Although we were all pretty dog-tired, having travelled all day long after our very late night at the Tattoo, we were absolutely delighted when our lovely tour manager told us she had found out there was a medieval banquet at Ruthin Castle on the night we were there, and had obtained permission for us to participate in this bonus extra.
It was a simply wonderful night! The entertainers were positively brilliant. I think only the Welsh could sing their hearts out as beautifully as they did. They kept us entertained all night with their superb playing of the harp, flute and many old instruments, singing in harmony, dancing and delightful, clever repartee, all in the character and costume of medieval musicians.
And they were so multi-talented too, especially the lady who ‘drove’ the fun spirit and audience participation all night long. She could sing, dance and play several instruments. And that was not all. They also delivered the food and mead and wine and even cleared the tables. Their energy, talent and passion were phenomenal.
The food was great as well. Before we entered the banquet hall’ we were offered cubes of fresh bread that were to be dipped in salt, which surprisingly was quite tasty. At our long tables we had mead (fermented honey), a lovely rich soup, roasted meats and vegetables with salads, and a very ‘wicked’ chocolate dessert.
It was one of the most sensational, happy nights I have ever spent. And we finished it by all linking hands and singing, and saying goodbye to our spectacular hosts. I particularly hope that the trio of young girls who sang together and the young harpist will keep pursuing their musical careers. They are enormously talented and could well travel the world with their level of performance. They and their fellow performers kindly gave me permission to publish their photos in this post.
In the next post I will show you something of the castle itself.
No comments:
Post a Comment