There was an email from the Grand Dame of Irish harp in my inbox! Janet Harbison got my email address from someone else and thought I could help her make connections for her for upcoming concerts and other Irish harp related events!
I'm not sure how much I'll be able to help her to be honest as it seems she'll be based around Liverpool and that's a couple hours drive from Leeds and I don't know anyone in that area. Also, I'm not exactly the most connected person and I don't really know a lot about networking, etc. But, she still wants to call me and ask me a few questions, etc.
I do know the UK (well England anyway) really really needs a good shot of Irish harp related stuff as everything is sort of generic folk, Welsh (blah), Scottish, or Classical. I will do everything I can to help her! I'm excited to talk to her on the phone. I wonder (doubt it!) if she'll remember me taking her week long workshop 15 years ago. I certainly remember so much about it--it was such an amazing experience!
Bloody finger! Literally. I cut it on a can of beans a couple days ago and it's still bleeding off and on. And it's my right hand pointer finger (that's harp finger number 2). So it's hard to play right now.
Anyway, with my help, my chapter of the Clarsach Society has booked Fiana NiChonaill to do a workshop for us in March. She's a former student of Janet Harbison. I'm really excited about it--it'll be the first Irish workshop we've had since I've been a member! She's also offered me a free lesson since she'll be staying with us when she flies in from Ireland, so yay!
I don't know what else to say right now except for only about 6 weeks to go until 'Irish Month'! Can you believe one of my harp lady friends didn't even know when St. Pat's was??!
Finger has healed but I have fractured my little toe! At least it wasn't a finger!
I have relearned The Blackbird and am confident with it except for a bit of the B part where I put some variation into the melody and getting that to go with the left hand at the same time. I am thinking it's a big no-no to play a tune with the same variation / ornamentation both times when competing in the fleadh, which is why I'm pushing to get The Blackbird learned with the different variations for both times through.
I have also relearned a simple slip jig I learned from Janet Harbison eons ago called Baltiorum. Also an air which was one of the first tunes I learned from Kathy. At the time she thought it was O'Carolan's Lament for Owain Roe O'Neill. but now we know it isn't O'Carolan at all. It's on an old Clannad album, we don't have a name for it.
Have any of you seen the book 'Irish Harping 1900-2010' by Helen Lawlor? It's very interesting!
Fiddle lessons! I had my first fiddle lesson (in the UK) last night! Apparently he is the only fiddle teacher in Leeds! He's a lovely young guy from Co. Tyrone, Tommy Peoples was his teacher.
I brought my 'book' (Lucy is familiar with my harp book--well this is the same with my fiddle tunes all written out in my own quirky ABC format) and said that at the moment I don't need any new tunes, I just need to refresh on the tunes I already have. He's really easy going and was fine with that. We worked on Mist Covered Mountain (which they don't play much in Co. Tyrone *or* Leeds) and Cliffs of Moher.
He showed me loads of different ornamentation to do including double stops and rolls. I know, this is not harp stuff, but it's related, right? The double stops gave me ideas to try on the harp (left hand stuff) and also he had a super cool different bit in the B part of Cliffs of Moher which I've got to learn on the harp! I was up half the night with my mind racing about this stuff!
ouch!! But other than fingers cut and sore, what an exciting blog post!! And I am surprised at the lack of Irish music in your area! That was an eye opener for me. Have a blast!
ReplyDeleteWell, there is Irish music, even a St. Pat's Parade put on by the Leeds Irish Centre / Leeds branch of Comhaltas (which I have only recently joined) but no Irish *harp*, especially within the Clarsach Society and my branch of the Society.
ReplyDeleteThere's one good session (maybe the only session) once a week at a pub in town (we never seem to be able to make it) and then the Irish Centre has a session the first Saturday of the month (we've never made that one either).
ReplyDeleteAlways wanted to play the fiddle- was on the verge of signing up for lessons when I finally found a wonderful Celtic Harp teacher and that was "all she wrote"...there are still plenty of times I wish I had taken up the fiddle though...other than ease of carting it around in comparison to lugging the harp!! You have me getting inspired again! Of course, the family and terriers may not like the beginning learning as much as the harp...had you taken fiddle or violin earlier in your life? What fun!
ReplyDeleteI played violin / viola for a few years in school (5th through 7th or 8th grades). Then I took lessons with Kathy for a few years--very convenient when you can learn two instruments with one teacher!
ReplyDeleteAndee - wow and wow - wonderful musical stuff going on with you, a little less wonderful with damaging your finger and toe! I've been very absent and I apologize. I'm so happy for you that these good things are happening in your music life.
ReplyDeleteHi Lucy! Thanks! Well Janet H ended up not phoning me--I think after we emailed and after our convenor (our branch of the Clarsach Society) emailed she realized I didn't have too much too offer her in the way of connections.
ReplyDeleteI am excited to see what she organizes for the north of England though and I'll be there if I can! Also happy that she remembered me after all of these years!
I love my new fiddle teacher! However, I thought my work schedule was back to normal and I'd be able to practice loads, but my manager had a gall stone attack and I'm back to full time + for a while. She may need surgery as well.....oh well, more money for lessons (they're not cheap!) but less time to practice!