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Harps on planes

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Home Forums Coffee Break Harps on planes

Viewing 11 posts - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)
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  • #112329
    lyn-boundy
    Participant

    Does anyone have any experience of flying with their harp? I understand that most airlines allow a musical instrument on top of hand luggage but even my little Harpsicle is over the hand luggage size allowance. I miss my harp so much, even on a two week holiday, that I would love to be able to take her with me but I suspect the cost might be prohibitive. I’ve also had a lot of experience of being offered something when I book, only to find it doesn’t exist when I turn up at the airport; fortunately, this has so far applied to things like veggie meals, early check-in etc so has been more of an annoyance than a real inconvenience but I obviously couldn’t risk turning up with Orphea and then being told she couldn’t come with me. Has anyone had something like that happen?

    #112330
    Allison Stevick
    Participant

    Here are some threads where this has been discussed in the past. I’ve never flown with a harp, but I will use this advice if/when I have to!

    http://www.harpcolumn.com/forums/amateur-harpists/posts/42604

    http://www.harpcolumn.com/forums/professional-harpists/posts/54838

    http://www.harpcolumn.com/forums/professional-harpists/posts/52667

    #112331
    lyn-boundy
    Participant

    Thank you Allison. I hadn’t found my way around to those old threads yet. Apologies if I messed up by reposting an old question.

    #112332
    Allison Stevick
    Participant

    I’m relatively new here, too, and I think it can be good to repeat some old questions, because new people might be able to weigh in or new information might exist. Don’t worry about messing up– it seems that most people on the site are kind, helpful, and understanding.

    #112333
    lyn-boundy
    Participant

    It certainly seems that way! Thanks for your help – it looks like good news for Harpsicles about plane travel. As a kind of supplementary question I’d love to know whether people pre-arranged their harp-travel with the airline or just turtned up and hoped for the best. Nobody in those other threads has much to say about making the arrangements in advnce but I would have thought that was essential

    #112338
    lyn-boundy
    Participant

    Just a personal thought but I’ve always rather wished I could have worked something about Turlough O’ Carolan into my degree (sadly it was in English lit so I couldn’t distort things quite that far)!

    #112334
    barbara-brundage
    Participant

    I would keep in mind that those threads are a couple of years old, while the baggage situation deteriorates all the time these days. I hope it’s still the way it was, but I would not count on any airline having the same policy now that they did n 2010, unfortunately.

    #112335
    lyn-boundy
    Participant

    Good point. All the more reason for me to check extra carefully before I do anything definite. Thank you.

    #112336
    emma-graham
    Participant

    It’s not really designed to let you actually play, rather just keep your fingers in playing condition, but this little practise harp seems quite useful for the well travelled harpist!
    http://www.niebischandtree.co.uk/harp-accessories.html
    Down the page on the right hand side.

    #112337
    lyn-boundy
    Participant

    I’ve noticed those before and they really do seem like a great idea but at £350 for a harp that doesn’t play a tune – I think I’ll be giving it a miss for now. I keep hoping my husband will suddenly need something to do because I’m pretty sure he could knock up something similar for a fraction of the price. Meantime, I keep the ad permanently bookmarked.

    #112339
    phill-w
    Participant

    Speaking as someone who is procrastinating over a postgrad dissertation right now, can I have your project?!

    In no particular order. if it was me I’d be tempted to write about the image of the harp in contemporary culture – ie as a symbol of tradition in Ireland, a symbol of innoncene/angelic expression in the church and contrast these with images of how the harp is used in popular culture (I went to a Heavy Metal gig a few weeks ago and there was one used by the band)/it’s growth in popular music

    OR a slightly less off the wall idea, I’d write about its increasing use throughout the 19th/20th century

    Does that help at all?

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