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Find out what repertoire he is thinking of playing. I played lever harp in a school orchestra for a little while before I changed to pedal. And many people play lever harp in mixed ability harp ensembles simply by adapting pedal harp parts. It does teach you good skills – following a conductor, listening to the other parts. But someone will have to arrange a part – simplifying the harp part and/or putting in some chords or doubling another instrument part. One issue is making sure the conductor knows what is and is not possible…most have zero concept of lever or pedal harp and can have very unrealistic expectations of beginner-intermediate harpists. If no one in the family can arrange a part for her then the teacher could almost certainly do it but may not want to. Was the band leader offering to buy a pedal harp?? Seems very unlikely. She could convert to pedal and do all her practice at school I suppose if that were the case and she wanted to do that. But be warned she will want her own pedal harp if she keeps going….
You have to really change the way you play to get to nearer what you want on each harp you try. Some people can get a lot more out of a particular harp than others in my experience and some people adapt much better than others. This is very apparent when you have to play dubious old and unloved harps (like most Conservatorium ones). I had the same reaction as Balfour – I played numerous 23s, 30s and Salzedos when I was looking for a pedal harp but none spoke to me like the Atlantide. I don’t particularly like the 23 carving but sound is everything and if the sound was right I would have had one. I still think 10 years later my Atlantide can’t be beaten for clarity and overall evenness of tone. Baroque and Classical era is outstanding on it as Chiara pointed out. But Romantic is pretty good too (IM not very humble O but you can be the judge) – https://vimeo.com/466368969 go to min 30 ish or 40 mins for a solo section of legato Romance (I hope..)! For me the best harp for big Romantic works I have ever played was a Salvi but I can get enough out of my harp to make it my overall favourite. That is ignoring the fact that that it is relatively easy to regulate, mend and thankfully no pedal rod changes when you have zero technicians in the country. If I ever find another that I fall in love with then I might have to try to become a 2 harp person as well though! But how anyone affords all those strings is quite beyond me so hopefully that will not be too soon
.Play It Again by Alan Rusbridger – many harpists have also learnt and play the piano! This is the autobiography of an English journalist who develops an ambition to play Chopin’s First Ballade whilst he was editor-in-chief of the Guardian. Although he played as a child this required a totally new level of ability and determination akin to starting learning again. With detours into some very famous pianists’ views on the work and his working life.
I would agree that for me its the Fire Music if its going very fast because of a pedal disaster but there a wide variation in tempi for it. I did a bad excerpt from Albert Herring once too…hoping
I never have to do that for real.That is very true. I can only think of a couple of teachers who are excellent at all levels from the first lesson to postgraduate. They actually appear to enjoy doing the full range too which is equally
unusual.A good teacher will encourage you to move on
themselves. One of the finest in the world once told me that she feels 10 years is her maximum – and that is for people who start as beginners that she would expect to take to a very advanced or professional standard in that period. She thinks if she has not imparted everything she can by then either she has a problem or they do but either way someone else should have a go! She too encourages and likes to watch other people teach her pupils as Carl described. Even people who come from absolutely identical pedagogy backgrounds (same teacher/s) can have some different ways of both teaching and doing things I have found. I would be very surprised if she was offended.Wear plain black, minimal make up, no jewellery, be early, see if you need a sound check, check what music the family would like then check with the church or funeral director if they are OK with that if its a church funeral and not church music. Most families do not know what they want though so ask if the deceased had any favourites you might use at some point. Cant go wrong with Bach if you are ever in doubt! Danny Boy gets a lot of requests as does Ave Maria. Check your strings by the discs or levers a few days before and change any that look suspect. Go very slowly (much slower than you think you need to) and have someone to nudge you if its too fast and keep it simple. Do at least 3 verses of anything that seems short – like hymns. Get an order of service on arrival and ask the director where exactly you fit into that. Cantique de Jean Racine and Una Furtiva Lagrima always get a lot of lovely comments I find.
Thank you Balfour. Yes, I have heard that organ played many times although not yet this year! If I had time I would learn the organ too….its hard to keep my piano skills going though never mind doing something else. The original Dodd was renovated in the 30s then replaced in the 1970s with a new Canadian organ. https://ohta.org.au/organs/organs/Elder.html
Thank you Balfour – if you like highly Romantic I was performing and livestreaming again today. Concerto this time – and dressed to match even though it was lunchtime! Starting at 52.30. https://www.facebook.com/ElderConservatorium/videos/345284950044393
Thank you Balfour, Got another one for you in fact – from yesterday Sept 30th! Interesting modern trio work by Finnish/Canadian Matthew Whittall based on Edgar Allan Poe poem City in the Sea (and written for a National Viola competition) at the end of my latest livestream (last 15 mins). Rest is a mix of Baroque solos from all three of us and a few harp and flute duos. https://vimeo.com/461699029
Thanks a lot Balfour. The only time I broke a pin it wasn’t actually the separating the disc from the spindle that did it – which I also do like Liza how you describe – it was at the bit the book talks about after you have a string back on but if it is a bit “over” corrected in the grip of the pins and you have to relax it a touch. They show a picture of the screwdriver placed between the pins doing that on page 18 of my booklet. I just did one string yesterday ready for a concerto concert but luckily neither disc ever got to the over corrected position so I didn’t have to do that bit! How many size discs are there? Maybe I should have a few spares…
Like Balfour I have a Camac Atlantide Prestige. Here is is – https://vimeo.com/451665227 (go to 4 mins 50). It’s 11 years old, gets moved all the time. You would be far better off in the US than in Australia for any sort of technician – we get very occasional visits. It takes a while but I can regulate the odd string when necessary although its a bit nerve wracking in case you break the pins off a disc – in which case it’s a long wait to get a new disc sent. The brochure that comes with the Camac is very small print but very helpful. The cables are easy and the pedals easier than changing felts. I know the theory of a L+H regulation and pedal rod change for 2 university harps and you can get a book on the topic. If you live at the far end of the universe as far as techs go there isn’t much choice but to learn the basics. Go for the harp you love to play and you will work out how to do things to it as you go along. My mum and I watched Jakez from Camac regulate one when I was about 11 and we still have her notes from that. Plus advice from Liza when she has been out here regulating it. Most techs can do all sorts of harps in my experience.
I agree with Balfour – you should try everything available and if you cant get to one then delegate the trying to someone you trust to send you recordings. I would not ignore Salvi or Camac either – the second hand market is not enormous in most places so just try everything possible. Nothing should really feel heavy on you if you are positioned properly as all harps have a weightless balance point. I did have trouble getting my arms around an Apollo when I was ten while reaching the pedals but it wasn’t heavy! I have tried shockers of all the harps mentioned and good ones too. Well, not a great Chicago but a reasonable one. If its a nice harp in good condition and you maintain it you should be able to sell it again OK. I would have a chat to people about what the tech position is wherever you end up – what harps they can work on and who visits from overseas and how often. But in most places you have to be able to work on it yourself at least to some extent. With help from books and online.
Tournier (no fan of the chromatic harp) was only half-joking when he once said that the only way to get rid of the chromatic harp department at the Paris Conservatoire was to marry its professor (which he did, she was the Belgian Renee Lenars).
