The Duke Ellington Ballroom will become “a lord and lady’s 16th-century manor” Dec. 3-5, as the School of Music holds its 24th annual Madrigal Dinners.

The ballroom will be decorated in 16th-century style for the dinners, which will feature madrigal singing and other entertainment throughout the night.

Elwood Smith, five-year director of NIU’s Madrigal Singers, said the dinners “will be a wonderful way to start the holiday season.

“We’ll try to recreate the feeling guests would have at a big 16th-century feast.” The dinners will include “wassail, surloyn of rost beefe, marsh-berry sallad and poddying with plomme.”

Proceeds from the dinners will be used to fund music scholarships, Smith said.

Entertainment will include a jester as master of ceremonies, juggling, a “beggar lady” who will ask for money for the school of music, and the madrigal singers serenading tables, Smith said.

The dinners have been an NIU tradition since 1963, when faculty member Carol Troescher conceived the idea, Smith said.

“Madrigal dinners became popular at the University of Indiana and Illinois State University, and they later started to catch on in the Midwest,” he said.

The Madrigal Singers, a select group of 16 vocalists from the NIU Music School, endured a tough audition process in which many people got rejected, Smith said.

Vocalist Bruce Richardson said the madrigal dinners prove to be fun for the performers as well as guests, although hard work is necessary to prepare for the dinners.

“(The Madrigal Singers) had to get a lot of memorizing done,” Richardson said, since all pieces performed are memorized.

Tickets are still on sale for the dinners, but Smith said they should be purchased two days before the night guests plan to attend. Tickets can be purchased by calling the School of Music.

The dinners will begin each night at 7 p.m., with a cash bar from 6 to 6:45 p.m.