Harp Fest Day 3

The final day began with a health and fitness session with Danielle Perrett where we worked out our aching muscles becoming aware and concentrating on muscles particularly affected by harp playing. I won't say I enjoyed it as it made me painfully aware of how tense I had become but it was very interesting and we did feel a little more relaxed afterwards.


During the break Robyn tried out one of the Pilgrim pedal harps that was on display and I bought yet more music. I then chatted to Nicholas a little further about his research into the tuning of harp strings. He had his laptop with him and showed me how plucking strings in different places and in different ways affects the overtones produced which changes the tone quality. Many players realise this and instinctively play in the way that produces the best, or required sound but it was fascinating seeing the proof as the different overtones were displayed on the computer screen. He did say there is software readily available that can be downloaded so I might look into this further purely for my own amusement.

Robyn tries out Pilgrim's latest pedal harp

Nancy then led us in an ensemble session playing two of her folk arrangements. Now that we all really knew each other we were all a lot more relaxed and after Nancy had explained the features to look out for in Butterfly we had a clear aim of what the music required. Once we had mastered the notes and fingerings of course! After some rehearsing we got through the whole piece pretty well so Nancy set us a much faster tempo and we had another go. This time the music really flowed and it felt a lot better, and almost easier, at the quicker tempo. Next up was The Aran Boat Song, an Irish/Scottish traditional tune. Nancy explained how the opening was to sound like the water glistening and my part had high spread chords to represent the shimmer in the water. The tune had to be imagined as a journey across the water with the boat rocking. It had just started raining outside and we were all glued to Nancy as she continued with her depiction. Nancy is a fabulous story teller and as her bright eyes told us about the island the boat was headed to a clap of thunder sounded. It was beautifully timed and gave us further inspiration. The piece was well arranged with interesting parts for all players and manageable I think for all with a short practise.

Nancy Hurrell leading an ensemble workshop

During lunch I learnt that the final concert would be introduced by Sioned Williams. This was exciting for me as I had been hoping to meet her since starting the harp. We had passed brief messages through our mutual friend Caroline but I had not spoken to her directly. Sioned is the president of the UK Harp Association who had organised the final concert of the Clarsach Society's Festival. The first half featured two student harpists, Cecilia Sultana de Maria and Rosanna Rolton both at the Royal College of Music and between them they presented a fantastic programme of recital repertoire to a very high standard. Both have had many competition successes and have performed orchestrally and as soloists. Highlights were a Grandjany Rhapsodie from Cecilia, two movements from Tournier's Sonatine from Rosanna then they both teamed up to give a duo arrangement of Schubert's Ave Maria. In the second half harpist Frances Kelly was joined by other members of the London Harp Trio and they played a varied programme for flute, viola and harp finishing with the Debussy Sonata. Again it was a super performance and a lovely way to finish the weekend. I managed to catch a few words with Sioned and she remembered my name and the Grade-1-a-thon and she was really sweet.

Sioned Williams introduces the London Harp Trio

A fantastic weekend which has given me many ideas, influences and introduced me to a new world of players. The tutors were excellent and many thanks to Anne from the Clarsach Society (London & South East branch), Danielle for organising the weekend and Sue, Nancy and Robin for being a fabulous mixture of erudition, encouragement and friendly critique not to mention demonstrating some wonderful musicianship.

Harp Fest Day 2

It has been an action packed day! There has been something on almost the whole time. I'll do a quick summary for myself then pad it out when I get more time. Robyn arrived today so when I could have been writing it all up we were chatting!

The first session was with Nancy Hurrell and was a talk on the history of the harp. Nancy is based in Boston, MA and gave us a super potted history on the harp using many examples that she has been privileged to see as part of her connection with the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. One of her interests is the harps of composer and harpist John Egan. He was also Ireland's leading harp maker in the early 1800s. As part of her work at the MFA, and on her travels, she gets the chance to play on such instruments and was able to describe the characteristics of instruments and how they adapt over time.

One of my strings broke over night. I knew it was going so bought a news one in the break. I still haven't fitted it as I am hoping someone who can sort the knot more quickly and effectively than me. After break we had a workshop on ornamentation for 17th and 18th century music with Robin Ward. This was really interesting and gave us a few ideas for how to decorate certain styles of music. Robin played examples on his triple harp that he built himself. It's a fascinating instrument and he plays it very well.

After lunch Nancy gave us a wonderful workshop on Renaissance Dance. As well as learning the dance steps for the Branle, Pavane, Galliarde and Canarie, we heard examples and then played them. This was quite exhilarating and a fair few of us were out of breath! This also helped as an ice breaker as you find you can talk to someone more easily when you've had to choose a partner or hold hands! Nancy made it look effortless and never needed to adjust her steps as I frequently had to!

