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About three years ago Sibelius was sold by its inventors, Ben and Jonathan Finn in the U.K.to the media company Avid. Since I am used to Sibelius 5, even though it is outdated and I will get no more updates, I hope to keep using it because it still does everything I need, so far. Since belonging to Avid, that company fired all the previous, experienced staff and new people were put in. If I change music notation software at some point, I will try MuseScore 2, which was highly recommended to me, and it is free.
In the past, at least through 1979 when American Harp Society had a convention at Mills College in Oakland, California, Wilfred Smith of London exhibited a pedal harp and a clarsach (folk harp) of his company’s manufacture. That clarsach of 34 strings and levers, used a push-down motion to raise the pitch of levers by 1/2 step, just as pushing on a pedal raises the pitch of strings on concert pedal harps. I wonder if clarsachs of today are the same? Would some reader in the UK inform us?
Saul, Several years ago, I read that when someone shipped a pedal harp across the country from one coast to the other, in a fiberglass trunk in summer, it arrived safely but when the case was opened it was quite wet. I wonder if anyone on this site also read this or experienced this situation? We must not believe everything in print, according to an old German saying “Papier ist Geduldig” (paper is patient).
ArcherHarpist: Pilgrim Harps in England makes smaller pedal harps so the tension is lighter. If you are my height 5’9″ or taller, you may find it not quite the right size. Strings are 40 or 41; pedals are a bit closer to the floor than larger pedal harps. They are excellent quality, however. I went through their factory in 1984 and was impressed with their attention to each phase of their harp building. If you are still seeking pedal harps with lighter tension, you must seek a smaller frame than harps of 46 or 47 strings. Look online for a used 43-string harp made years ago by Lyon and Healy, called Style 14. The strings range from bottom E to top E (double-action permits all E’s to change to an F, of course). They weigh just 56 pounds, a great advantage in portability, and like any harp these days, can be amplified, so then it sounds like a larger harp. Gold covers the base, crown, top 15 and bottom 12 inches of the column, and the crown. Good hunting!
In the past, I owned a lever harp made by Aoyama, bought used to rent to students. I soon sold it however, because the three detachable legs made it unstable so I sold it for less than I had paid. Since then I have avoided all 3-legged folk harps(not because of the brand) and advised others not to invest in them also. They are far too unstable and tip over too easily.
Donna, be sure to get a second, and perhaps even a third opinion as to whether surgery is the only option. My adult son, an EMT and excellent driver, after being hit on the driver side by a person who ran a red light with his car from a cross street, had a broken shoulder and his car was totaled. The driver had no license and apparently now will not be issued one. My son was advised he would not require surgery but the shoulder would heal naturally- which it did, and he can lift things well-even my harp. On the chance you could escape surgery, I thought I would write. Every case is different, of course.
Mallory,
Look into the very portable single action harp created for Mildred Dilling, when she wished to tour with a singer across the U.S. but her concert harp was too heavy. Now called the Douglas Harp, patented and made near Sarasota, Florida by Arsalaan (Douglas) Fay, mine (20 years old) was bought used, has removable legs, 33 strings, and 7 levers located within reach of either hand, on top of the harmonic curve. The single action is inside the harmonic curve, rather than in the column as in the single action Tyrolean pedal harp of Europe. That action permits each string with the same name, the whole range of the harp, to be altered one half step. This permits much more repertoire to be played more easily than with any other lever harp. Mr. Fay demonstrates this on youtube.com. He has a waiting list. I have used mine in small venues like store openings, very successfully. Very portable, and can be amplified.Sarah Sylvia,
If you find flipping all those levers is not your favorite cup of tea, but are put off by pedal harp because of the great expense, and also by the large size and weight, there is a compromise: On youtube.com, watch Arsalaan Fay play his patented Douglas Harp, 33 strings, single-action, 7-lever harp (each lever modifies every string of the same name on this harp). Either left or right hand can access the levers which are on top of the harmonic curve, since the action that makes this happen is inside that harmonic curve. Legs on this harp are detachable, so it is quite portable to gatherings of other musicians, or for performing here and there. Mr. Fay works from the area of Sarasota, Florida and the harps are much less costly than pedal harps. He has a waiting list. Glissandos are possible if you use a muffling technique Jan Jennings taught in workshops and included in a book- find it in a search engine. Stay with the harp and find time for steady practice in your life to achieve much success and pleasure.Lauren, Sylvia gave you the perfect response, above. Then, when you have the answer from the harp teacher at the college, who would also let you know whether there are pedal harps available for students to use, you need to prepare those two contrasting pieces,for your audition. Send for “Technical Development for Harpists,” a free 49-page volume written by Danielle Perrett for the International Examinations Board, Trinity College, London. Offer to pay the postage. She has examined students around the world and is very knowledgable about what level all harp students have achieved, so this book shows in the first 18 pages, exercises to explain the skills needed to achieve up to level 4, for either pedal or lever harp. Page 19 through 23, exercises and skills for Grade 5, Pedal Harp. Pages 24 through 27: Exercises and skills for Grade 5 Non-pedal harp.
