It might have lacked Magdalen’s price tag, backdrop and (as
we heard midway through the night) fireworks, but Oriel’s Titanic themed ball
proved a night to remember.
After the pain of finding a White Tie suit to hire on a
night with two balls (note to self: don’t procrastinate so long next time, and
don’t use web companies which send it a day late and without a waistcoat…
Thanks Hire Society) and the drama of getting ready in time (7.30 seems very
early for a night out) we taxied our way past the huge line of Magdalen-goers
(with many a top hat in evidence) and arrived at Oriel for a queue of our own.
The ticket scanning system evidently worked well as the
queue moved fast, and we were greeted by a very impressive Titanic ice
sculpture, a glass of champagne and a delicious goats’ cheese canapé. There were programmes provided in the style
of passports, and a string quartet playing – already the difference in class
between a Commemoration Ball and the earlier Black Tie Balls was obvious.
The canapé was just the start of a truly outstanding range
of food. The front quad (the ‘top deck’)
featured an oysters, steak, risotto and desserts, as well as the plenteous
range of canapés – the oysters in particular were an experience, although more
for the comic value of watching others grimace and gurn than for their taste. The third quad boasted further food, with
pizza, falafel and (tragically elusive) pulled pork, with doughnuts and ice
cream also available.
The music was also very good, although inevitably there were
too many clashes to see everything. Oxford stalwarts like Dot’s Funk Odyssey and Out of the
Blue were in evidence, although for once they weren’t the centre of attention,
and Exeter ’s
Arthur Sawbridge played a typically engaging set with a violin and loop pedal. An honourable mention should also go out to
Muntfinger, who I didn’t see but were reported to be excellent, with a ‘well
fit’ bassist.
The true highlight though were The Feeling, who struck the
perfect note to a crowded main tent at around midnight. They played all their hit songs from their
early albums (notably Fill My Little World, Sewn and Love it When You Call),
which went down very well with an audience who clearly remembered them as the
soundtrack to their secondary school years. They wisely avoided their later albums,
playing instead a range of crowd-pleasing hits including Walk This Way and Lose
Yourself, and managed to create a giglike atmosphere, which was somewhat
surreal with a crowd in full white tie.
Away from the music, the one weakness was perhaps a lack of
alternative entertainment. Early in the
night there was Ballroom Dancing, but this ended very quickly, and the balloon
artist was apparent only from the impressive range of animals on display (a 5
balloon spider hat in particular caught the eye). There was a casino, but with fake money this
could only keep you busy for so long, and the welcome seated areas (styled as
Gentlemen’s and Ladies’ lounges) could maybe have been better used.
As the night wore on the drink levels remained stoically
high, which (along with the very early 3am survivor’s breakfast) boosted
flagging morale. As the night came
towards an end the music shifted towards the cheese, with Call Me Maybe
bizarrely played twice in around 20 minutes, but crowd-pleasing hits in the
vein of Don’t Stop Believing rewarded those who managed to dance through til
dawn.
With the sun well up the night drew to a close; wine was
still flowing as the crowd surged out for the survivor’s photo, which was
cleverly situated outside the College to help disperse the crowd. A Taxi ride later and the night was finally
over.
On the whole, despite the hefty price tag, the ball seemed
money well spent, even if only for the unique experience of an Oxford
Commemoration Ball. The biggest downside
was probably the small group we came with, which did restrict us slightly as we
had to stick together – that’s obviously a benefit that comes from attending
your own College Ball. Nonetheless with
photos to fill in any blank spots in the memory, Oriel definitely provided a
titanically good night.
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