What's On Your Music Stand? November 2019

[Jerusha Amado]

Hi all!

I haven’t done one of these in a while, so I thought it would be good to ask what everyone is working on these days. I assume that many of you are preparing music for Christmas. I will be, too, after putting some finishing touches on an original arrangement of “Here Comes the Sun” by George Harrison.
Let us know how things are going in your music world!

[Veronika]

It’s nice to see a thread like this again.

I’m putting the finishing touches (read: frantically trying to bring up to performance standard) on Broceliande by Annie Challan and Captain O’Kane as arranged by Aryeh Frankfurter. I’m going to play both at a Christmas concert. The O’Carolan piece will be a duet with a flautist and I’m really looking forward to that.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 5 months ago by Veronika.

[balfour-knight]

Hi, Jerusha, my friend!

It was so good to see your post here! I am re-mastering “La Source” by Hasselmans and also working on Christmas music to play for my upcoming concerts. I have also been re-reading POWER PERFORMANCE by our late friend, Carroll McLaughlin, a very informative and inspirational book. She was such a dear person and a most wonderful harpist-performer.

Wishing all of you blessed holidays,
Balfour

[Jerusha Amado]

Hi Veronika!

So good to hear from you!
I wasn’t familiar with the Captain O’Kane tune, so I looked up Aryeh’s arrangement of it on YouTube. It’s beautiful! For those who might be interested, here is an address to it that you can copy/paste into your browser if it doesn’t come up automatically: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EaA_WVlIAg
“Broceliane” is also terrific, has a majestic feeling to it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC3ligTP4Ws

[Jerusha Amado]

Hi Balfour!

“La Source” is so wonderful!

It’s good to hear that you will be performing Christmas music this year. This will be a blessing for all who hear you. What are you favorite Christmas songs to play? Some of mine are “Away in a Manger” (arr. Murray), “One Small Child”, “Mary Did You Know?” and “Silent Night”.

I hope that you and your wife have a very good Christmas!

[balfour-knight]

Hello, Jerusha and all!

Well, I think all Christmas music is wonderful, but some of my favorites are “Still, Still, Still,” “The Wexford Carol,” “The Sussex Carol,” “The Appalachian Carol” (I Wonder as I Wander, found in Murphy, NC!), and all the ones you listed above as your favorites! I often do a medley of three different tunes for “Away in a Manger,” and I sometimes do “The Birthday of a King,” and add one verse, very softly, of “Happy Birthday” to Jesus. I love this time of year!

Harp Hugs,
Balfour

[Biagio]

Heh heh, at the moment sawdust. When that’s cleaned up, Silent Night, Ave Maria, and The Holly & the Ivy are traditional favorites at Casa Sancetta.

Happy Holidays,
Biagio

[Veronika]

Thanks, Jerusha. 🙂

[Jerusha Amado]

Hi Balfour!

The Wexford and Sussex carols are not as well-known but are quite beautiful. I am glad that you include them in your repertoire.
I did not know that “I Wonder as I Wander” was also called “The Appalachian Carol” and that it originated in North Carolina! I always learn new things from the harpists on this site.
Also, you say that you do three versions of “Away in a Manger”. Please tell us more about this. I only know of Murray’s and Kirkpatrick’s versions.

[Jerusha Amado]

Hi Biagio,

Good to hear from you (and everyone)!

“Ave Maria” is such a beautiful and compelling piece of music. What arrangement of it do you play? (I’m assuming that it would be for solo lever harp.)

Also, I am not that familiar with “The Holly and the Ivy” but will definitely check it out.

[Biagio]

Hi Jerusha,

The version by Franz Schubert, much simplified by me haha. The Holly and the Ivy is an old English carol but actually has pre-Christian roots. Here it is sung by one of my favorite choirs (King’s College).

If you would like an actual score to Ave Maria there is one by Barbara Brundage at Sylvia Wood’s Harp Center:

https://www.harpcenter.com/product/pdf-download-brundage-class2-ave-maria/harp-music-books-christian

I just lifted the arpeggios off a piano score and edited like mad (grin). Doubt I can play it anymore but what the heck, time to get back to music!

Best wishes,
Biagio

• This reply was modified 4 years, 5 months ago by Biagio.

[balfour-knight]

Beautiful link, Biagio! We love the King’s College Cambridge videos!

Jerusha, I use the two melodies for “Away In A Manger” that you mentioned, plus the melody by J. E. Spilman that can also be used for “Flow Gently, Sweet Afton.” Google this and see many different versions of melodies for this carol that I did not know even existed! Have fun!

Cheers to you all,
Balfour

[Jerusha Amado]

Thank you, Biagio, for the “Ave Maria” suggestion! Sylvia Woods also has an easy version of the song in her book, “Hymns and Wedding Music for All Harps”.

Balfour–I just printed out the version of “Away in a Manger” by Spilman that you are recommending and will learn it and add it to my other two versions of the tune. Thank you!

• This reply was modified 4 years, 4 months ago by Jerusha Amado.

[stardust]

I found Tiffany Schaefer’s beautiful arrangement of Coventry Carol the other day. So I’m working through that. It’s for intermediate harp; I am hoping to play it for the family and maybe our neighbours this Christmas. I’m just getting to a point in my playing where I don’t feel a little performance would be a complete embarrassment anymore! ^o^

I’m rather in a rush though, as I’d like to learn a few more as well. O Holy Night is one I really want to do, at least.

Happy playing, everyone!

[leisesturm]

Hi Jerusha,
You probably don’t know me, and I have not seen your posts before as I am a new member. I don’t own a harp. Have never played a harp. Never really ‘heard’ Harps above the Sirens Call of all the other musical instruments with far more strident voices in the Orchestra that I have dallied with along my mainstay keyboard instruments

A couple of years ago while listening to “The Wexford Carol” (seriously) Google Autoplay put “The Christ Child Lullaby” in the queue. I had never heard anything so beautiful up till then, I don’t think, though “Gabriel’s Oboe” (from ‘The Mission”) comes close.

I found less produced versions of “Christ Child Lullaby” and all seem to use Harp as the main accompaniment. I resolved to refrain from finding a piano version and commit to learning it on a Harp. That hasn’t happened yet, so maybe someone can do it for me? 🙂 I believe an arrangement can be found here.
And now that I have made actual Harp Friends like Balfour, Biagio, and even Sylvia Woods, maybe I now have the kind of accountability that leads to results!

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