| Main Performers | Students from:
Slade School University College,
Central School of Arts and Crafts,
Westminster School of Art,
Grosvenor School of Art,
Architectural Association,
Clapham School of Art,
St.Martin's School of Art,
Sir John Cass Institute,
Portsmouth Municipal School of Art
Royal Academy Schools,
Royal College of Art,
Chelsea Polytechnic
Reginald Foort - organ |
| Orchestra or Band | Pipes and Drums of London Scottish,
Clabon-West Band,
The Georgians,
The Rovers |
| Set List | Midnight parade:
Court of Haroun Al Raschid (Slade School),
Ali Baba (Royal College of Art),
Sinbad (Architectural Association),
The Enchanted Horse (Royal Academy School)
Dance Music:
Fox-Trot: 'What A Wonderful Wedding That Will Be',
'The Five Step',
Fox-Trot: 'Underneath The Blue',
'Coquette',
Fox-Trot: 'Sarita',
'In a Bamboo Garden',
Waltz: 'Sweet Mystery of Life',
'Ramona',
Fox-Trot: 'My Angel',
'Just Like a Melody Out of The Sky',
Slow Fox-Trot: 'The Bogey Wail',
'Chloe',
Fox-Trot: 'Daybreak',
'That's My Weakness Now',
'The Court of Haroun Al Raschid' and 'In a Persian Market', Ketelbey (Slade School, University College),
Fox-Trot: 'When Summer is Done',
'Crazy Rhythm',
Waltz: 'I'm Away From The World',
'Dream River',
Fox-Trot: 'Afterwards',
'Laughing Marionette',
'Wedding Procession of The Princess of China' and 'Pagoda of Flowers', Woodforde-Finden (Central School of Arts and Crafts),
Fox-Trot: 'Rambling Along',
'Ol'Man River',
Slow Fox-Trot: 'My Ohio Home',
'Sweet Ukulele Maid',
'The Ninth Statue', (Westminster School Of Art),
'The Garden of The Princess Parazade' and 'Ballet Egyptien', Luigini (Grosvenor School Of Art),
Waltz: 'The Magic Violin',
'Sleepy Town',
'Sinbad The Sailor' and 'A Life on The Ocean Wave', Binding (Architectural Association),
'Blow The Man Down',
'The Four Fishes', Melcliff (Clapham School of Art),
Fox-Trot: 'Why is The Bacon So Tough?'
'Fancy Our Meeting',
'The Queen of Samarcande' and 'Cleopatra', Mancinelli, (St. Martin's School of Art),
Fox-Trot: 'My Inspiration is You',
''S Wonderful',
'The Roc', and 'Persian Rosebud', Nicholls (Sir John Cass Institute),
'A Wedding Procession' and 'Indian Love Lyrics', Woodforde-Finden (Portsmouth Municiple School of Art),
Waltz: 'Sometimes',
'Japansy'
'The Enchanted Horse' and 'Caravan', Ring (Royal Academy Schools),
Fox-Trot: 'I'd Rather Cry Over You',
'Since You Said You Loved Me',
'Ali Baba and The Forty Thieves' and 'Robber's Chorus From Chu Chin Chow', Fletcher (Royal College of Art),
Fox-Trot: 'Roll Away, Clouds',
'Don't Be Like That',
'Aladdin' and 'Hiawatha', Coleridge-Taylor (Chelsea Polytechnic),
Fox-Trot: 'Varsity Drag',
'You're in My Heart',
Waltz: 'Enchantment',
'Just A Little Fond Affection',
Fox-Trot: 'I Think of What You Used To Think of Me',
'By The Fireside',
Fox-Trot: 'Just a Night For Meditation',
'Happy Days And Lonely Nights',
Fox-Trot: 'Because My Baby Don't Mean Maybe Now',
'Evening Star',
Fox-Trot: 'Tokio',
'Savoy Scottish Medley' |
| Performance Notes | The Hall was decorated by sets designed by Edmund Dulac and Cecil King. The Hall was transformed into a Persian garden, with palace and palm trees as background and an illuminated minaret as a centrepiece.
Founded in 1891 The Chelsea Arts Club is a members club for artists, which for 50 years from 1908 held an annual costumed New Year's Eve ball, which was an infamous part of London's social calendar. After two years at the Royal Opera House the extravagant ball proved so popular it moved to the Royal Albert Hall where it stayed until 1958. The balls attracted media attention with their lavish theatrical sets, multiple orchestras, raucous midnight carnivals and balloon drops and crowds of up to 10,000 socialites, bohemian artists, actors, and ordinary Londoners in elaborate and often scandalous fancy dress dancing until 5am.
Each year a theme was chosen such as Egyptian, Dazzle, Noah's Ark, Prehistoric and Sun Worship around which guests could create flamboyant costumes. London art schools participated by decorating huge carnival floats, which were driven around the auditorium floor and which, at the stroke of midnight, would be destroyed by revellers. The balls were well-known for reports of public nudity, drunken displays of affection, fighting and unadulterated fun. In the vastness of the Hall with its gas lit corridors, curtained boxes and dark staircases naughtiness was the order of the day.
Similarly to the annual Lady Malcolm's Servant's balls (1930-1938) these events were a safe space for the queer community to meet and express themselves with unbridled creativity and little inhibition. There were no scrutineers denying entry or undercover police. LGBTQ+ party goers could feel (relatively) free to be themselves without the scrutiny and surveillance they underwent in their daily lives. For many men especially they could wear drag, dress outrageously, and socialise unashamedly while never appearing to be anything out of the ordinary.
It was New Year's Eve 1958 that was to be the final Chelsea Arts Ball at the Royal Albert Hall. As well as minor damage to the building fabric, a partygoer dispatched a smoke bomb that exploded on the dance floor and ultimately became the straw that broke the camel's back. The Chelsea Arts Ball was asked to take out insurance indemnity against further damage to the Hall and they didn't return. The Ball has returned three times since - in 1984, 1985 and 1992 - although the elaborate costumes and floats didn't make the return trip. The extravagant, eccentric originals remain part of the history of the Capital's social calendar. |
| Related Archival Material | Programme (RAHE/1/1928/78) |