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Not difficult. First movement, 6 measures after J, I play enharmonics. You have an arpeggiated chord (downward) in the left hand (written F#, C#, G#) which I play as F#, Db, Ab. It will be easier if you can get someone’s markings, but most of it is pretty obvious. Definitely get a good recording.
I love Adele Girard. I have a great CD somewhere with her playing jazz with the Bobby Gordon quintet. She had chops for sure.
John, do try a Camac concert grand if possible. I think you’d find them very comfortable in terms of spacing and room to maneuver in the top octaves.
I don’t think they’re noticeably smaller, and the sound is often richer and fuller. I personally think the carving is better, too. Like Barbara said, if you like the sound, “it’s a good thing.”
Please let us know how the rehearsal goes. We are thinking of you and sending positive thoughts your way!
I think this was a trick on the composer’s part as he has gotten you to do the lion’s share of the work (which he lacked the expertise to do) for him. He’ll probably publish it as you’ve rearranged it with no further changes.
“You’re a better man than I am, Gunga Din.”
Any chance you might have gotten the wrong octave string? That would do it.
Vanderbilt also carries Bow Brand; it’s just the Classic gut which they can no longer get.
12850 is the serial number. You could call Lyon & Healy at their toll-free number and they could tell you when it was made and the model. Looks like an 85 series semi-grand. The 85s have come in several different sizes and some minor redesign since they first appeared; originally there was the concert grand (47 strings) and the semi-grand (46). Then appeared the petite (40 strings) and the grand petite (44).
In the photo it looks like you have a couple of plug in connections on the right side of the base. Your harp may be electric. Some close up pictures of the base, the soundboard and the kneeblock (that tight curve above the shortest strings where the neck joins the body) would be helpful.
By the way, put the pedals in the highest notch if possible when not in use. Takes pressure off the strings. A certified harp technician could tell you what repairs it needs to make it playable and/or salable, should you wish to sell it.
I’d like a “bride button” that would make them start the wedding when they’re supposed to instead of late!
Barbara, when you’re playing from the i-Pad, is it easy to choose which piece to play next or is the order of page appearance dictated by the device?
Addendum: I did transcribe a harp solo from a Marx Bros. movie for a dear friend because she was performing onstage in the play, and the pages they gave her were from the rented full orchestral score from another part of the show and nothing like the original solo, which was never published. It was a fun exercise in dictation, done for love.
In the early 1990s, a church music director sent me a video (commercially produced) of Nancy Allen and Kathleen Battle performing “Little David, Play on Your Harp” and wanted me to write out the harp part so it would sound just like their performance instead of the printed part he had rented or bought (which was arranged by an organist). It was listen, notate, rewind, listen, notate, check, change, etc., for hours. I boldly called Nancy Allen to ask about the part and she was surprised to learn about the published arrangement, so that was not good news to her. I finished my hand-written, pasted-together part with arcane markings only I could understand (this was also before I had music notation software) and did the performance. Weeks later the guy calls me and wants me to send him a copy of what I wrote. I really didn’t want to because I knew the arrangement was not authorized and, once he had it, he could hire someone else to play it instead of me. I never sent it and haven’t played it since. I still feel uneasy about the whole experience.
Nowadays, unless it’s something I really want to play or think I can use again, I don’t go to all that trouble, especially for an ensemble part. Do it sometimes for solo stuff.