Page 28 through 30: Grade 6, Pedal Harp. Page 31 through 33, Grade 6 Non Pedal Harp. And so on, until the last 4 pages tell the skills needed to achieve Grade 8 for Non Pedal Harp.If you practice on whatever type of harp the teacher recommends, then you need a graded repertoire list for pieces, so that you can select with help of your present teacher, or by yourself if you are self taught, the same grade level of pieces you found you have learned through the exercises. These are in syllabuses, often online, from several English-speaking countries: USA, Australia, England. You can e-mail me privately for those contact addresses or e-mails; I should close now as others may wish to chime in to help you.Regarding coming to play the harp after learning guitar: Luigi Maurizio Tedeschi was first a virtuoso guitar player in Italy. He discovered there was a virtuoso harpist teaching at the Royal Music Conservatory in Milan, and went to learn harp from him. When that teacher retired, Tedeschi had become so proficient on harp that he earned the position to be the next Professor of Harp at that conservatory. He also composed many works for harp, and students came from distant places to study with him. So guitar seems to be a good stepping stone to learning the harp.
Rebekah, I have neither the Howell nor the Powell arrangement of that carol, both mentioned in your post. I have two copies of The Angel Gabriel, in different keys, and with different words and different melodies. If either of these is similar to what the choir is singing, and might possibly help you, just e-mail me and I will send you electronically either version A or B, described here: A: from ChristmasCarolMusic.org – free Christmas carol free sheet music. Words: Basque carol. para. Sabine Baring-Gould(1834-1924). Harmonized by Edward L. Stauff. Key of G minor. Measures 1 and 3 are in 9/8 meter; the others in 12/8. Four verses, the first beginning “The angel Gabriel from heaven came…..
B: Organ arrangement. Five Verses. Key of E minor. “Traditional”. 4/4 meter. First verse begins: The Angel Gabriel from God was sent to Galilee…
This is not the Christmas story, but rather the story of the Annunciation.rachelmichele, Look for Christmas carols scored for piano and solo voice. Let your father take the piano accompaniment. You take the voice part on your harp instead, doubled an octave apart using both hands. It can be that simple, and probably quite lovely for you to do it together. Sometimes he could play the melody in octaves instead, and you could “accompany” him with simple arpeggios.
Amy, many responses have come to you, after your post about the teacher and your young daughter. I learned violin first, from before age 4; and became professional after two degrees from a Conservatory in New York. My study of the harp began later at age 37 and carries no formal degree, just 9 solid years of private lessons with a former Principal Harpist of our large Symphony who was very kind and likable. In the 1 and 1/2 years of my first violin lessons, before my family moved to another state because my father’s employment changed, I had a Russian emigre violinist as a teacher because my mother, an excellent piano accompanist accompanied that Russian lady in many recitals in New York, Washington, and over the radio. That violinist had fled Russia because of the revolution, and never married. Probably she had a very difficult life before coming to America, but in any case, her lessons brought tears to me since she had a brusque manner and I was not used to that. Nevertheless, she taught me good enough technique so that in my first and only recital before we moved away, where she presented her students, I was able to play a student Concerto with three movements, my mother accompanying. In my next family home, my new teacher never caused a tear and I blossomed under his kindly manner. Under his lessons I passed the audition to the Conservatory after high school graduation and those five years were profoundly happy for me. I was able to teach both those instruments privately and also at colleges of two and four years. Decide soon whether your daughter should stay with a teacher producing tears instead of joy; I was fortunate that we moved away; all the later teachers smiled and gave me welcoming words.
Hello, Prajna. As an adult beginner on harp myself, after many years’ study since before age four on another instrument, I would suggest first renting an instrument rather than buying. Those three models you mention are very good and well made; just try each for size, portability, and the sound you prefer made by each, when played by a competent harp player at the showroom. Then, supplement any weekly lesson with music theory for the harp,teaching the signs and symbols of music so that you can navigate the printed pages of music and you will progress faster. Decide whether you prefer folk or classical music or another genre and let your teacher know. It can also enhance your learning curve by first having several months of lessons at a piano or keyboard as most harp players need that knowledge of the black and white keys on those instruments built in half-steps before proceeding to harps with strings placed evenly apart and so any half-steps are “invisible” to the eye. Plan on slow, careful work with almost daily practice between lessons. Your passion for learning harp is admirable and I hope it will be well rewarded, after giving up some other pursuits to make the time in your life to make beautiful music with harp.
A professional harp mute consisting of a length of red felt to be woven between harp strings at the place where the player wants a softer sound, may be helpful. Players not wanting to disturb neighbors (in apartments, or warming up in a hotel room before a recital) have enjoyed this accessory. To mute the whole pedal harp you need two of these.. was sold by Lyon and Healy 25 years ago; perhaps currently also.
