On Oct. 9, Scottish harpist Rachel Hair will release Hello Harp, her first solo harp recording since her 2007 debut album Hubcaps and Potholes. Following her solo debut, Hair released a series of albums with her trio and in duos with Manx singer-songwriter Ruth Keggin and Scottish guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Ron Jappy, and is now returning to her roots with Hello Harp. The new recording features music from the bagpipe tradition and other traditional tunes, representing Cornwall, Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man, alongside Hair’s own compositions.
“Going back to solo playing allows me to be true to what I do when I play solo gigs,” Hair says. “In that environment, for me, it’s all about the tunes. I love strong melodies as much as strong rhythms and although there are moments of reflection, the album is essentially a celebration of the harp and what it is about the Scottish harp that people want to hear.”
The album is available for pre-order as a physical CD and digital download, and will be available on streaming platforms. Learn more about Hair on her website and in Harp Column’s cover interview from our March-April 2021 issue.
