Affairs of the Harp book?

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This topic has 11 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 12 years, 7 months ago by Sylvia.

Viewing 12 posts - 1 through 12 (of 12 total)

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February 19, 2014 at 4:07 pm #78097

Sonya Wiley
Member

Can someone who has this book tell me about it? There’s really no description at Amazon or reviews about it. I’ve seen it mentioned many times and thought it might be a good reference book? thanks! sonya

February 19, 2014 at 6:50 pm #78098

Sylvia
Participant

Is it by Sam Pratt, published in 1964?
I have one. You might find it quite dated, and the info is now on the Internet.
However, it is a fun book with lots of info and some funny cartoons (harpoons).

It has how-to about tuning (even discusses tuning forks!), strings, finding buzzes, oiling rivets, pedal rods, broken springs, benches, changing felts, etc., lists of method books, concert repertoire….

It’s probably not something you need. I got mine many years ago and used it back in the olden days. Now I would just go online to look for things.
I was surprised it is still around. I’m happy that I have one, but I like things of harpness past…

February 19, 2014 at 7:41 pm #78099

patricia-jaeger
Member

I also have one. It is a very good resource for troubleshooting problems that may come up on your pedal or lever harp. Samuel O. Pratt, author,played pedal harp, flute, conducted, composed, and manufactured a lever harp floor model he called the Dauphine. His insights and helpful tips come from long musical experience and are told, as Sylvia said above, with humor. Well worth having. There is nothing online that can replace a real printed book you can hold, bookmark at pages you especially like, and know that the author comes from wide experience. Find Affairs of the Harp at either
http://www.loiscolin.com or http://www.colinharpmusic.com.

February 20, 2014 at 3:09 pm #78100

Sonya Wiley
Member

Thanks Sylvia and Patricia for the info!

February 20, 2014 at 9:06 pm #78101

patty-ritter
Participant

I absolutely agree with Patricia. I am a book lover, and as much as I enjoy having the world’s resources at my fingertips on the web in an instant, I do love the process of finding information in a book. His information, advice, practicality, and experience are unmatched. This book is worth every penny!

February 20, 2014 at 11:40 pm #78102

jimmy-h
Participant

Thanks for the link. Amazon is sold out at the moment.

February 21, 2014 at 12:34 am #78103

Sonya Wiley
Member

well, darn, they had some when I wrote the post! lol

February 21, 2014 at 6:15 pm #78104

richard-hagan
Member

Not meaning to take this away from the discussion of Samuel Pratt’s book, I thought you all might be interested in the program from a concert that I attended a couple of years ago (1969) that Roberta Peters and Samuel Pratt gave. Samuel Pratt accompanied her with harp (a Troubador) on one set of songs and flute on others. I have rarely gone back stage to get autographs but my best friend and I were star struck teenagers and so we were second and third in line to get their autographs. (After all, Ms Peters did invite the audience to come backstage…) The attachment is a PDF scanned copy of the program — I am hoping it attached okay.

February 21, 2014 at 6:48 pm #78105

Sonya Wiley
Member

thanks for sharing! My sister and I did the same thing but with Peter Nero(we were piano students) we couldn’t believe he was performing at our local junior college in the artist series around the same time, 1969-70.

February 21, 2014 at 7:19 pm #78106

Sylvia
Participant

I went to see Peter Nero (he was here in the 80s, I think it was). i’m wondering what you thought of him.
If you were around in the late 60s, you will like probably like Sam Pratt’s book.

February 26, 2014 at 1:13 pm #78107

Sonya Wiley
Member

Oh, he was fabulous, i remember his rendition of Rhapsody in Blue as just wonderful. He was very nice and approachable, we had a crush on his drummer so he called him out so we could talk with him also, lol. It was a great evening.

February 26, 2014 at 3:04 pm #78108

Sylvia
Participant

Our experience of PN was totally different. He was solo, the audience was sparse, and at least half the audience walked out on him. We stayed till the end, just to get our money’s worth, but it didn’t get any better.
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