Patrick Ball Photo by Pat Crowe/ Delaware Theatre Company

Ireland in the 17th and 18th centuries was a troubled, tumultuous place. The old Gaelic ways had been shattered by the English, and the poets, the bards and the harp players were set walking the roads. Yet, this dark period of Irish history produced a Celtic harper and composer of such brilliance, grace and character that he is, to this day, regarded as his country’s greatest and most beloved musician —Turlough O’Carolan.

Act One
O’Carolan’s Farewell to Music, conceived and performed by Patrick Ball, and written by Patrick Ball and Peter Glazer, is a one-person musical theater piece which brings to the stage the legendary life,the turbulent times and the captivating music of this most celebrated Irish artist. Interspersed with performances of fourteen of Carolan’s tunes played on the rare wire-strung harp, the play tells the harper’s story through the character of poet and harper, Charles MacCabe, Carolan’s life-long friend and traveling companion. Through MacCabe’s eyes and Carolan’s music, we are drawn into this stormy chapter of Irish history. The play, enriched by Carolan’s beautiful melodies and the crystalline sound of Patrick’s harp, is charged with Irish wit and pathos, and demonstrates both the power of friendship and the vital role of the artist in troubled times.

Patrick Ball Photo by Pat Crowe/Delaware Theatre Company	“Hauntingly beautiful ballads and lilting storytelling…a small gem. — Variety

Patrick Ball Patrick Ball is one of the premiere Celtic harpers in the world today and one of the very few to perform exclusively on the rare wire-strung harp—the harp of Carolan. The Los Angeles Times describes Patrick as “the leading American practitioner of Carolan’s art.” The San Francisco Chronicle calls him “an American master of the Irish instrument…a modern day bard, combining tale telling, history and music into a seamless compound that reaches all ages and types of listeners.”

Patrick Ball Photo by Pat Crowe/ Delaware Theatre Company

Peter Glazer
Peter Glazer is a playwright and director and the creator of “Woody Guthrie’s American Song,” which has been produced in over 75 theaters around the country, winning rave reviews and numerous awards along the way, including three Bay Area Theater Critic’s Circle Awards for productions at Berkeley Repertory Theater and San Jose Repertory Theater. He also co-wrote and directed Michael, Margaret, Pat and Kate with Chicago singer/songwriter Michael Smith. It was the winner of Chicago’s coveted Joseph Jefferson Awards. Peter is a National Endowment for the Arts grant recipient.

Look for performance dates at Patrick Ball’s Website: www.patrickball.com.