Back in early December I discovered that Claire Jones would be giving a recital for the Holbrook Music Society at the Royal Hospital School, Ipswich. I ordered tickets for myself and Robyn and spent the first few weeks of January looking forward to it. I picked Robyn up after a concert of her own and after hiding her viola in the car boot we headed along the A14 for what we hoped would be an evening of entertaining harp music. We were not disappointed! The RHS is spread over a vast campus and after driving around for a while we eventually found what looked like a concert hall. We could see a harp and harpist through the window and the car parked outside with the number plate H** ARP convinced us we had found the right place. With time to spare we acted like true musicians and went back into the village to find a pub for a quick drink and bite to eat. When we got back to the hall I was recognised by Claire's fiance Chris, a percussionist I knew well at college. I haven't seen Chris for a while so it was great to catch up and he filled us in on some of his and Claire's plans over the next few months. They have a percussion and harp duo called C2 and I have been keen to hear a performance. Chris told me to keep an eye on the website as things will be developing very soon.
Claire had given a masterclass with 4 RHS pupils that afternoon and one of the staff featured this in his short introduction to welcome her to the stage. Claire looked amazing in a gorgeous purple dress and her harp was stunning. The first piece was a Fantasia on Themes from Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin and set the tone for the evening. She makes a wonderful sound and her flawless technique supported her careful phrasing and expression. The way in which she brought out the melodic line from arpeggiated chords was staggering and Claire made it look easy. The change in sound for the Sonata No. 1 by Parry, a much earlier work, was impressive and the simple sound contrasted well with other pieces. There was huge variety in era, nationality and style throughout both halves. I also enjoyed Mathias' Santa Fe Suite and Robyn was particularly taken with Watching the Wheat by John Thomas.
 |
| Robyn admires Claire's harp |
The music on its own would have made it an enjoyable evening but what really added to the occasion was Claire's fantastic communication with the audience. She looked out into the audience when playing, smiled at times and clearly enjoyed her playing. She spoke frequently to introduce pieces and to explain why she had chosen them and included a short Q&A session in the second half. She also shared a few stories about her role as Harpist to the Prince of Wales and the gruelling selection process and subsequent engagements. The position was created to help launch the career of a promising young harpist and even though she is no longer in that position she remains, in her words, an ambassador for the harp. She is indeed that and much more and will no doubt continue to have a wonderful career.
 |
| Claire takes a final bow |
Claire was asked about her dresses as each photo on display featured a different elegant gown. She takes a keen interest in dress design and has worked with leading designers. Most elegant was the gold design in a photo from one of the main rooms at Clarence House. However most striking was a photo she showed us of a dress complete with Welsh Dragon design that she wore when she played before the start of the Wales-South Africa international rugby match at the Millennium Stadium!
 |
| Claire contemplates forming a new harp trio |
Like true groupies Robyn and I hung around at the end and Chris finally introduced us to Claire. She was lovely to chat to, very warm and welcoming, and encouraged us to keep in touch to hear about future plans, of which there are many! We left with a refreshed interest in our hobby, some new repertoire ideas and a desire to practise even more, and maybe the confidence to buy a new dress or two.
For more info see www.clairejones.co.uk
