February- I have heard it described as the longest shortest month in the calendar! Well, despite the weather, and all the snow we are buried under, it seems to be moving pretty quickly! At the very beginning of the month I had back to back gigs. The "All Ladies" night at the Coffee House was a blast. I played with my daughter Kate- she played flute with the "Christ Child's lullaby" that I have incorporated whole sections of Stephanie Curcios arrangement into (There is a lovely little descant like part that plays perfectly over her variation of the traditional tune as well as over the traditional tune! So harp and flute trade off those melodies.) and she played on flute the 2nd harp part of Sue Richard's arrangement of "Var Det Du" (Scandinavian piece) and she sang with the harp on "She moved thru the Fair", which is a tune I really love. I play broken and harmony chords when she sings the melody, then take the melody when she takes a break!)
I also have met with another flute player who is interested in doing Celtic Evensong services with me, as well as just having fun with Celtic, early, Baroque or classical stuff. I may have to resort to the piano for the Baroque and Classical- don't have the time or inclination to really work that up on the Celtic harp with all the necessary lever changes, and the piano is so much easier for me to play that stuff on! But having someone to make music with for fun is great. She has recently plugged into an oboeist and a cellist- so who knows what might happen down the road!
An answer to a prayer has just come thru- a friend of mine and fellow ex-library trustee- just finally succumbed to taking Celtic harp lessons and just bought a slightly used 2013 Rees harp and is over the moon about learning to play! She is right in town, and a brilliant lady, so I am sure she will reach and surpass me as quickly as Miss Pamela did! At any rate, while she is also a busy person, I think we will be able to get together and do duets and I am really looking forward to that! She is also a Physician's assistant at a local hospital, and interested in Music therapy courses, as am I....so maybe another whole new thing may be happening over the next year or two. I LOVE the sound of multiple harps playing....really transportive!
Oh, the second gig the next night was our Celtic Evensong service, and Kate and I did the same harp/flute things, so we were in practice! The weather made it tough for attendees at both venues to get out, so it was a bit sad that more folks weren't there to hear or participate.- but you get what you get, and it is all good!
Now I just need more hours in the day... or more days in the week...or more weeks in the month...Take care in this everlasting winter cold, Dear Ladies!
Sharon
What great news - playing with your daughter (my dream!) and finding a new harpophile! Marvelous.
ReplyDeleteI'm presently in Florida working, and I was in shock, frankly, for a couple of days after I got here. What a rugged winter we have had, eh? Now it's all half-melted I understand, and ice ice ice. Ugh.
You are so kind, Sharon. I am not sure that I have moved beyond you, I think we just play different music. I DID catch on to the lever harp pretty quickly - well, there was an extended span at the beginning where I just wouldn't process good technique! - but I think the harp is a lot like the piano, and I've been playing that by ear since I was 3, and then I had 4 years in college to be pretty serious about music. And maybeI am lucky enough to have more practice time, and a built--in duet partner as well. :))
ReplyDeleteOn a completely other subject, I am trying to make my own arrangement of Hewlett, and not yet liking what I've come up with. There's not too much on YouTube; does anyone have a recommendation? Thanks in advance, and happy almost March!