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The piece is The Music-box by Poenitz. It is inAlbum of Solo Pieces for the Harp, vol. 1, compiled and edited by Annie Louise David.
When I’ve worked with composers I’ve encouraged them to include courtesy accidentals in the music. I find it helpful if I can see at a glance where a note that’s been altered is now back to the pitch of the indicated key. I can then decide where to move the pedal or use an enharmonic spelling requiring a totally different pedal combination. It is frustrating correcting composers’ notions of where I might want to move pedals.
Mauricio – Thank you so much for your generous offer! I’m glad to know someone else has had this idea of playing this beautiful music as a harp and organ duet! … A couple days ago, a very kind colleague wrote out an organ part for me to give to the organist for my aunt’s funeral. I will play the 16th notes from the orchestral version’s organ part until the harp part’s entrance, then I’ll switch to that. … Once the funeral is over, I will get in touch with you about your harp duet arrangements! Thanks, again!!
Thanks for the suggestions! Patricia, I will look for your arrangement! What I envision is for the harp to play the running 16th notes while the organ plays the melody, reinforces the bass line pulse, and brings out more of the inner voices in the harmony. … It’s for my aunt’s funeral, which we are delaying for a few weeks to give family members time to arrange travel plans.
When it comes to fees paid by Nursing and Retirement Homes there seems to be quite a range of what they are willing to pay. I think some have marketing budgets that will allow for fees similar to other professional gigs. If the harpist is paid out of an activity director’s budget, the fee tends to be much lower. I did some cold calling last year and picked up a lower paying nursing home gig that has grown to include 10 visits there for 2014. Since the gigs occur at times when I wouldn’t normally be booked for anything else, I think it’s worth it. Besides, I enjoy interacting with the residents and playing music from their era!
Work the sections with multiple pedal changes separately. Practice the pedal changes without playing the notes more times than you might think is necessary.
Lo, How a Rose ere Blooming is another Advent hymn. There are several arrangements for harp available. Come Thou Long Expected Jesus is another. I know a version of it is in one of the McDonald-Wood Christmas volumes. Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silent is also an Advent hymn that appears in several harp holiday collections.
Hi Barbara!
Thanks so much for writing! I remember you!!! I think we met once at an AHS conference. … I still miss Barb! … Thanks for the info! I will contact Ron! I would be interested in the harp ensemble opportunities if I can work out the travel expenses!
You might think about whether you are sitting at the same height relative to the size of the harps when you compare the experiences of playing harmonics on your harp and your teacher’s harp. Also, is your posture the same or different? These variables might affect where you might perceive the midpoint of the strings to be.
Thanks for your reply! I do have a piano arrangement and a fake book lead sheet of the song. The chords are very intricate which makes this song more difficult than many to arrange for harp, that’s why I was curious to learn what choices others have made in voicing the harmonies. Dorothy Ashby’s recording is an inspiration!
