Ball Combines Celtic Music And Storytelling

Patrick Ball didn’t intend to pluck the brass strings of his vintage Celtic harp for a living.

No, the college graduate originally intended to study law and join his father’s practice. But he never made it to law school.

Ball, who performs at The Met on Feb. 29, just kind of stumbled upon a Celtic harp one day when an antique model caught his eye at a Renaissance fair. Though he’d never taken harp lessons, he bought it.

At the time, Ball also was exploring the art of storytelling. The former history major even went to Ireland to study Irish folklore.

After purchasing the harp, Ball took lessons for a brief time. What he didn’t learn from an instructor, he learned on his own.

Mostly, the musician studied the melodies composed by Turlough O’Carolan. O’Carolan was a blind 17th-century harpist who traveled Ireland’s countryside.

Becoming prolific with both his instrument and storytelling, Ball combined the two and took his act to the streets of a restaurant district in Northern California in the early ‘80s.

He released his debut album in 1983. Appropriately, it was an album of tunes created by his biggest inspiration - “Celtic Harp I: Music of Turlough O’Carolan.”

The artist has released six more quintessential Celtic harp albums since. 1993’s “Fiona” is his most recent.

Indeed, Ball is a traditional folk artist, yet his recordings are frequently lumped into the New Age genre. This was especially true in the 1980s when the yuppie-attracting music was taking shape.

Although his folkloric storytelling is absent from his releases, the instrumentalist utilizes both talents during concert performances. The combination has earned Ball accolades all over the world.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: Harpist and storyteller Patrick Ball will perform at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 29 at The Met. Tickets are $10, available at G&B Select-a-Seat outlets.