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Good answers, all! Sylvia Woods has a new book out about harp fingerings. I have not seen it yet, but someone may have reviewed it.
This may not be the correct place to enter this, but lately I cannot get “happening now” to come up on my computer. Is it just down temporarily? Thanks!
I agree with Biagio! I thoroughly enjoy this harp community and have made many new friends in far-away places. Speaking as both a professional pedal harpist and lever harpist, I would love to see some more features on the lever harp, too. I am one pedal harpist who now actually prefers the lever harp, since I have owned my Dusty Strings FH36S, and “Cherie” is my favorite harp of all time. I used to read and marvel about Sylvia Woods and others going from pedal to lever, so now I completely “get it,” ha, ha!
Carl,
Yes, that is the same piece, the one by Mykota Leontovych. I agree with Gretchen, you should publish a solo harp version of this piece.
Harp hugs,
Balfour
Hi, Gretchen,
Have you thought about the Ukrainian Bell Carol? I do my own high-powered arrangement of it, not written down, but I bet you can find a version of it that would be suitable. Also, check Salzedo’s Christmas arrangements. Hope this helps!
Best wishes my friend,
Balfour
What a happy harp family you all are! Thanks for sharing this great photo. I love seeing the joy in your face over your new Athena.
Congratulations! The Camac Athena Ex is a great harp! Wishing you much joy with this beautiful instrument!
Balfour
Well, it has been some time since I have been online–the Fall wedding season is about to wear me out, ha, ha! I am beginning to think that I am THE wedding harpist for western North Carolina 🙂
Thanks for posting the video of Davy and allowing us to see and hear his progress. I have been playing professionally (for pay) since I was his age, eight. Too bad there are no videos of me at that age–I am almost 62, so that has been a LONG TIME ago, ha, ha! I was featured on a TV show at that age, but the footage was lost by the time my parents got wise to the fact that we should have a copy for posterity! Thank goodness you can record Davy so that you will always have that if he grows up to become a famous harpist, you know!
Tell Davy to pay close attention to what his teacher tells him, and his technique will flourish. I have always been a bit “stubborn” also, just ask my sweet wife, ha, ha!
Wishing you all the best,
Balfour
Thanks, Kim, for helping Sylvia. I have always experienced great service from all of you at Harp Column and both Carol Lynn and I enjoy your magazine and website immensely. So sorry that my busy performing schedule did not allow me to attend any of the festivities at Rabun Gap this summer. We really missed seeing you good folks. Hope Sylvia has sorted out all of this website “stuff.” I still feel like a “caveman” doing some of it, too!
Harp Hugs and best wishes to all of you,
Balfour (and Carol Lynn)
Hi everyone! Biagio, all of that is indeed very interesting. Thanks for all the posts. I am so glad that there is a harp out there for everyone. It would be very boring if all harps were the same!
Cheers and blessings,
Balfour
Hello all! Thanks for all the good response to this thread. Allison, I barely know what an iPad is, and like Carl S. has said, “I am a caveman when it comes to this sort of thing!” ha, ha! Biagio, thanks for the Dilling harp info, but my sweet wife would shoot me if I got interested in another harp, you know! I do have enough joy with one lever harp and one pedal harp. Hope all of you are having a great day!
Harp Hugs,
Balfour
Good answer, Tacye, and I also wondered if Tess could ask around to see if anyone would be traveling that route who could bring her the harp. I do not know much about doing this over the Internet, but maybe someone will know how to go about it. Older folks going cross-country in an RV, celebrating their retirement, might be a good place to start, especially since this particular harp could obviously fit into a small space. Hopefully other readers will come up with some good ideas.
Best wishes,
Balfour
Thank you, Allison, and I meant to say that you were very clever in avoiding the sharp in the Ash Grove, playing an A instead of an F#, since you do not yet have any levers on the harp! Way to go! Angi Bemiss, Simply the Harp, who I do arrangements for lever harp with, is the “Queen” of avoiding lever changes, so she would love what you did.
When you do install the levers, one of the nice things about the double-strung harp is the ability to use sharps on one side of the harp while you have naturals on the other side, according to Biagio and other sources I have read. I have trouble thinking that way–I love that the pedal harp can make instant sharps/flats on all the notes on the harp of one pitch at the same time, without having to manually raise so many levers. But I love the TONE and feel of my lever harp, Cherie, most of all, ha, ha! Why can’t Dusty make a Celtic pedal harp? I would absolutely adore a pedal harp that felt and sounded like my Dusty, and that was as light and easy to transport!
Best to all of you,
Balfour
