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I think there are two different points to your post- the first being students playing music above their technical ability, and the second being your definition of too difficult.
More than students learning some pieces beyond their current technical ability what astonishes me is the student, or their teacher, choosing those peices for a masterclass.
One point this thread, and similar ones, has caused me to consider is the ways that harp technique as taught to beginners is different from that used by a seasoned player.
If the question is which to learn I think the answer is whichever has the better teacher (whom you get on with) in your area.
The problem is there are different right ways to play the harp and while to a fair extent you can ‘pick and mix’ some things mix better than others.
Parish Alvars concertino for two harps or harp and piano has been recorded (Marielle Nordmann and piano) as has Tros y Gareg (Over the Stone, nice tune- features in John Thomas’ harp duet Cambria too) by Karl Jenkins comissioned by Prince Charles (see he is useful!) for Catrin Finch and played with Eleanor Bennett.
There was also a jazzy thing for two electric harps (well 4 actually as they played baby ones and pedal ones) I heard at the WHC in Prague.
Steven- it isn’t just time, like playing the instrument moving it easily requires doing it right, which can be learnt.
Surely one of the strengths of individual (or small group) tuition is the ability of the teacher to respond to the students and not push different people through the same method book or curriculum?
The best thing you can do is talk to the director or conductor- harpists are few enough that I got into my youth orchestras without audition, just a word from my teacher that I was at an adequate standard.
If you use si for the 7th note, what do you use for sol sharp?
One of my less rigorous tools for memorising is to just rely on the fact that my brain is lazy- if I put my music half way across the room or on the floor so I can read it, but it is a nuisance, I will look at it less and less until I can dispense with it entirely.
