Spring Ball at Birmingham Old Council House

Sometimes I get the opportunity to play for people I am not really sure will appreciate, or even enjoy, the harp.  Tonight I was definitely proved wrong. The University of Birmingham Officer Training Corps held their annual Spring Ball at the Old Council House in Birmingham on 23 March 2018.  The programme is for undergraduates at the University of Birmingham who are training to be Officers in the military.

The Spring Ball is their annual opportunity to celebrate with those who have worked hard all year, and many who will be graduating soon.

The average age of the Officers and their partners is 22, so I wasn’t sure they would be that keen on the harp music.  But from the very beginning of my set, they were hooked.

The evening kicked off with a call to dinner by an amazing bagpiper (see photo below), followed by my special arrangement of Greensleeves, the Officer’s theme song.  Then for the first hour of their meal I entertained with classical and popular pieces including Fur Elise, Ed Sheeran’s Perfect (in the style of Canon in D) followed by the beautiful Canon in D, Human by Rag’n’Bone Man, A Thousand Years from Twilight, and Wind Beneath My Wings.

Afterwards several of the Officers came up to see the harp and ask questions about its origin and how I learned to play.  Organiser Patrick Mulligan said I provided “A truly magnificent performance that greatly enhanced our function through both the beautiful music, and the grandeur of the entertainment itself. A classy touch to any formal occasion.”