Nutcracker Ball 2005
Nutcracker Ball
The Nutcracker Ball 2005
hosted by the British-German Association
and The German-British Chamber of Industry & Commerce
The eleventh Nutcracker Ball took place at the Marriott Hotel, Grosvenor Square, on Thursday 24th November in time-honoured form, although it did seem that fewer medals were in evidence and that fewer ladies had relied upon global warming when selecting their ball gowns.
The guests were received by the Chairman of the BGA and his wife, Mr and Mrs Christoph Urban, and were at once exposed to a long line of tables proffering various raffle tickets, information on Youthbridge and an array of tombola presents - an experience from which they emerged poorer (a condition each one felt sure was only temporary) and in desperate need of a second glass of that excellent Perrier Jouët – one of this year’s best innovations.
A fanfare by the Trumpeters of The Irish Guards (who had been patiently posing for guests to be photographed with them) announced dinner and everyone moved into a ballroom bedecked by tables from each of which a tower of silver balloons went skywards – one guest was heard to describe the spectacle as “gaspworthy”.
It took some time for everyone to find their places, not least on the top table which was this year the size of a small tennis court and embellished by the presence of the Ambassador and his wife (the Patron of the Ball), the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress of Westminster, the Lady Mayor of Heidelberg, the Prince and Princess of Saxony, Gisela Stewart MP and Dr Alan Russell of the Dresden Trust, to name but a few (and it was later joined by Major General Patrick Brooking fresh from an earlier engagement elsewhere).
After a brief speech of welcome from Christoph Urban, the Ambassador explained that he had spent the day with the new German Chancellor, Frau Merkel, on her first visit to Downing Street, and he admitted that he had failed to persuade her to accompany him to this Ball, but he had extracted from her an assurance that, to an invitation to next year’s Ball, she would give……very serious consideration! This was very sadly the last occasion upon which he and his wife would be attending (“most German Ambassadors receive three invitations – but I have extracted a fourth!”).
No-one of course knew where his next appointment would be but the BGA Chairman had very thoughtfully provided him with something that would undoubtedly prove invaluable to him there – a cricket bat.
|
|
Frau Ursula Matussek then recounted what a pleasure it had been to be Patron of the Ball and congratulated all involved in its organisation this year, notably the Committee Chairman, Ute Wegener.
The Prince of Saxony noted that this had marked the end of “Saxony in the UK 2005” when the riches and delights of his native State had been exposed to admiration here – a process that would be finally concluded on 30th November in Dresden with the inauguration of the rebuilt Frauenkirche there, topped out by the Orb and Cross donated by the people of Britain. |
This part of the evening ended with six children from All Hallows School, Farnham (where the pilot scheme for Youthbridge II had been run) giving a splendid recitation of ‘The Nutcracker Poem’ by Josef Guggenmoos.
Guests were at last allowed to settle down to a five course banquet of oak aged semi-smoked salmon on apple and potato salad, roast white onion and rosemary soup, duck à l’orange and a delicious variety of vegetables and rounded off with an iced fig and armagnac soufflé. They were expected to dance after that! But half way through they had been interrupted to participate in raffling the large King Nutcracker and Advent Wreath in the middle of each table – a traditional raffle in which this year’s guests excelled themselves with their generosity! Then the trumpets blew and the Loyal Toast to Her Majesty was proposed by Christoph Urban, as Chairman of the B.G.A, and that to His Excellency the President of the Federal Republic by Alan Wood CBE, as Chairman of the German-British Chamber.
|
|
The building then trembled on the entry of the Band of the Irish Guards under their new Director of Music, Major Stephen Barnwell. They proceeded to give a vastly complicated marching display whilst playing a ballroom shattering medley of ten assorted German and British tunes. The post-horn gallop was given a spirited rendering on two post-horns and ‘lassus trombones’ (audience torment by trombonists) was executed on four trombones – one of them very bass indeed. |
No sooner had they marched out, leaving everyone’s toes tapping the floor, than the Penthouse Experience, an exceedingly stimulating ensemble of a dozen players and singers, literally dragged almost the entire assembly on to the floor – and kept them there, hard at it, for the best part of an hour. To provide a brief respite for both players and dancers, the Toastmaster conducted the draws of three raffles – a round the world flight by Lufthansa and a magnificent child’s car from both Porsche and Mercedes . This left several members of the party wishing they were children again! The auction that followed disposed of a German National Football Shirt and one from Chelsea Football Club (both signed by the players), a gigantic painting by Alf Lohr and a smaller one by Marien Lihou, a travel voucher from DERTOUR and the Heidelberg International Club, and finally a splendid brooch donated by Fochtmann of Munich - all sold at breathtaking prices!
|
The Chairman of the Ball then announced the financial result of the evening – which was more than ever before in the History of Nutcracker Balls. The Penthouse Experience then ensured that for a further hour the tripping was both light and fantastic – until everyone dragged themselves homewards, delighted but exhausted! Everyone present was very grateful to the organising committee and most especially its Chairman, Ute Wegener, for a most exhilarating evening . The above were the impressions gained by John Faulder on the night of the NUTCRACKER BALL 2005 |
 |