"After the Ball" By Charles K. Harris

I found that "After the Ball's" classical feel and harkings to an older time to be pleasing and fun to listen; therefore, I chose it to focus on this week. The vocals are accompanied by a piano accompaniment that both add to the classical old-time feel and perfectly accompanies the vocals as the accompaniment becomes more prevalent when the vocalist does not sing and fades when she is singing. The major key keeps the music more light as the song talks about heartbreak making the song fun and melancholy

 The song is perfect to dance to as the accompaniment repeats itself and is consistent. It is written as a Walz which reflects the lyrics. The lyrics add to the dancing as they speak of a ball and dancing, though the message is more about the sadness after the ball. 

 The song is about a man's experience during and after the ball as he tells his niece why he is not married. At the ball, after he leaves his lover to get some drink, he sees a man "kissing my sweetheart, as lovers can." He is devastated "heart is aching" and speaks of the sadness after the ball. The woman tries to explain but he does not listen. Later the man, which his lover kissed, wrote to him saying that "he was her brother" but it was too late as the woman's heart had been broken and the song ends with the man saying this was why he is alone and the chorus repeating. 

 "After the Ball" is a beautiful song with a sad message kept upbeat with a fun and melodious accompaniment

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