A. The Harp Twins playing the theme tune to Star Trek
Tuesday, 29 April 2014
It's life Jim... Live Long and Prosper
Q. What's better than Spock playing the harp?
A. The Harp Twins playing the theme tune to Star Trek
A. The Harp Twins playing the theme tune to Star Trek
It's all white...
What is it with white Budin carbon fibre single action harps? I suddenly come across two of them on the web in one week.
Latest edition of Harpers Bazaar magazine has a "Marie Antoniette" style fashion shoot by Karl Lagerfeld with the model draped over one.
I can see why they didn't go for the real thing....
One of Marie-Antoniette's harps - this by Naderman
Latest edition of Harpers Bazaar magazine has a "Marie Antoniette" style fashion shoot by Karl Lagerfeld with the model draped over one.
I can see why they didn't go for the real thing....
One of Marie-Antoniette's harps - this by Naderman
Hot harp
What a beauty, and yes I am referring to the strangely levitating Lyon & Healy, although Jayne Mansfield is not bad looking either!
Might have to order a framed one of these prints this for my harp picture collection. Shame about the saxophone spoiling the picture 😀
Might have to order a framed one of these prints this for my harp picture collection. Shame about the saxophone spoiling the picture 😀
Thursday, 24 April 2014
Harpologie
Having just done a review for the Harpologie Series by
Sabien Canton in the the latest UKHA magazine, I've just found a nice video trailer online.
The video is in German, but it does the job!
Harpologie, and Harpolgie 2 are extremely
useful books for anyone teaching beginner to intermediate level harp. Each book
comes with a play-along CD, which is quite a rarity for beginner harp students.
What makes these books invaluable as teaching aids is the fact that not only
are the pieces themselves well thought out and structured from a harp playing
point of view, but the quality of the compositions and the production values of
the backing tracks are exceptional. Witty and fun accompaniments which manage
to lift the spirits of both student and teacher! The first book is aimed at the
beginner (2nd finger only) to approximately grade 2 standard. The
second book is approximately grade 2 to 4 standard. The play-along tracks come
in several versions for each piece. Some have a half (studio) tempo, and then a
full speed version. I have found these books useful to use in lieu of
sight-reading at the end of a lesson. Although aimed at the early levels, they
are especially good for anyone who struggles with sightreading up to grade 5
level. Originally published in Dutch, the books have been translated into
various European languages. My books are in French and the CD is in Dutch, but
nonetheless these 2 books are always my most used books in my teaching bag. I
ordered my copies very simply and quickly through Le Magasin de la Harpe . Highly
recommended.
Wednesday, 23 April 2014
A Child Like You
Only a couple of weeks to go to the premiere of "A Child Like You" at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester on the 2nd May at 8pm.
It will be my first time playing harp with a brass band, and it's a real privilege to be playing with a band as amazing as Foden's Band! The piece features my wonderfully talented soprano, Anna-Clare Monk who will be singing and narrating.
"A Child Like You" is a 15 minute work written by Andy Scott for Soprano voice/narrator, harp and brass band and will be the centre piece of the first half of the concert on the 2nd May in Manchester. It will then be performed at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in the South Bank on 6th July, and at the Concert Hall in Glasgow as part of the Commonwealth Games celebrations on the 2nd August.
If you can come along to any of the dates to support this project that would be brilliant!
It will be my first time playing harp with a brass band, and it's a real privilege to be playing with a band as amazing as Foden's Band! The piece features my wonderfully talented soprano, Anna-Clare Monk who will be singing and narrating.
"A Child Like You" is a 15 minute work written by Andy Scott for Soprano voice/narrator, harp and brass band and will be the centre piece of the first half of the concert on the 2nd May in Manchester. It will then be performed at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in the South Bank on 6th July, and at the Concert Hall in Glasgow as part of the Commonwealth Games celebrations on the 2nd August.
