Review: Sallies Hall Ball

A ball themed around Hollywood certainly has great potential.  From Casablanca to King Kong, there are certainly plenty of potential routes to take when planning such an evening.

For St Salvator’s Hall Ball, the glamour of the Old Course, complete with a red carpet, definitely gave guests high expectations of an evening reminiscent of an old Hollywood affair.  The Old Course is a wonderful place to hold student events but the issue lies with the extortionately high beverage prices and the constant reminder that it’s more akin to a wedding venue than anything else.

With the ceilidh band in full swing and guests trying their best to strip the willow, you’d be tempted to think that you were in a Celtic post-depression remake of “They Shoot Horses, Don’t They”.

The evening commenced at Sallies with a cocktail hour that offered ample free drink and an opportune time to socialise.  However, it’s worth noting that this hour was not officially advertised to non-residents. This is quite disappointing as the cocktail hour was a highlight of the night and something that could have undoubtedly generated more interest in the event.  Following the reception, free shuttle buses transported guests to the Old Course Hotel.  Once there, free Janetta’s was up for grabs (not that anybody needs to pay for Janetta’s now, seeing as they feature at every ball…) and an impressive raffle were enjoyed by all.

The ball’s popcorn suppliers was a no-show, which slightly diminished the reality of the Hollywood theme, though, the organisers were quick to point out that the refund would be invested in the charity, Médecins Sans Frontières. The lack of functioning speakers meant that there were no interludes between the transitioning of the acts. This resulted in awkwardly long changes between the performances, which included The Other Guys and The Blueswater Collective.  Both excellent performance, although the extended silences rather put a damper on the musical happenings.

St Salvator’s Hall Ball 2014 succeeded in pleasing residents of the hall.  The fact that it’s a very intimate hall and the fairly few non-residents attended (in comparison with DRA/FP ball, for example) made it more reminiscent of a formal dance or, quite simply, an old affair, sans Hollywood.  The night provided a memorable and enjoyable evening for the small community of residents.