asbestos fingers

After spending most of my life obsessing about the state of my finger tips (too soft?... too hard?), you'd think I'd have tried most things to avoiding getting blisters?

Well it turns out not.

I'm doing a couple of operas at the moment, one is a bit of a pedal work-out, and the other one is a finger shredder.

(double click on image for closer view)

Kaschei the Immortal by Rimsky-Korsakov is a great little opera, which is really enjoyable to play.... apart from the 4 pages of solo (loud) harp glisses at the start (which you can't use felt picks for!)

After the dress rehearsal my fingers were SO SORE that I didn't know how I was going to get through the run over the next few weeks.

In fact they were so sore, they felt bruised to the touch, which was when I had the brain wave of using arnica cream.

Hallelujah! Had the first show last night and my fingers were fine - not sore at all.

Came home and rubbed a bit of arnica cream into my fingertips, and so far so good.

Fingers crossed (no pun intended) that arnica cream will be the answer to keeping the blisters at bay over the next few weeks.

The case for wedge heels

Played in a church yesterday, and this was the only place to set up..... and the holes in the grate were just large enough for the heels of your shoe to slip into!!

Now if I had been wearing wedges or flip-flops it would have been fine....

Blazing pedals

Sensible shoes only please...

Definately no wedges or flip-flops!

(double click on image for closer view)

I had thought re-writing this little bit from 2nd act of Intermezzo by Strauss so that you aren't reading enharmonic notes, (my personal pet hate) might make it easier.

Figure 94 in 1.

80+mm per bar!!!

Maybe shoes with little booster rockets are in order?

Locking string onto the tuning pin

A while back I posted some videos which I found online on how to tie a harp string, brilliantly demonstrated by Lyon & Healy technician Steve Moss.

However I only posted his videos on how to tie the anchor knots. Here is the other important end - locking the string on the tuning pin.

I never used to do it this way, but since using Steve's method it is brilliantly simple and straight forward, and better still, really easy to describe.

The quality of the video is a bit fuzzy, but if you listen carefully to what he says it is really simple!

Locking a string on the tuning pin, 0-4th octaves by Steve Moss

Alan Stivell

Wow - great what you can find on YouTube! Footage from 1982 of Alan Stivell with Angelo Branduardi on fiddle.

I've always loved his harp playing. A great (unofficial) website about Alan Stivell here with a page of pictures of all the different harps he's played, plus info about him through the years. Site's in French, but you can google translate it.

His official website here..

electric envy

I see the harp twins have a lovely pair of Lyon and Healy Silhouette electric harps.



I was drooling over the black version of this harp a while back......

.... I did have a quick side swipe at lusting after a see through electric harp

before remembering that I really can't afford another harp until I've paid off for my lovely Iris.

And the bride would like....

lots and lots and lots and lots of requests

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Rock on!

The indomitable Deborah Henson-Conant demonstrating her homework for the Berklee Music Online 12-week course in the guitar techniques of Steve Vai.

Blue Skies

Finally after what seems like months of rain..... blue skies!!

I took the dog for a lovely long walk yesterday along our favourite bridle path and took the opportunity to listen to Sarah Deere-Jones CD Soirbheas.

A really interesting CD of music for harps with aoelian (wind blown) harps. With the ambient noise of these aoelian harps recorded in different parts of the British Isles you also have sounds of the sea, a church bell, thunder as well as the rhythmic beat of a wind turbine. On top of this, Sarah has cleverly weaved celtic harp music & improvisation.

It would be easy to dismiss this CD as another "new age" recording, but it is so much more than that. Taking you to an "other world" it is a beautiful CD that is guaranteed to lift your spirits.

I thoroughly enjoyed it, and it reminded me a bit of "Peiwoh" CD by Arianna Savall for it's purity of sound.

Definitely recommended - download the CD to your iPod and go for a long walk listening to Soirbheas. You'll feel rejuvenated!

Sarah is doing a concert up at Salt Mills at a harp day at the Early Music Shop in September, put the date in your diary!

Big Bang Theory...

is the best show on television.

And just when you think it couldn't get any better (joy!) they introduce harp playing Amy in Series 4!!!