Commemoration ball
A Commemoration ball is a formal ball held by one of the colleges of the University of Oxford in the 9th week of Trinity Term, the week after the end of the last Full Term of the academic year, which is known as "Commemoration Week". Commemoration balls are held by different colleges each year, following a cycle by which each college holds a ball every three years.[1]
Commemoration Week is so known because of the ceremonies in commemoration of the benefactors of the university that are held then, namely the Commemoration Day sermon formerly held (until 2006) on the Sunday, and the Encaenia ceremony (where the annual Creweian Oration in honour of benefactors is given) and garden party on the Wednesday of that week. Commemoration Week was formerly one of two occasions when balls were traditionally held, the other being Eights Week, the 5th week of Trinity term when the Summer Eights rowing races occur. Eights balls are nowadays comparatively rare.
Definition
[edit source]There is no formal definition of a Commemoration ball, but the usual Oxford convention is to refer only to the larger, triennial balls as Commemoration balls. The dress code is usually white tie. Many other colleges hold smaller events during Commemoration Week that they call summer balls or parties rather than Commemoration balls. These are usually held on an annual or irregular basis, and are usually black tie. Merton College holds a triennial winter ball.[2]
History
[edit source]In the past, Commemoration balls were held "night after night"[3] by different colleges during Commemoration Week. With many colleges now holding smaller annual summer balls, Commemoration balls are now held by only some of the larger colleges, who still follow the traditional triennial cycle. Oriel College hosts a ball in the first year of the three-year cycle, and until recently Magdalen College also did. However Magdalen College cancelled their ball in 2015 at the last minute downgrading to a smaller affair. Currently, in the second year, there are Commemoration balls held by New College and The Queen's College. In the third year, there are now four colleges with this honour (Worcester College, Christ Church, Trinity College, St. John's College).
The 2005 Christ Church Commemoration ball was the first to be held by that college for fifteen years because of an incident at the 1990 ball that led to the Governing Body suspending the ball and replacing it with an annual summer party until 2005. Until 1990 the three great Oxford choral foundations of Magdalen College (first year), New College (second year) and Christ Church (third year) held their "white tie" Commemoration Balls in consecutive years on a triennial basis, each being widely regarded as the most prestigious ball being held in Oxford in that year, but the 1990 incident at Christ Church upset the tradition as various other colleges claimed Christ Church's (third year) slot, and continue to do so after the Christ Church Ball was reinstated in 2005. The cancellation of Magdalen College's (first year) Commemoration Ball in 2015, and its reinstatement in the "New College" (second) year of 2016, completed the break with tradition.
List of balls
[edit source]See also
[edit source]- Colleges of the University of Oxford
- May Ball - similar events at the University of Cambridge
References
[edit source]- ↑ Balsdon, J.P.V.D.: Oxford Life, page 240. Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1957
- ↑ "Merton College Winter Ball".
- ↑ Balsdon, J.P.V.D (supra)
- ↑ Trinity Commemoration Ball 2011 :: The Night Archived 14 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ Worcester College Commemoration Ball 2011 :: The Grand Tour Archived 16 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ Athlete at Magdalen College Ball 2012 on YouTube
- ↑ Oriel College Ball 2012
- ↑ "Balliol 750th Anniversary Commemoration Ball". Archived from the original on 13 December 2012.
- ↑ "New College Commemoration Ball 2013". www.newcollegeball.co.uk. Archived from the original on 16 February 2013. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
- ↑ "Tour calendar | ITB | International Talent Booking. Live music booking agency London".
- ↑ Christ Church Commemoration Ball 2014 http://christchurchball.co.uk
- ↑ "Christ Church Commemoration Ball 2014 Programme" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
- ↑ "700th Anniversary Commemorative Ball". Archived from the original on 8 December 2013. Retrieved 3 December 2013.
- ↑ "Bridge of Sighs Commemoration Ball". Archived from the original on 16 May 2014. Retrieved 11 February 2014.
- ↑ "Summer Ball".
- ↑ St John's College Ball http://ball.sjc.ox.ac.uk/ Archived 3 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ Trinity College Ball
- ↑ Trinity Commemoration Ball 27 June 2014 Programme
- ↑ "Worcester College Commemoration Ball 2014". Archived from the original on 4 September 2013. Retrieved 14 August 2013.
- ↑ http://thetercentenaryball.co.uk/images/PDF/Programme.pdf[permanent dead link]
- ↑ "Worcester College Commemoration Ball 2014". Archived from the original on 4 September 2013. Retrieved 14 August 2013.
- ↑ Magdalen College Ball http://www.magdalenball.com Archived 7 November 2015 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ New College Ball "New College Commemoration Ball 2013". Archived from the original on 27 June 2013. Retrieved 13 May 2013.
- ↑ The Queen's College Ball https://ousu.org/organisation/9590/[permanent dead link]
- ↑ http://www.trinity-ball.com Archived 14 April 2017 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ "The Trinity College Commemoration Ball 2017 - Music & Entertainment". Archived from the original on 14 April 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
- ↑ "Ludibrium". Archived from the original on 19 March 2019. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
- ↑ "Balliol 750th Anniversary Commemoration Ball". Archived from the original on 13 December 2012.
- ↑ "HOME | Pembroke Ball 2024". Archived from the original on 2 June 2024. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
- ↑ "Ticket reselling attracts controversy as college balls sell out in seconds". 7 February 2024.
External links
[edit source]2018 Balls
[edit source]- Oriel College Commemoration Ball Archived 19 March 2019 at the Wayback Machine 22 June 2018
2016 Balls
[edit source]- New College Commemoration Ball 25 June 2016
- Magdalen College Commemoration Ball Archived 7 November 2015 at the Wayback Machine 25 June 2016
2015 Balls
[edit source]- Balliol College Ball - Monte Carlo 9 May 2015
- Oriel College Commemoration Ball - 26 June 2015
- St Hilda's College Ball - Carnevale di Venezia - 9 May 2015
2014 Balls
[edit source]- Worcester College Tercentenary Ball - 27 June 2014
- St John's Ball Archived 3 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine - 27 June 2014
- Hertford Bridge of Sighs Ball - 4 October 2014
2013 Balls
[edit source]- Wadham College Ball - 21 June 2013
- Balliol College Ball - 21 June 2013
- Queen's College Ball - 21 June 2013
- New College Ball - 22 June 2013
- Merton College Winter Ball - 30 November 2013
2012 Balls
[edit source]- Oriel College Ball - 22 June 2012
- Magdalen College Ball - 22 June 2012
2011 Balls
[edit source]- Christ Church Ball - 25 June 2011
- Trinity College Ball - 1 July 2011
- Worcester College Ball - 1 July 2011
- St John's Ball Archived 3 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine - 1 July 2011