Grand Concert, Dinner and Ball

Thursday 18 November 2010
Venue: Guildhall

including Christian Blackshaw recital

The grande finale of the Chopin Society's series was a Concert, Dinner & Ball at London's Guildhall on November 18th, commemorating Chopin's last-ever public performance which took place there on November 16th 1848 at a 'Grand Dress and Fancy Ball and Concert' in aid of Polish refugees.

For the Society's 2010 Guildhall Gala we presented a concert, dinner and dancing. But this time fancy (period) dress was optional, with white or black tie as an alternative dress code.

Guests were greeted in the Old Library with a glass of champagne before the concert, where the distinguished British pianist, Christian Blackshaw, performed the following programme: Christian Blackshaw

  • Chopin - Nocturne in B flat minor Op 9 No 1
  • Chopin - 24 Preludes Op 28

Dinner was served in the famous Great Hall, during which there was a short musical interlude when Oliver Davies played the Broadwood piano Chopin used at the original concert.

This was followed by an auction with exciting auction lots, after which the Mazury Dance Company gave a display of Polish dancing. Then the ball commenced, with dancing to Graham Dalby's Band.

Below are just a few of the 200 or more photos of the event taken by photographer Arno (www.arno-image.com).



HRH Princess Alexandra and Christian Blackshaw with Lady Rose Cholmondeley, President of the Chopin Society
Christian Blackshaw about to take his seat at the modern Steinway
Thomas Hughes-Hallett - CEO Marie Curie Cancer Care; HRH Princess Alexandra - Royal Patron of Chopin Society for 2010; Lady Rose Cholmondeley - President of Chopin Society

Dinner in the Great Hall
Oliver Davies plays Chopin's Broadwood during dinner
The first course

The Mazury Dance Company
The Mazury Dance Company
The ball in full swing



Guildhall Gala Committee

Co-Chairmen:
The Lady Rose Cholmondeley
Miss Diane Shiach
Hon Treasurer:
Mr Norman Webb
Hon Secretary:
Miss Moira Mullen

The Lady Belhaven & Stenton
Mrs Nanci Beck
Lady Beresford-Peirse
Ms Ewa Bogusz
Don Francisco de Borja de la Peña, The Baron de Polop
Mrs Katsuko Buckeridge
The Marquess & Marchioness of Cholmondeley
Mr Roland Chojnacki
Mr Brian Clivaz
Mr & The Hon Mrs Alec Cobbe
Mrs Henry Cobbe
Lady Cotton
Mrs Caroline D'Erlanger
 Dr Mahrokh Dodwell
The Lady Egremont
Mr and Mrs Christopher Eimer
Mrs Terence Feely
Lady (Penelope) Francis
Mr & Mrs Glen Gough
Mr & Mrs John Hardy
Mrs Ella Heath
Mrs Urszula King
Mrs Barbara Kaczmarowska-Hamilton
Leonora, Countess of Lichfield
Mrs Bryan Lincoln
Prince & Princess Rupert Loewenstein
Sir Charles Maclean of Dunconnel Bt
Mr Leslie MacLeod-Miller
Mrs Anita Meeson
The Lady Rose Monson
Halina, Countess of Munster
 Mrs Patricia Orr
Lady Panufnik
Dr & Mrs Jozef Przybylski
Mrs Ania Rut
Mr Michael Ross
Mrs Ita Ruszkiewicz
The Dowager Marchioness of Salisbury
Princess Renata Sapieha
Mr & Mrs Ian Southward
Mrs Teresa Stella-Sawicka
Sir Jocelyn and Lady Stevens
Mrs Jane Sullivan
Count & Countess Artur Tarnowski
Theresa Tollemache
Mrs Mark Tompkins
Mrs Nakako Watanabe
Count & Countess Adam Zamoyski
Mrs Rie Zylinski

Marie Curie Cancer Care – named after Marie Skłodowska Curie – was the Chopin Society’s charity partner at this event and we raised funds for both organizations.

The event was being held in cooperation with the Embassy of the Republic of Poland and was supported by the Polish Cultural Institute.