The Madrigal Dinner

Jesus Christ The Apple Tree; Best Loved Christmas Carols; Choir of King's College Cambridge

Dr. C. conducted the SDSU Concert Choir during my last two years in college. He brought a fresh perspective to the art of choral singing. And he also brought a couple of keen performance ideas. Dr. C. introduced the SDSU Music Department to the Christmasse Madrigal Feaste.

It was a fancy affair. The concert choir students would transform Peterson Recital Hall into a regal 16^th century English banquet chamber, complete with jesters, the Wassail toast, presentation of the Boar’s Head and a royal court in charge of entertaining attendees with singing, dance and theatre. Over the course of the evening, the Madrigal Singers would perform several songs.

One of the songs that I remember hearing came from a poem purportedly penned by an unknown New England poet in the 18^th century. 20^th century English composer Elizabeth Poston composed the music.

1. The tree of life my soul hath seen,

Laden with fruit and always green;

The trees of nature fruitless be

Compared with Christ the apple tree.

2. His beauty doth all things excel:

By faith I know, but ne’er can tell,

The glory which I now can see

In Jesus Christ the apple tree

3. For happiness I long have sought,

And pleasure dearly I have bought:

I missed of all; but now I see

‘Tis found in Christ the apple tree.

4. I’m weary with my former toil,

Here I will set and rest a while:

Under the shadow I will be,

Of Jesus Christ the apple tree.

5. This fruit doth make my soul to thrive,

It keeps my dying faith alive:

Which makes my soul in haste to be

With Jesus Christ the apple tree.

Some have suggested that this poetic allusion to the apple tree from Song of Songs 2:3 might draw inspiration from the abundance of apple trees in early New England. I find that it challenges us to compare the amplitude of goodwill, benevolence, compassion, amnity and accord that we offer to and share with each other with the compass of life-giving peace and serenity that Christ extends to us if we but ask for it.

Credits: To poets, who enter the world through a different door than the rest of us, bringing order of expression and commentation on the worldview from their threshold.