ushered into the Montana Room, where the lighting sets the mood and a brass quintet plays softly in the corner. The tables are exquisitely decorated with linens, candles and pine boughs. Once everyone is seated, the evening begins.
Transporting guests to a Renaissance feast, the event interprets the historical celebration of the Christmas season. Members of the MSU choral groups dress up like knaves and wenches, complete with a Lord, Lady and members of the Royal Court. Madrigal dinner traditions performed throughout the evening include the ceremonial procession, the wassail bowl and holiday toast, the boar’s head procession and the flaming pudding dessert.
The musical program differs each year, but at every Madrigal Dinner singers serenade the tables, and the evening always ends with the entire hall singing familiar carols.
Kirk Aamot, Director of Choral Activities and an Associate Professor of Music at MSU, conducts the Chorale. The ensemble tours regularly around Montana, and every three years it travels internationally to countries including the Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Hungary, France, Spain, Switzerland and Italy.
Since the event is held at Buck’s, the food is anything but medieval, and every year chef Chuck Schommer and his staff serve up something delicious. This year, the three-course meal includes a beet salad, pesto roasted chicken breast, and a baked plum spice cake for dessert. The restaurant also has featured wines available by the bottle, hand picked to complement the dinner.
Each time I attend the Madrigal, I’m amazed by the entire event. I love talking with people I’ve not met before, being part of the jovial, celebratory mood, and listening to the talented young singers. At the night’s end, when the lights come on and everyone is ready to go home, you can tell there is magic in the air.
If you live in Big Sky and haven’t been to the Madrigal Dinner, you’re missing an event that truly captures the holiday spirit. I’ll even go so far to say it gives me the warm fuzzies, which is good because a long, cold winter looms ahead, and I might not feel that warmth again until June.
This year’s Madrigal Dinner takes place on Thursday, Dec. 5, at Buck’s T-4. Tickets can be reserved in advance only by calling the Arts Council of Big Sky at (406) 995-2742.
Megan Paulson is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Outlaw Partners.
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enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year can be completed by following the
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Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm We will combine the heart-opening powers of cacao with the transcendental powers of breathwork and sound. Together, these practices will give us the opportunity for a deep
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March 23 (Saturday) 6:00 pm - April 23 (Tuesday) 8:00 pm
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Santosha Wellness Center
169 Snowy Mountain Circle
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We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a
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We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a limited palette to create different color combinations? Are you tired of carrying around 15-20 different tubes when you paint plein air? Have you ever wanted to create a certain “mood” in a painting but failed? Do you create a lot of mud? Do you struggle to achieve color harmony? All these problems are addressed in John’s workbook in clear and concise language!
Based on the bestselling “Limited Palatte, Unlimited Color” workbook written by John Pototschnik, the workshop is run by Maggie Shane and Annie McCoy, accomplished landscape (acrylic) and plein air (oil) artists,exhibitors at the Big Sky Artists’ Studio & Gallery and members of the Big Sky Artists Collective.
Each student will receive a copy of “Limited Palette, Unlimited Color” to keep and take home to continue your limited palette journey. We will show you how to use the color wheel and mix your own clean mixtures to successfully create a mood for your paintings.
Each day, we will create a different limited palette color chart and paint a version of a simple landscape using John’s directives. You will then be able to go home and paint more schemes using the book for guidance.
Workshop is open to painters (oil or acrylic) of any level although students must have some basic knowledge of the medium he or she uses. Students will be provided the book ($92 value), color wheel, value scale and canvas papers to complete the daily exercises.
Sundays, April 14, 21 and 28, 2024
Noon until 6PM.
$170.
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14 (Sunday) 12:00 pm - 28 (Sunday) 6:00 pm
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Everyone is invited to join us in celebrating 2 years of arts education in the BASE Art Studio with us! Take a tour
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Everyone is invited to join us in celebrating 2 years of arts education in the BASE Art Studio with us! Take a tour of the studio, meet our instructors, and meet other artists of all levels in our community. We’ll be getting creative and you’ll have the chance to make your very own artful button pin.
Stick around for our Volunteer Appreciation and Social beginning at 6:30 p.m.!
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(Thursday) 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm
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BASE
285 Simkins Dr