Easter Brunch at The Waterford Grand

There’s nothing that says Easter and springtime like a lovely brunch with your family and soothing harp music! The Waterford Grand, a newly opened retirement residence in Ottawa’s west end, was hosting its first in-house event since their opening during the COVID-19 pandemic.

What I played

Since there was going to be a large range of ages attending the brunch, I stuck to a setlist of uncommon harp pieces, some classical favourites, pop oldies like The Beatles, and covers of more recent pop songs for the visiting younger generations. In total, the performance ran for approximately 4 hours from start to finish, from before the first guests arrived to after the final guests left to enjoy the rest of the sunny but chilly day.

Feedback

Residents greatly appreciated the music as they ate their brunch and drank mimosas. Of note, one resident told me that my playing was “way better than the crap they play through the ceiling”, in reference to the smooth jazz played through speakers in the lobby and other common areas of the residence.