Whether in the stronghold of a Galway chieftain in the years before history began or yesterday in the snug corner of a pub in Dublin, the Irish have always delighted in storytelling. Their passion for eloquence and wordplay, their deep devotion to their mythical past, their ability to find joy and humor in a dark world, and their belief that the supernatural world could appear between one breath and the next made their stories and the telling of them unrivaled in the world of the oral tradition.

And always, amidst the storytelling, there was music. Jigs, reels and haunting airs graced the spaces between the tales. And first among Irish instruments, and the most honored, was the legendary Celtic harp. With its crystalline, bell-like voice and lavish resonance, it would soothe its listeners and lead them deeper into the realms of the imagination.

In Celtic Harp and Story PATRICK BALL   rekindles the fire and wonder of an evening of Irish storytelling. For in telling the marvelous old tales of wit and enchantment, and in playing the ancient, brass-strung harp of Ireland, he not only carries on two of the richest traditions of Celtic culture, but blends them in concert to create “a warm and magical performance.”

****Please call 920-563-9391 to reserve.****

 Patrick returns 25-30 years after his last appearance here. He seems to have impressed a few people in the meantime…

“His concert consisted of ethereally gorgeous instrumental music and colorful stories. The music, like that of many Windham Hill artists, painted a feeling with delicate wisps of sound. But there is something special about the sound of the harp and the sight of someone playing it. His renditions of musical antiquities were almost a spiritual experience.”

The Courier Journal, Louisville, KY

“Patrick Ball is the finest interpreter of traditional Celtic music I have ever heard in my professional career. His storytelling is wonderful and his entire program combines storytelling and Celtic harp tunes seamlessly. He is a delightful entertainer.”
APAP Event Report / Barbara A. Harris, Caffe Lena

“Ball is both a master storyteller and one of the world’s leading Celtic harpists…he smoothly melds the two skills into an arresting oral biography of O’Carolan. The music is glowingly distinctive, lingering in the memory after the last note dies. Ball gives MacCabe’s recollections a depth of emotion and a true sense of loss. Together the words and music create a moving portrait of O’Carolan.”
The News Journal, Wilmington, DE

“Ball is a master of the Celtic harp, a fascinating instrument that sounds at times like a harpsichord and at other times like bells, but always, beneath his hand, passionate and evocative of the undaunted Irish spirit and the emotional pull of the Irish landscape. Ball is also a skillful actor with an understated style and a gift for both storytelling and characterization which gently brings alive MacCabe, O’Carolan and the various characters they encounter.”

“Patrick Ball, expert at the magic of music and words…is a world class harper and a fine actor, with a storyteller’s sharply honed timing and delight in a good joke. Lively, witty and touching…O’Carolan’s Farewell is tightly woven like fine Irish tweed, where the warp is a human relationship and the weft is music, interlaced with threads of history and colorings of humor…If any part of your heart and/or ancestry connects with the shamrock shore, this play is a must-see.”
Pacific Sun, Marin County, CA

“Riverdance, step aside. Frank McCourt, enough of you already, and your brother, too. It’s time to make room for Patrick Ball. O’Carolan’s Farewell to Music plucks a note as simple and candid as the fireside bond of oral tradition — and that’s exactly the magic…the solo performance weaves an irresistible Gaelic narrative, filled with laughter and mischief, politics and conflict…a rare performance…an inspired production…the music is spiritual and effortless.”
Press Democrat, Santa Rosa, CA

“Between his music and his storytelling, Ball’s performance is a tour de force. O’Carolan’s music is played with wonderful flourish…he brings O’Carolan’s…songs to full and sophisticated life….The script is part history lesson and part outright hoot. The result is an evening that’s informative, inspiring, amusing and, above all, entertaining. It’s so well presented and so well paced that you’re likely to be reluctant to bid farewell to “O’Carolan’s Farewell to Music.”
Daily Local News, Westchester, PA

“Patrick Ball’s solo performance summons up multiple characters and the spirit of an era, but it’s in his brilliant playing of the rare wire-strung Celtic harp that the evening springs to life. The script…richly contextualizes the music…inspired.”
San Francisco Bay Guardian, California

“Musically, the show is impeccable. Ball plays with a passion for the music that is only matched by his skill…Ball is also a gifted storyteller…As MacCabe, Ball tells the story with warmth and humor. And then he sits at the harp, and O’Carolan speaks for himself.”
Arcade Suburban Publications, PA, NJ

****Please call 920-563-9391 to reserve.