Ever wonder why your teacher insisted you learn things like harmonics, tremolo, trills, près de la table, and all those other harpy effects? This arrangement is a good example. And yes, all the effects she uses are also perfectly doable on lever harp.
The piece is Sweet Blues by Bernard Andres, performed by Ruth Boyajian during a Focus on Youth concert at the 11th World Harp Congress in Vancouver.
Great arrangement, stellar playing. And she flips levers like a boss. I won’t be buying a newsprint dress anytime soon (awesome though hers is), but this has definitely inspired me to get back to some of my more jazzy repertoire.
You can find out more about Tamsin via her website: http://www.tamsindearnley.co.uk/
Of all the questions we get asked via the CHP, how to get a harp on a limited budget tops the list. From the renaissance of the folk harp that began in the 1960’s, to now nearly seven decades later, the breadth and depth of choice for harp players in terms of instruments and music has expanded dramatically. Unfortunately, a good harp is still not a cheap harp, no matter how you look at it. Good instruments require time, careful worksmanship and decent quality materials, and the harp is no exception.
Thankfully, there are ways to get a good working instrument on just about any budget, with enough patience and dedication.
Creative Harp Collective International 2013
July 16-20, 2013
Summer Harp Workshop
Tobermory, Canada
Classes include: Harp Solo Performance Coaching, Body Awareness at the Harp, Use of Harp in Therapeutic ways, Vibro-Acoustic Harp Therapy, Music Theory related to the Harp, Improvisation, Studies in Rhythm, Yoga, NIA Dance, Meditation Techniques, Basics of learning to play
Website: http://kerstinallvin.com/chci2013/
Wow, time does whizz by. Sorry for not posting in April, the weather was too nice here to stay indoors! – T.H.
We’re happy to announce that Hurly Burly will be joined by Hazina Bellydance for both our Sat. May 18 concert in Oshawa, ON, and our Sun. May 26 concert in Peterborough, ON.
More info on the official Hurly Burly site: http://hurlyburlyensemble.wordpress.com/
The 2013 Earth Day (Peace Day) Harp Circle tunes are up on Chubby Sparrow. The first is a duet version of Come Give Me Your Hand, with chords and notes for lever harp. The second is a slow air based on The Bays of Harris, with lyrics modified from Robert Louis Stevenson’s poem “Evensong” (also with chords).
Everything in the “Free Music” section of the Chubby Sparrow site is free to download, print and/or listen to (please remember to include all acknowledgements and copyrights when printing). Feel free to photocopy and/or share any of the tunes (non-commercial use only please).
Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday weekend!
Chubby Sparrow Music (my music publishing company) has finally had its long-overdue site-wide update, just in time for spring!
Check out our “Free Music” section for last year’s Peace Day Harp Circle tunes (2013 tunes coming soon!).
O’Carolan’s Dream, played by Mark Harmer.
I’m off to play a house concert tonight, and then a relaxed ceili with musical friends next weekend. Feels good to be getting back into the Celtic zone again!
Yes, that’s really me playing on a swingset (near the Hunter St. Bridge in Peterborough, ON – another Harp Quest shot).
My fingers were chilled straight through!
Where is the strangest place you’ve ever played your harp?
Top-notch performances by Jordi Savall, Rolf Lisevand, Perdo Estevan, and Arianna Savall. I instantly fell in love with the larger of Arianna’s two period replica harps. It’s not easy to find video of medieval harps in concert where the sound mix does them justice, but the balance is perfect in this one.