Needing a break from the dancing we then had a lecture on tuning stabilisation and about the possibility in the future for a harp where the strings will not go out of tune. Very scientific but interesting and I learnt a little about the behaviour of a nylon string.

The Q&A session with the tutors covered all sorts of issues to do with performing, techniques and instruments then Danielle was joined by a chamber ensemble to perform Ravels' Introduction and Allegro and a new piece by Gary Higginson. Both pieces were well played and this was an enjoyable hour.

After supper we had a performance by some of the course participants who already play in a group. Robin Ward then performed a fabulous piece by Albeniz on the triple harp. Sue Rothstein performed two of her own compositions on Danielle's pedal harp and Robin played again on a wire harp. The sound from this lap instrument was startling. The best description was that it was a 'silvery tone' and it had a gorgeous resonant sound. The final piece was the Branle where Nancy taught us the steps again and the day ended with a jam session outside as people suggested tunes for us all to busk along to. Around 11pm we were politely asked to move inside.

Robyn took a load of photos so I'll get a few up when she's sorted them out. A great day and now I'm ready for bed!

Harp Fest Day 1

I am currently in Woking at the Harp Fest 2012 organised by the Clarsach Society. After a rubbish journey around the M25 I got here just in time for the first session. Around 12 lever harps and one pedal harp were already set up and we rehearsed two pieces with Sue Rothstein, all good fun and sounded lovely by the end. Sue was encouraging and helped the group through the sections of the piece.

After tea we were treated to a concert by the International Harp Ensemble, a group of around 18 mostly young harpists. There are normally 32 members but a few are on holiday. Their programme featured many short works in a variety of styles, all well played. Some of the members play other instruments (double bass, percussion, voice) and so a few arrangements used these as part of the ensemble. They are going on tour to France in August. I was delighted to realise that I knew their director, Louisa, as she was the harpist in my County Youth Orchestra. It's a small world! There are more about them here: www.internationalharpensemble.co.uk

They regularly go on tour and this year are heading to the south of France. The harps travel in a trailer, driven by Louisa's dad, while all the players travel with their parents and families, usually flying.

Grade 4

I've been a bit slow in updating things on here but I had been practising and even had to change two strings since the last post. All preparation had been going well for grade 4. Of the three pieces Eriskay Love Lilt had had a public performance at Queen's Park, Sarabande gradually fell into place over the last few weeks and Butterflies got faster and faster with the aid of the metronome. I knew I was on straight after lunch and managed to arrive really early. I was able to leave my harp at the venue so I nipped next door to the pub to find Rohan and Anne who had organised the session. Also eating his lunch was the examiner so I joined them for a bit and chatted about the grade-1-a-thon, exams and the sabotage of the Tour de France.

I left before the others to warm up and had a play through a few scales and my pieces. I tuned my harp as best I could then Rohan came along and retuned it. Her keen ear noticed a possible problem with the tuning of one of the lower strings. E and E flat on the third string up were very slightly out of tune with each other. I hadn't noticed this before and Rohan had to demonstrate several times before I noticed. It didn't affect the pieces in the exam too much so we went with that.

I think I'm getting the hang of these exams by now. This is my fourth on the harp and something like my 19th graded instrumental exam. I felt no nerves, just a little bit of excitement and if I noticed my mind wandering very quickly managed to bring it back to the job in hand. Rohan had sneakily said "check your harmonics" as I got settled as the fingers need to be placed at exactly the right point on the string to get the bell-like effect just right. If you suddenly switch to a higher or lower stool this can affefct where your fingers might end up. I did this just as the examiner was filling out the top of the report form and made a mental note of where my fingers should be. I hit an unusual wrong note in bar 2 of Eriskay but nothing too obscure. Sarabande is a tricky one to get right first time and a few chords contained some chords Schoenberg would have been proud of then Butterflies was fine. It is difficult to get the rhythm sounding really even and I haven't quite managed it yet but this will come. Scales were fine, no hitches at all today with my levers. I memorised as much of the sight-reading as I could and got through this fairly well looking from harp to music to harp again where I needed to. However I did relax too soon and hit a wrong note at the end, just as I did in grade 3! Nothing disastrous but just goes to show how the concentration has to be in place until well after you have finished the task. The examiner tried to give me the grade 3 aural tests until I politely pointed out that I should be singing and not clapping a pulse and he apologised and chuckled and we carried on.

I came out smiling and left Rohan to sort out my harp while one of my youngest pupils, Maisie, warmed up ready for her grade 1 clarinet. Despite it being her first ever exam Maisie looked very relaxed looking as experienced as someone who had done it all before! She played her first two piece beautifully and she said the rest of it had gone well too.

Next up is the Harp Festival in Woking and I have already been sent some material to look at then I need to get a piece recorded for my wedding ceremony. And then I might start thinking about grade 5. As for this evening, I might just have a night off!