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I have a book edited by Ank Van Campen, MUSIC OF THE XVIth CENTURY FOR CELTIC HARP (there’s also a Dutch title). It contains the usual Siciliana/Spagnoletta, a piece by John Dowland’s son Robert, and Mudarra’s Tiento IX and Fantasia X “que contrahaze la arpa en la manera de Ludovico” (originally written for vihuela, “imitates the harp in the manner of Ludovica”–lotsa chromatics), among other pieces. Copyrighted 1976 Harmonia/Hilversum. No idea whether it’s still in print.
The Legend is going to be a harp without the curved soundboard and with a rounded back. Unlike the other harps Dave makes, this is one intended for people who can’t get used to not leaning the harp back against the shoulder.
I got to try the carbon-fiber harps at the WHC in Vancouver, and I thought the sound wasn’t quite as good as that of Dave’s wooden harps, though it was still good and the light weight and “indestructibility” are great selling points. It’s also a good-looking harp (the 38-string, not the 36-string, which is an awkward in-betweenish size to my mind). Dave had a book of samples from various car manufacturers, so you can have your harp painted to match your harpmobile. He also had colored whatchmacallits all the way through on one harp, making tuning a heckuva lot easier.
I would always go for a full set. And much better levers than the ones I have. The only possible disadvantage I can see is that the more levers, the heavier your harp will be.
I’ve seen one at the International Harp Museum here in Orlando. It was an old one and very appealing. Also an ad for one at the Michigan Harp Center and another one–Carl Swanson’s, maybe?
Heard the Aberdeen being played by Maire ni Scathasaigh at the WHC in Vancouver. It sounded wonderful, whether for its own sake or because of her playing or both.
Anja, my folks are from Berlin, Hamburg and Amrum, but I was born in Meissen (one of those wartime things). Usually I’m more likely to hang around the Mediterranean than Germany, but I have promised my daughter a trip to Germany with special attention to family-related places. Probably late spring next year.
Not only does that woman not belong in the industry, one wonders how she can have lasted for more than one job!
Congratulations! You will have your hands full with two small children, but it’s good for them to see their mother doing something like playing the harp.
I’m originally German too, though I’ve been in the U.S. for most of my life. I play guitar, harp and banjo–learned them in that order–with considerable hiatuses in between. I love all three, but if I were limited to just one instrument (God forbid!), it would be the harp.
