Tudor Dinners Keep Rich Traditions Alive
This year marks the 83rd anniversary the Tudor Holiday Dinner Concerts on the UW-Madison campus. Photo by Andy Manis.
As the legend goes, the traditional Boar’s Head Feast originated in England when a scholar was walking through the forest to Christmas mass. A wild boar emerged in his path, so he used the heavy book to knock out the animal before presenting it as the centerpiece of the banquet that night. While the Wisconsin Union uses more conventional methods to prepare the feast, the spirit of the tradition is kept alive through the Tudor Holiday Dinner Concerts.
Get in the mood for the holiday season and attend one of the annual dinners, taking place the evenings of Dec. 7, 8, 10 & 11 in Union South’s Varsity Hall.
Concert attendees enjoy performances by the Philharmonic Chorus of Madison. Photo by Andy Manis.
This year marks the 83rd anniversary of the Tudor Holiday Dinner Concert on the UW-Madison campus, and the 44th year that the Philharmonic Chorus of Madison has provided music for the dinners, according to lead event coordinator Hannah Scott.
“The Tudor Dinners at Wisconsin date back to 1933, when a group of community singers agreed to sing a Christmas program at the University Club and also at the Wisconsin Union,” Scott said.
The celebration begins at 5:30 p.m. with a Wassail bowl and hor d’oeuvres in Union South’s Sun Garden. New this year, the chorus will summon guests up into the hall, where the evening continues with strolling minstrels, various ceremonials, a hearty feast and flaming figgy pudding. And you can’t forget the grand presentation of the boar’s head! The festivities continue after dinner, when audience members are invited to join the chorus in singing favorite holiday carols.
See the menu and order tickets for the event here.
The traditional feast includes roasted beef, potatoes and flaming figgy pudding, of course. Photo by Andy Manis.
