Time's Flying!

"Where has this month gone again???!!!"  Why is this my mantra this year???

September ended with a family wedding gig in Pennsylvania- my daughter played flute to accompany.  It was outdoors and the weather was perfect...ended up sticking a tiny wireless mic into the bottom of my Kortier bird's eye maple 36 string workhorse and using a wireless amp clear across and down the driveway- which worked amazingly well.  Kate and the flute were left to their own windpower, but seemed to carry just fine.  I have done many weddings, and most people have been happy to have the Celtic/folk  music I play as the prelude- and I always do "The Chimes" as the recessional!  Once I did do a version of "Jesu. Joy of Man's Desiring" as the bride walked in, but that was the only non Celtic tune I have offered.  Gig list included: Cliffs of Moher, She moved thru the Fair, Eleanor Plunkett, Greensleeves,  Var Det Du. Josephine's waltz, Farewell to Craigie Dhue, Love is like a Red Red Rose", Cooley's Slide, Da Day Dawns, and a version of the Christ Child's Lullaby for the entrance by Stephanie Curcio that has this great interlude/descant, that can be coupled with her version of the tune, as well as playing the tune straightforward.  Fun to do duets and trios with!

October started our once monthly Celtic Evensong at church.  Kate and I again, and we reprised much of the gig list from the wedding.  We do a 5 minute prelude, about 10-15 minutes during quiet meditation mid way through the service, and a quick postlude.  Sometimes I do the tunes from the piano instead of the harp, but not this month.  We threw in Women of Ireland, so other things got bumped.

Had a wonderful concert of Billy Jackson and Grainne Hambly in nearby Dublin, NH on the 9th!  Talk about magical musical!!  They are so cute together as well...I first met them singly many many moons ago, and am so happy they have collaborated on so many levels!!  Adorable daughter as well!

I am over the moon that I SOLD my 34 string Kortier this month to a lovely lady in Conn. looking to move up from her 22 string lapharp.  I first posted my harp for sale early in the year on an internet Harp Mall site, and on Craig's List as well.  At first I got nothing but scammers- all the same modus operandi, just different names!  Harp Mall warns of this, and even posts examples of what a scammer enquiry might look like.  I was then beginning to put feelers out thru my harp teacher in Wilton and other music folk.  This was a huge part of my plan to afford my new harp from Larry Fisher in Canada!  Well, I then got some negative feedback about harp selling and used harps in general- apparently many more used harps on the market than there is demand.  I have always taken great care of my harps, without overbabying them, so I knew she was in great shape, though nearly 9 years old!  (where did THAT time go???!!!)  Donna first contacted me in May or June- very interested but hoped I would drop the asking price- by now, a no brainer!  Then one emergency after another, as she fell and broke an arm, had surgery, contracted pneumonia, etc etc...people were starting to ask me if she was "for real"!  But, I had the best vibes about her thru our correspondence, and when she and her delightful daughter came up on the 16th and promptly fell in love with "Bridgit",  it was a done deal!  I was really angsting over the thought of her going to a place to be a rental....Now I know she is a cherished member of the family!  Most of the summer I was playing her, to get her voice back up to her usual tones, so now I am directing my energies on getting acquainted with the Fisher.  Which I absolutely adore playing!  I haven't measured, but it seems the strings may be infinitetesimally closer together than on my Kortiers- when I have been playing the big boy and go to the Fisher, I am overreaching a bit.  I like the option of having two- totally different tone, totally different sound, and if I ever have a student again......

So- the tunes I am working on solidifying in my brain are "Fire in the Hearth" and the Scandanavian tunes I was learning from Sue Richards in Lubec in August.  Also, a sweet "Woe betide thy Wearie Bodie" and some Christmas tunes for a gig in Dec.

Getting back to regular practicing is huge for me- no more excuses!!  I love playing well, and you can't play well without putting in the time- never perfect, but striving!  I wish there was a group to play with- I do love two part pieces, and it sounds lovely with multiple harps playing at the same time.  Bring on November!!