Hear ye! Hear ye! About 320 people trundled up to the castle on the mount-the Chalet du Mont Royal-last week for a resplendent medieval ball held to celebrate the founding 900 yeas ago of the Order of St. John and raise alms for the St. John Ambulance Foundation (Quebec).

Volunteers Sophia Nihon (left) and Tina Khan with McGill ornithologist David Bird and his peregrine falcon.

It was, indeed, A Knight to Remember, and it was the most exciting and creative ball in years. Like a scene out of King Arthur's court, minstrels serenaded, court jesters frolicked, trumpeters heralded dinner, and a town crier announced the guests: "My lords... ladies and gentlement."

Fair damsels were dressed as Queen Guinevere or Maid Marian, with elaborate velvet gowns and headdresses, and a few men added a touch of medieval, recalling the heroes of bygone days including Robin Hood, the Archbishop of Canterbury or Merlin the Magician. Dinner was served by monks costumed like Friar Tuck, and knights in shining armour-wasn't that Sir Lancelot I saw?-guarded the fortress wall.

André Desmarais, honorary chairman (left); committee member France Chrétien Desmarais; and Jacques Ménard, fundraising co-chairman.

For those who dozed through high-school history, let's recap. The medieval centuries spanned roughly 400 to 1500 AD, split into the Dark Ages and later the Middle Ages. The early years were marked by the conquering of the Roman Empire by the barbarian tribes of Huns and Goths. Remember Attila? Intellectual life faded, roads and buildings slowly crumbled while famine, plagues and violent crime ran rampant.

The Catholic church was all-powerful, but Christian principles of faith, hope and charity were mixed up with pagan worship, cruel punishment and mythology. It was a time of unceasing war, and a class of knights emerged to fight for barons, counts, dukes and kings. There was some merriment, but for the most part, the anonymous peasantry was mired for centuries in ignorance and poverty.

It was a heck of a lot more fun at the S. John's Ambulance ball, I can tell you. The chalet was transformed into a remarkable re-creation of a medieval castle, complete with turrets and a life-size ox and cart, and guests filed through wooden gates into a bustling marked square, all designed by Gilbert Lanouette of Fleurs Gilbert.

Ball co-chairmen Sue Khan (left) and Cornelia Nihon with Jawald Khan, president of the St. John Ambulance Foundation (Quebec).

We filled our goblets with mulled wine served from a steaming pot and sipped chilled champagne which was called holy water.

Guests crossed a drawbridge into the castle banquet hall, set up with long refectory tables covered in ruby velvet and colourful banners flying from the walls. In truth, a medieval meal for Poor Richard might have been a gluttonous gorge of mutton washed down with mead (honey wine), but that was not the case here.

For the ball, Armando Arruda of the Queen Elizabeth Hotel created a noble feast fit for King Richard the Lion-Hearted returning ravenous from the crusades. In an elaborate procession, the monks paraded hot cauldrons through the great hall for all to see. The meal, outlined on a scrolled menu tied with sisal cords, was smoked fish, lamb and barley soup, perfectly roasted duck with wild rice, and a dessert of pear with mulled wine.

Guest Deborah Trudeau (left), with Charles Cavell, co-chairman of fundraising, and committee member Sue Cavell.

During the Middle Ages, even the aristocracy would have eaten mostly with their fingers, with the occasional knife to spear a morsel of wild boar, but we were permitted cutlery, wooden serving platters and pewter plates.

Bread was served and, as medieval tradition goes, the upper crust of the loaf was cut first for the host and his pals, and thus was born a term that would denote society's bigwigs for eternity.

Lee and Janet Hambleton share a toast.

The upper crust here included the ball's honorary chairman, André Desmarais, the fundraising co-chairman Charles Cavell and Jacques Ménard, who are close to their target of $2 million, as well as the co-chairs of the ball and their partners, Cornelia and Alexis Nihon and Sue and Jawaid Khan, president of the foundation. Committee members and their partners included France Chrétien Desmarais, Clare Chant, Molly Fripp, Yvonne and Allan Mass, Miriam and John Molson, Harriett and Lawrence Moquette, Sondra and Micheal Palangio, Sue Cavell, Marie-Josée Ménard, Ginger and George Petty, Nancy and Harry Bloomfield, and Bonnie and Paul Yaphe.

Miriam and John Molson were among the "upper crust" guests.

The white cross of the Order of St. John has been a symbol of aid during wartime and in peace since it was started during the crusades. Then as now, many chivalrous knights specialized in saving damsels in distress, but others were religious and joined the order to assist pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem. Now, St. John Ambulance has 25,000 national volunteers, including about 3,500 from Quebec.

The Order of St. John's work is carried out by two groups. The ball raised funds for the Brigade, whose uniformed volunteers provide first aid at public events, retirement homes and daycare centres and also run the National Therapy Dog program. St. John's other half, the Association, is a network of medical professionals who provide first-aid training to the public.

Looking suitably medievalish, committee members Sondra Palangio (left) and Yvonne Mass.

Guests included Rick and Caroline Renaud, Pierre Michaud, Peter and Claire Kruyt, Peter and Marie-Claire Holland, William and Gail Molson, Michael and Carol Harrison, Léon and Jackie Simard, Jean and Sylvie Chagnon, Robert and Deborah Trudeau, Phil and Judy O'Brien, Stan and Candice Kivenko, Victor and Nathalie Melnikoff, Philip and Judith Webster, Joseph and Susan Kruger, Charles and Leslie Frankel, David and Janet Dussault, Jerry Wasserman and Stephanie Kaneb, Stephen and Katie Takacsy, Lee and Janet Hambleton, Julian and Cynthia Chipman, Joel and Alison Silcoff, the event's co-ordinator, Dianne and Dunncan Phillips, the CEO of St. John Ambulance, Michelle and André Gingras, president of Quebec Council of the Order, Betty and Robert Langdon, chancellor of the Order.

In a chapter from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, the troupe La Compagnie Médiévale provided jugglers, musicians and acrobats. It was back to the 20th century as the band Nightshift (which became Knightshift for the evening) struck up the disco tunes.