If you can come along to any of the dates to support this project that would be brilliant!
brave new world
OK fellow harpists..... what is this?
I think.... it's a Budin carbon fibre single-action harp (I saw a couple of black ones in the Budin shop in Paris a few years ago) with some Do-It-Yourself colour changing LED strips stuck on the edges of the soundboard.
But I may be wrong....
Carbon fibre lever harps are now available in the UK and although they are an interesting harp which would have some really useful purposes being extremely light and able to use in almost any temperature etc, it's currently at a £6,000 price tag for a 36 string harp.
I think.... it's a Budin carbon fibre single-action harp (I saw a couple of black ones in the Budin shop in Paris a few years ago) with some Do-It-Yourself colour changing LED strips stuck on the edges of the soundboard.
But I may be wrong....
Carbon fibre lever harps are now available in the UK and although they are an interesting harp which would have some really useful purposes being extremely light and able to use in almost any temperature etc, it's currently at a £6,000 price tag for a 36 string harp.
Monday, 10 March 2014
Admin overload... again
22.55 and I have just finished SOME (not all) of my very overdue admin.
I think I much prefer getting blisters.
At least it means I'm actually playing the harp instead of catching up on the never ending admin.
(BTW that's not a picture of my desk. I'm too embarrassed to upload an actual picture of my desk/chaos/madness)
I think I much prefer getting blisters.
At least it means I'm actually playing the harp instead of catching up on the never ending admin.
(BTW that's not a picture of my desk. I'm too embarrassed to upload an actual picture of my desk/chaos/madness)
According to the Daily Telegraph - "Having a messy desk makes you 'more creative'..." Yeah, right. Doesn't give me more time to do what I want to do which is PLAY MY HARP, not bloody admin.
Wednesday, 12 February 2014
blisters.. again!
I've been learning a new piece which has a long passage right in the top octaves.
Combine that with a couple weeks of orchestral work and I now have a bruised 4th fingertip, remnants of a blood blister on my thumb and a puffy blister on my second finger.
ARGHHHHH!
Combine that with a couple weeks of orchestral work and I now have a bruised 4th fingertip, remnants of a blood blister on my thumb and a puffy blister on my second finger.
ARGHHHHH!
Interview with Daphne Boden
Daphne Boden was the special guest at the 2013 UKHA Christmas party.
An influential harp teacher in the UK - and member of the board of Directors of the World Harp Congress, talks about her harp life with Cecilia Sultana de Maria
Grab a coffee and enjoy!
An influential harp teacher in the UK - and member of the board of Directors of the World Harp Congress, talks about her harp life with Cecilia Sultana de Maria
Grab a coffee and enjoy!
Friday, 17 January 2014
how to get a concert harp into a small hatchback
I scream each time I watch this - I defy any harpist not to watch this without screaming!!!
Epic scene getting harp into a small car from 0:58 seconds in.
I have got a harp into a small hatchback back in my pre-college days before I learnt to drive and had to rely on lifts. However we took the front passenger seat completely out and then (CAREFULLY) lifted the harp in so that it went in backwards with the pedal end into the foot well of the passenger side.
I used to regularly get taxis and then the overground train to gigs, which shows my age as I'm sure you certainly wouldn't be allowed onto a train with a harp now. I even ended up locked in the guards van once (with my harp) on a train from London Victoria to Canterbury.
Ahh... those were the days!
Epic scene getting harp into a small car from 0:58 seconds in.
I have got a harp into a small hatchback back in my pre-college days before I learnt to drive and had to rely on lifts. However we took the front passenger seat completely out and then (CAREFULLY) lifted the harp in so that it went in backwards with the pedal end into the foot well of the passenger side.
I used to regularly get taxis and then the overground train to gigs, which shows my age as I'm sure you certainly wouldn't be allowed onto a train with a harp now. I even ended up locked in the guards van once (with my harp) on a train from London Victoria to Canterbury.
Ahh... those were the days!
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