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A Lyon and Healy Model 17 with 47 strings and extended soundboard fits easily, once the back seats are folded down, into a Toyota Camry 1992 station wagon.
Vivian,
A very capable harpist performer and teacher, who got her training and several degrees from Alice Giles in Canberra, Australia, is now teaching in Gibsons, a short distance north of Vancouver, B.C. Tegan Peemoeller, in her late twenties, is found at:info@theharproom.com, or
http://www.theharproom.com/The_Harp_Room/Home.html
Website
She will also teach by Skype if the student cannot travel to her..Another example of multitasking: many years ago at an AHS conference in California, several of us heard, at a restaurant named Damian’s Plum, the gifted pedal harpist Betsy Mills (now Goodspeed) playing a small Salvi harp with one hand, and a keyboard with the other, entertaining the patrons.
Sylvia, here are a few suggestions:
Stage One Duos: classics by Mozart, Bach etc. Stephanie Curcio Publications
These are printed as lever-harp with flute or violin; however the melody part played by another lever harp in octaves using both hands, is equally goodLa Joyeuse , lever harp duet in D, by Rameau arr. Salzedo. Lyra Press
Duos Plus for harp and piano or second harp, Vol. 1 by Betty Paret. Lyra Music Co.
All 10 selections except the Schubert Ave Maria, easily managed by two lever harps.The Blue Danube, Duet for lever harp and pedal harp. Strauss arr. by Louise Trotter.
Pedal harp part easily managed on a lever harp up to measure 99 (glissandos) .Polka in C by Jacques Press. Two or more lever harps.
Light Classics for Troubadour Harps, Duet or Ensemble, arr. by Bonnie Biggs. Lyon and Healy, 1984.
Fun With Two Harps, Duets for the Troubadour Harp. Arr. Louise Trotter.(Londonderry Air, Aura Lee, O Susanna, Cielito Lindo, Happy Birthday, The Eyes of Texas)
Eleanor and Marcia Duet by Marcel Grandjany. Pub. M. Baron, NYC, 1947 Easy, for lever harps in E flat.
Les Agneaux Dansent (Dancing Lambs) for two harps with or without pedals. By Marcel Grandjany. Pub. O. Pagani and Bro. Inc. New York City 1971.
Morning Mood by Edvard Grieg, arranged for two harps by Shari Pack. Lever harps just need occasional C, F, or G levers. Pax Publishing, Rexburg, Idaho 83440
Serenade (Staendchen) from the Mozart opera Don Juan, arranged as a harp duet by the late Erich Schubert. Lever harpists need occasional F,C,G, and D levers.
Slightly more difficult but very melodious and lively works arranged by the late Erich Schubert of Bavaria and the Austrian Tyrol area (seek a publisher there)
Ausgewaehlte Harfenduos – 6 Stuecke (Collection of selected harp pieces as duets.)
Waltzes and wedding music from that region.If you go to dharps@juno.com you will find information about the lever harp most able to play more chromatic pieces. Arsalaan Douglas Fay, in Florida, makes small portable Douglas Harps with only 7 levers to provide this on a 33-string harp, instead of 33 levers. Any one with a fine piano background would appreciate this newer, patented technology than any other lever harp. Portable, reasonably priced, resonant tone.
Por Una Cabeza, a tango from “The Scent of a Woman” movie, in which Al Pacino dances to this music, is available for violin and harp from Vanderbilt Music and other sources. Composer is Carlos Gardel, d. 1925
Kay, take a look at http://www.paxharpmusic.com. Shari Pack is in Rexburg, Idaho and has been arranging music for multiple harps for many years, since she and her daughters all play harp. I have her “Morning Mood” by Grieg that sounds lovely with two or three harps.
If it is possible, change the fingering so the 3rd and 4th fingers are not 5 strings apart. For many hands, this is quite demanding an interval right there. Printed fingering is not “cast in stone” and you are free to adapt it so you can manage those arpeggios much more easily.
Andelin, the three volumes in the “With a Friend” series published by Herald Music are printed with lever harp plus string quartet parts. No lever changes need to be made throughout each piece. You can turn them into satisfactory violin and harp duets simply by playing those parts only. If the violinist is capable with double-stopping , he/she could play both Treble 1 and Treble 2 parts at once, for richer harmony. The whole series contains 53 arrangements in Folk, Christmas, and Familiar Hymn categories, and are sold in the U.S. and several foreign countries, by specialist harp music dealers.
Other sources of information: (1.) “Happiness is a Contented Harp”, 22-page booklet published in 1982 by Lyon and Healy Harps.
(2.) http://www.harpspectrum.orgLeora, in your question “Why are A flat and B sharp the same,” I’m sure you meant either A flat and G sharp, or you meant C natural and B sharp. Those pairs of notes have one and the same sound, because there are twelve half-steps in any octave, but only seven alphabet names. White piano keys are all natural letter names, mostly spaced two half-steps apart, But that precise spacing means seven natural key names would not fit inside one octave interval unless two names “agree” to have only one half-step before the next letter: B is followed directly by C, and E is followed directly by F, creating the familiar pattern of black and white on all piano keyboards, necessary for being able to find one’s way. Those “enharmonic” spellings can occur elsewhere besides the pairs mentioned, and are helpful to both players and composers. Harpists understand this well, since each of the seven pedals can produce three different sounds of the same alphabet letter named note.
Gena, the late Daphne Hellman of New York City played frequently in the subway system there, with her Concert Grand. Stories about her busking appeared in The New Yorker and elsewhere.
First, realize the guitar has 2 open E strings and unless the player uses a capo, that easy key of four sharps does not suit harp players so well. There must be good compromise by both partners, to play in keys where both instruments sound well together.
Also, arrange duets so the harp is not always accompanying, or vice versa. Within the composition let each instrument have a chance at the melody, as well as the harmony. As you mentioned, each works alone at first, using agreed tempi; then when coming together it will be much easier to find any rough places still remaining. If recording equipment is available, each player might record his/her own part so the other player could practice at home, along with the recorded duet part. Coming together, make sure measures are numbered . Decide where rubato would be listened for, if appropriate to the piece, and that dynamics enhance the composition. Have eye contact frequently, just as in a trio or quartet. Performing before an audience, the duet needs to sound fresh and alive so allow some give to happen ,but
still keep a tight unit, as if one instrument.I hope your friend will tell the problem to John Hoare, chief engineer at Pilgrim Harps: info@pilgrimharps.co.uk . It is likely that he has heard of this happening before and would know exactly what should be done.
