Merry make during the holiday season with the Warren Central High School Choral Department as they present “The Royal Wedding” during the annual Madrigal Dinner and Singe Feaste.

Each year, the Vicksburg Warren School District’s two high schools alternate offering a dinner theater performance at the Southern Cultural Heritage Center for the holidays and this year performers will be the WCHS Madrigal Choir.

The group has been preparing for the event for more than four months, choral director Nancy Robertson said.

“We actually started rehearsing for this production in August. The Madrigal Singers got their music the second week of school and we had an all day Saturday intensive day on Aug. 19,” she said.

The choir also rehearses four days each week at 7:45 a.m. and after school on Wednesdays from 4 to 6 p.m. Robertson said, adding that those in the performance are even taking a class to prepare for the event.

And although practices are intense, Robertson said the choir members see performing for the Madrigal Dinner and Singe Feast as one of the best parts about being in the choir.

“This is definitely a highlight for the students in Madrigals because they spend half a school year in preparation for this amazing event,” Robertson said.

Will Gatewood, who will be playing the king in this year’s production agreed with Robertson.

“The Singe Feast is the highlight of our year because we can showcase our talents in an accurate time period setting with historically beautiful music,” Gatewood said.

For the performance, choir members will be dressed in Renaissance-style costumes and olde English will be spoken by servants, the Jester, the Royal court and the King and Queen.

The Madrigal choir learns approximately 20 pieces of music for the production, Robertson said, with most of the music being college level material.

“I have actually had former Madrigals come back to me and tell me that they are doing some of the same music at their college or university that we did in our Singe Feaste,” she said.

In addition to the performance by the Madrigal choir, the Mississippi Boychoir will perform three songs and one song with the Madrigals, Robertson said.

The Madrigal Dinner and Singe Feaste will be held Dec. 14, Dec. 15 and Dec. 16 at the Southern Cultural Heritage Center Auditorium, 1302 Adams St. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased by calling Robertson at 601-529-7171. Reservations should be made no later than Friday.

Seating will begin at 6:30 p.m. with the program beginning at 7.

A 4-course Royal Feast prepared by Palmertree Catering Service will be served, which will include chicken Cordon Bleu, green beans, rice, salad, wassail, tea or water, and cheesecake for dessert.

Robertson said, “The audience will be dazzled with the stunning pageantry, bawdy humor, endless antics, succulent food and extraordinary music, and the ambience of the evening is sure to be one of warmth, laughter, love and joy.”

Robertson began directing the Singe Feast in 2004, and this will be her last year to direct the production.

“This Singe Feaste is my last as I will be retiring on December 22,” she said, but added she will always have “sweet memories” to cherish.