My short Harp Story

That Merry Month of May is fast disappearing, with the rest of the year!  Spring/Summer has gotten all bunched up and late winter has revisited, and all the blossoms opened at the same time, and I am behind on paperwork at work...ugh...  So reading your stories has boosted my mood, and I will just say, my first introduction to the Celtic Harp was when my best friend from school came home from college in 1971 with an LP of Alan Stivell- "The Rennaisance of the Celtic Harp"  from Britanny.  I was immediately sucked into the entrancing sounds, and carried back to my love of the Arthur Legends, and mythology, and particular love of Ancient and Medieval History.  I KNEW that, as much as I loved playing my piano, it would rarely have this magical quality to it (and possible portability!) but what to do???  No one in NJ was playing the Celtic Harp at that point!  A few years later, not sure when, I did hear a Patrick Ball album, but that must have been long after finding "The Thistle and Shamrock" radio program on our Public Radio stations. 

Of course, Folk music was very popular in the 60's and 70's, and then the HUGE hit "Riverdance" brought Irish music, and Celtic "stuff" to the front burners....I started noticing the rare appearance of Celtic bands appearing at a street fair north of Philly, then featured at a "Ren Faire" somewhere else. And I KNEW it was coming closer to me, and that one day I would find harp and teacher, and time and money, all at the same moment- and I would play that magic for myself! 

Sure enough, after chasing the degree, and then moving around til we finally settled on a town that became home, I was at the local "Wool Arts Tour" one rainy October day, and heard....yes....a celtic harp being played inside the building!  I followed the sound  almost in a trance into the room where Mary Graham was playing- and, she DID offer to give lessons and she was ONLY 1/2 hour away and had networked with several other harpers who could lease out a harp for short periods, etc!!!  Heaven!!  My first harp was a leased Lyon and Healey Troubador.  Great sound!  Not truly a Celtic Harp but a lever harp or "folk harp".  Moved onto a beautiful bird's eye maple built by David Kortier from Minn....mostly because Mary was acting as a distributor for him and I had no chance to really go far afield and check out other brands.  Big boy but quiet voice.  And finally (?) I fell in love love love with Sue Richard's Larry Fisher harp, and got that last year.  Sparkly on top and mellow down below- I just need to be playing more, and thinking about it less!  Does that make sense?  MUST GET ORGANIZED so rest of life does not keep distracting me from what I want to be doing!

Thank you ladies for ongoing inspiration- hope to meet you all in person some day!  Sharon