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I don’t know any statistics about this so I’m only speaking from anecdotal evidence but I blame the Victorians. As we all know, most harp players at one time were men and this was largely because most of the fun in any field was had by men and the lifestyle of a travelling player would certainly not have been thought suitable for a woman. However, in the 19th century the moneyed classes were in need of something to entertain both their women and their guests and they quicly saw the benefits of having a harp in the drawing room.
Young ladies from wealthy families were educated in what they called ‘accomplishments’ – ie.drawing or painting in watercolours (oils were too messy and anyway were considered rather ‘serious’); some facility in the use of those languages that were thought suitable – perhaps a little French or Italian; delicate needlework (NOT darning hubby’s underpants, but perhaps a little embroidering, beading of lacemaking) and, of course, playing an instrument.
The pianoforte and harpsicord were popular as they produced the kind of music that could not only show off the lady’s skill when guests arrived but could also be put to use for a little impromptu singing or dancing but the harp really came into its own when played as a spectator sport because its most appreciated property was the way in which playing showed of a young lady’s beautiful arms – remember that in those days there were far fewer parts of the female body on view in public (and very often in private too) so the turn of a delicately plump elbow was a very acceptable way of hinting at what other delights might linger beneath the crinoline. This was really the main reason for the harp’s huge popularity at that time and I believe that is where the instrument got its reputation as a rather ‘feminine’ instrument, though happily that is at last beginning to fade and I do encounter (more frequently online than in person) quite a few male harpers/harpists these days. In ‘real life’, in fact, I’m only personally acquainted with two other players and, of those, one is male and the other female. Thank you so much for raising this point, Mae, I think it’s a fascinating subject.
In case anyone else was wondering what was going to happen when the campaign ‘timed out’, I guess here’s the answer – http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/a-concert-grand-harp-for-sherry-konkus
Just thread a fine chain around the strings and padlock it. Admittedly they could get this off by unthreading and rethreading every string but the performance would be over before they’d finished.
Seriously though, it’s too late for you to do anything now but suck it up and swear you’ll never play there again but, if it helps, I think there are going to be a lot of people out here thinking of you and wishing you well, both on Monday and throughout the run of the show. At least the feeling of relief when it’s all over will be worth all the problems you’ve had.
Using performing animals; hanging on to your harp between performances (couldn’t you find some way of padlocking it or making it otherwise unplayable?); non-existant contracts and unreasonable demands – this really sounds like the dodgiest of gigs. Not only do I hope you will never play for them again but I hope you’ll also put the word around so that other performers will know what they may be up against.
Further to the earlier info that relatives can overturn your wishes, this is why it is so important to discuss the matter with them when you first consider registering and make sure they understand how important this is to you (and, conversely, it may also be your chance to understand how they feel about it too). I registered as a blood, organ and bone marrow donor when I was 18 and my husband was initially not thrilled about the idea (I’m now too old for them to want my bone marrow but you never know about the other bits). I do believe the wishes of the living should always over-ride those of the dead and agreed that he should not feel bad about denying this choice if it would be too hard for him to live with but he has gradually come round to the idea over the years. At least here (UK) there is no problem about who pays because the treatment comes free under the NHS so we have that to be thankful for at least – I would hate to have important medical decisions like these affected by cost.
Next year? PLEASE say you won’t ever put yourself through all this again! I think perhaps in this case you have been too trusting David, though that only speaks for what a nice guy you must be, but churches are run by people and are no better or worse than those people concrned. Fair enough, I think it’s one thing to trust people you’ve played with many times before but not to trust an organisation just because of the type of organisation it is. It’s the expectation that [eople will do this that lets them get away with this kind of behaviour. I LOVE the idea of turning off your mic! Are you getting paid before the performance?
I’m thoroughly caught up in this whole story and can’t wait to hear how it all turns out in the end but I’m also intrigued by the way you seem to expect good behaviour from an organisation simply because it is a church. Why would you assume these people would be any more competent or ethical than anyone else? I do hope none of this came about because you saw them as a special case from the beginning and therefore failed to demand the same standards of behaviour from them that you would demand from every other paying customer. I guess this is at least a lesson to everyone else out there not to fall for that kind of thinking.
And despite what I already said in my earlier comment, it sounds to me as if you have fallen in love with the Brittany. If that’s the case, you should ignore all of us and follow your heart because nothing else will really do. There may be good practical reasons for wanting a particular make or style but the heart wants what it wants and harps are like wedding dresses (and, come to that, husbands) in that all reason flies out the window when you fall for a particular one.
When you say you have no opportunity to hear the two to compare, I wonder if anything can be done about that? Whereabouts do you live? Perhaps there is someone nearby who owns one and would let you meet their harp? Perhaps you could even contact the makers or distributors and ask if they might be willing to put you in touch with a former customer? i’m a great believer in finding lateral solutions and I’ve often found that if you are willing to ask the right questions you may well be surprised at the response. Good luck in your search!
Susan, if you’re still around, enter ‘scam’ into the search facility (in both ‘title’ and ‘body’ of messages) and you should get several old posts on this subject. Hope this helps.
I don’t have enough experience of either harp to be able to give an informed opinion here but I would just say that – all other things being equal – I would always go for the greater number of strings. I started off with a 26 string Harpsicle but soon felt limited and invested in a 34 string Clarsach (because of major back problems, 34 strings are the most I can manage in terms of weight and size for moving around) and now I can’t imagine how I ever coped with only 26 strings.
Obviously, if you are a very experienced player, you will know whether this is going to bother you but if you are still learning and broadening your repertoire I suspect there might quite quickly come a time when you felt the need to go up a size again and those booming bass notes are irresistable.
Well, now I really wish I’d taken up the harp years ago. I guess once you hit your 50s your face is already fully formed so there’s little chance now of me turning into a raving beauty overnight – ah well, I guess there are more important things to worry about 😉 Perhaps a little ungraciously I might also point out that most photos you see of people playing their harps are when they are dressed and made up for a performance; we all look better when we’ve got to a bit of trouble.
I would certainly agree, though, that playing my harp is the most relaxing thing I ever do and I can imagine that it may well be when I look my most serene, if not necessarily my most ravishing.
Sylvia – I haven’t seen your photos but you sound lovely to me. I reckon it’s inner beauty that really counts.
Deb, your post just made my day! I’m so thrilled that everything has worked out for you. I’ve often thought about you over the past weeks and hoped something positive was happening so it’s wonderful to hear your news.
When cancer first touched our family I was in the middle of reading a book many of you may have heard of called ‘Half The Sky’ by Nicholas D Kristoff & Sheryl Wudunn, about the many sufferings of women in the developing world and the one thing that struck me most forcibly was the ways in which science has given us wonders that people in some other countries can only dream of. When you compare Western cancer treatments with the devastation that can be caused by something as simple as a urinary infection in less fortunate countries you can only gasp in amazement at how incredibly lucky we are to live in the place and the time that we do. My best wishes for the future go with you and your family!
Sounds as if you’ve got it sorted just in time for a Xmas rendition of Cod Rest ye Merry Gentlemen or Hake the Herald Angels Sing. (My sincere apologies for opening the door to a million bad fish-based puns.)
As long as you have bad weather backup I think there’s always something special about any outdoor performance. You can never really know about the acoustics of any arena until you’ve tried it – is the amphitheatre available for you to rehearse a couple of pieces with some friends setaed in various areas of the auditorium to give you feedback on what they are hearing? Classical amphitheatres usually have wonderful acoustics and more more modern ones should have been built with performance in mind so you should be in with a great chance of success. Good luck with your performance – it sounds like a wonderful event for everyone concerned!
