Harpist Rebecca Anstine Smith and organist Michael Lodico, Jr. (the Lafayette Square Duo) commissioned a work for harp and organ by Peter Mathews. The result was the self-published Fantaisie for Harp and Organ, and it was dedicated to Jeanne Chalifoux and the organist’s baby, Florence Asha Lodico. The piece is about four and a half minutes long, and the harp and organ share a foundational role.

The composer’s desire was to create a free flight of fancy, with the instruments used as a sort of palindrome. The organ functions much like a chamber instrument, adding color and melodic interest. Sometimes the two instruments echo one another. There are short passages where they play in unison. The harp has some lush, large, rolled chords and several measures of glissandi.

There is not a lot of pedal work for the organ, as Mathews was aiming for a lighter touch on the organ so that the two instruments would blend together well. Therefore, he did not indicate any registration for the organ.

There is a lot of pedal work for the harp. No pedal markings or fingering are suggested, as most harpists would likely prefer to mark their own. There are numerous meter and key changes, but the tempo remains allegro throughout most of the piece. Although much of the harp part is in the upper registers, Mathews uses the full range of the instrument. The harp part is moderately difficult, and requires a very competent player.

Peter Mathews has written or arranged a few other pieces for harp and organ duo including Aria (also self-published). This is similar in style to Fantaisie and they would make a nice pairing in a program. His arrangements of “Windsor,” and “Crucifer” are published by MorningStar Music. The latter arrangement is particularly beautiful. The American Harp Society recently awarded a grant to Ms. Anstine Smith to commission more harp and organ duos, so we look forward to more work from this talented composer and arranger.

Theodore Presser Company has published “In Memoriam” for pedal harp by Gary Schocker. This original composition is a lovely and contemplative piece suitable for the intermediate player. It is also available for harp and flute.

There are a few keys changes and several meter changes. No fingering is suggested, but all pedal changes are written below the staff. Two page turns are required on this four-page piece, and the first one is a little tricky. At three and a half minutes, this solo would be suitable in a variety of settings, including recitals. Both you and your audience are sure to find this piece very appealing.

Learning to move pedals, especially for someone transitioning from lever to pedal harp, can be a daunting process. Jaqueline Pollauf (Oakway Studios) has created a book to help build precision and control in moving pedals. “Pedal Exercises for Harp” contains 40 exercises to develop pedal skills.

She starts out simply with just the left foot moving flats and naturals, then the same thing with the right foot. Then she introduces sharps and naturals in each foot. Next comes moving between two pedals, followed by pairs, combining sides, and simultaneous movements in various combinations. There are drills for moving in the same direction and moving in opposite directions, all presented in a progressive fashion.

The final exercises introduce cross-pedaling (although she doesn’t call it that) and are limited to the left foot on the E pedal. There are no exercises with the right foot on the B pedal or anything as complex as pedal slides or moving two pedals with one foot. Admittedly, these are more advanced moves and relatively rare (unless you’re Park Stickney).

There are no pedal changes notated on any of the exercises. Ms. Pollauf explains in the introduction that there are various ways that harpists choose to mark their pedals, so she leaves the choice up to you. This also provides the opportunity for students to practice marking their own pedals. She provides guidelines and explains how to write and read a pedal chart. The option to mark in English letters or solfege is also mentioned. Since she did introduce cross-pedaling, it might have been worth illustrating how this is notated in modern music by enclosing the pedal marking in a box. This excellent tome will help students get comfortable with pedaling.

For those who want something playable on lever harp, Frank Voltz recently wrote a new composition, “Heather’s Song.”  Published by Chiera Music, this is a very sweet and appealing tune in D major. The waltz tempo gives it a lilting quality and there is just one easily-executed lever change. Diamond-shaped notes are used for lever notation and pedal markings are below the staff.

The opening theme is repeated on page four using triplets. There is a scale gliss and hand over hand arpeggios. The typesetting is easy to read, and page turns are very manageable. This music is sight-readable for an intermediate level player. For a pretty tune that you can quickly add to your repertoire, try “Heather’s Song.” •