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Julia,
Daniel Burton has a nice book with three Christmas duets, called Christmas Carols…it’s an orange-ish book which includes Still, still, still, Angels we have Heard on High, and What Child is this. The harp part is mostly arpeggios. It’s easy to simplify or embellish, as well. The violin part is fairly easy – your brother may need to know how to play in Third position for it to be able to work.
Also, look into the “Familiar Hymns with a Friend” book – they are easy harp arrangements with treble clef instruments to play with. That would work.
Also, even though there aren’t many harp/violin pieces, there are many harp/flute, which work just as well – just make sure the flute part doesn’t go up too high or have excessive runs – if they do, you could omit them.
Also, if you want to go really simple, if you have Sylvia Woods’ Hymns and Wedding Music, 50 Christmas Carols, etc., you could play those with your brother and have him play the melody.
Hope you find something!
I received a folk harp for Christmas when I was 5. I joined a harp ensemble, but didn’t start formal lessons until I was ten.
Ah! I absolutely love the Handel harp concerto. It’s my favorite piece. I just performed the Salzedo edition with the Grandjany cadenza with my Youth Symphony. I like how the fingerings feel and the arrangement of the Salzedo concerto, but the Grandjany cadenza is showy and showcases pieces from both of the previous movements.
Miss Holland at Interlochen Center for the Arts loves the Grandjany and told my teacher I needed to play it – and I’m glad she did! I enjoyed it immensly.
The Salzedo cadenza is showy, I’m sure, but doesn’t have a Baroque taste to it. The Grandjany is more Romantic sounding, but has the feel for Baroque in a few spots.
Forgive me for saying, but in some parts of the Grandjany Edition Second movement, I feel like it is annoying and not at all the beautiful sound it should be, because of all the p.d.l.t./fingernail sections.
Hope this is of some help to you! Have fun ~
