Patrick Ball is one of the premier Celtic harp players in the world, as well as a captivating storyteller in the Irish tradition, blending the glorious tones of the wire-strung harp and spoken-word magicianship into rich theatrical performances. Tonight, Patrick applies his talents in a solo show, The Christmas Rose, mingling beloved pieces of holiday music and spellbinding tales of the season.

Named after a beautiful traditional melody that Patrick learned from his mother, the performance features musical selections from his award-winning 1991 CD of the same name, interwoven with holiday stories drawn from A Child's Christmas in Wales, The Wind in the Willows, and the works of Shakespeare, William Butler Yeats, and Thomas Hardy. In Patrick's own words, "All of the stories and all of the music touch on what is, to my way of thinking, the central message of the Christmas/Winter season: hope. Hope for something wondrous. Hope for a light in the darkness."

A California native, Patrick has released numerous albums, and won national awards for his playing and storytelling.