So, The Ball was, well…. Splendid!
The student organized event offered guests nonstop food, drinks and plenty of other entertaining options from early in the evening through to sunrise the next morning. While we didn’t quite make it for the 4:00am breakfast or the survivor photo, the sky was beginning to lighten when we took a final selfie on the bridge whilst walking home.
Magdalene is the last of the Cambridge colleges to maintain a strict formal dress code at their May Ball. As specified in the Dress Code, most of the gentlemen were handsomely dressed in evening tailcoats and the ladies wore full length ball gowns. One could also wear their nations equivalent to formal dress, my favorites were the embellished sherwanis and saris I saw strolling the grounds. Scottish Highland Dress and hunting dresses were also permitted.
We started off with an 8~course dinner at 7:15pm. As the sun set the gorgeous, rich colored lighting transformed all of the gardens into a fantasy wonderland. The landscape was speckled with tents filled with food and entertainment and many of the historic buildings housed even more wonders.The activities ranged from lounging on the carpets of the Hookah Bar {I did not inhale!}
to rocking out at an indoor or outdoor stage to a line up of music including The Fratellis and my new favorite band Balloon Ascents, <- <- <- click on the name to see my video of them. I have a feeling we’re all going to be hearing a lot more from this talented Oxford band; I can’t stop listening to their music (remember, you heard it here first, folks :).
The light show on Pepys Library by Projection Artist Ross Ashton was one of the most amazing displays I’ve ever seen, beautiful scenes flowed continuously over the ancient stone facade as party goers sipped champagne and danced the night away. Click on the caption below to see the amazing aquarium scene which leads to the beginning of the roses blooming in the image below.
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| Light show video
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The Variety Stage tent held chairs, comedians, magicians and smaller musical acts to entertain those who’s feet needed a rest.
Now here’s a fun idea for a party: a silent disco! In what is normally a very formal dining hall party goers could don remote headphones with 3 channels. Channel 1 was manned by a line-up of top British DJ’s, Channel 2 by a resident DJ and channel 3 had Electroswing music. Couples and groups could choose which channel they wanted to listen to and dance and sing along to their hearts desire.
It was hilarious to watch and listen to the scene sans headphones: click on the caption below to see what we were hearing & seeing from the balcony {sadly, the sections I took of the fun, raucous dancers up on the balcony with us are a little dark, but you can hear what a great time they were having and see the lights on their headphones bopping to the (silent) beat}.
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| Silent Disco Video – what a fun notion for a party! |
Now, click HERE to hear what they were listening to. Another great aspect of this concept is the fact that there is no ambient noise, making it a great option to party quietly. HERE is a link to a company I found in Seattle that rents out the equipment.
Tents of tempting treats were set up all over the campus, oysters on the half shell, roast pig, falafel wraps, fish and chips, gyozas (Japanese dumplings), puddings, liquid nitrogen ice cream and sorbets, cheeses and port….. something for everyone. Champagne flowed freely throughout the eve at the bar beneath the light show; other pubs served bespoke cocktails, frozen drinks and a refreshing fruit punch. A beer bar was set up in The Pet Cemetery (doesn’t every schools have one?) with fresh cooked potato crisps and pork scratchings.
There was a whiskey tasting from 11:00pm to 2:00am in the Scholars Garden and a gin tasting from 2 – 2:30am in Pepys Club for the VIP’s.
Thoughtful services were available to keep everyone looking glamorous and dapper. There was a seamstress in The Cloakroom to make any emergency alterations or repairs. In The College Bar there there were stylist on hand to touch up make-up and tame tresses, if you’re dancing shoes were a little too tight you could get a foot massage, and when it began to sprinkle they handed out umbrellas.
If all of this wasn’t enough to keep people busy they did have a few other activities including ballroom dancing classes, the Helter~Skelter plunge, a silent film tent complete with gourmet popcorn, and a formal photo booth.
Bravo to the committee who put this on and thank you, my dear school chum, for persuading me {it didn’t take much} to come to this splendid event!
If you never did, you should.
These things are fun, and fun is good.
~Dr. Seuss, One Fish, Two Fish
Emily this is certainly the ball of all balls! What an exciting and entertaining event. I am so glad they have a dress requirement I m so tired of seeing anything goes at semi- and formal events!! Bravo to accepting this fun invitation from your friend!
xoxo
Karena
The Arts by Karena
Ceramic Artist Leah Bowring