Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
The cover that comes with the L&H harp is a good strong cover, but is it better, and safer, to use theTransport cover, whcih has a 1/2 inch inner foam core. Is there anyone out there using one? I don’t want to buy it until I know more about the benefits. I have been using the cover that it came with,
No, it becomes infinite if the music is any good. And if your standards (hopefully) rise with your ability, you never reach the unreachable star. But it’s all about trying.
Louise, where did you buy the dolly? I can’t quite imagine it going into the car. Can you explain it better please. I like the idea.
As for the music played; I would imagine that it would depend greatly on what music visitors brought from London, Glasgow, and from the capitals of the continent, especially, Paris, Vienna and the major cities of what was then Prussia (most of modern-day Germany). If you were in a ‘good’ (I.E. Aristocratic or, at least very monied merchant class) family, then people would visit; family and friends would come up for ‘the hunt’ or the grouse shooting season or something like that. there would be a good chance that musical members of the visiting group would show the resident family musicians what was current in the places the visitors had recently been, quite likely too, if one, travelling person was friendly with distant cousin Helen in the hills of Yorkshire, they might mail her some piece of music they bought from a street vendor in Vienna, Paris, or anywhere else. Read Jane Eyre (later time but similar lifestyle), the chapters where Rochester has the long social month or two when his friends are visiting. Charlotte Bronte knew some of how that class mixed.
As for what kind of music, I would say it would depend, among other things, upon the religious and social views of the ‘master’ of the house. If cousin Joseph sent daughter of the house some cheeky (I.E slightly naughty) song, and Father (who in that patriarchal time was like a king) was a puritanical tyrant, then it is likely that the first little Bohemian ditty in the house would be the last. If things were more libertarian in the house, then I would guess that light classics, polkas, waltzes, mazurkas, and some folk tunes might be found amongst spiritual songs and songs of the season (songs for festivals, weddings and the like as well as songs for funerals, and for social gatherings).
It is just personal opinion, quite fallible, anybody with more knowledge of the time might well be able to give a clearer idea. I wouldn’t think that pedal harps were very common in the Regency period, at least not in England unless the family was (very) wealthy. They were quite new then were they not? And English houses of the Regency period are stinkers for woodworm, dry-rot, rising damp, and high humidity (Trust me, I’ve been in plenty, lived in one or two when I was a child in England) and the climate of a house of that time would probably play heck with a pedal harp, but I would well be wrong. Just an educated guess here.
I bought a vaporizer this time. It feels better than a humidifier, and I hope will have less chance of getting any kind of mold. I had a string of bad luck with humidifiers of several makes. Can’t recommend any.
Karen Thielen teaches in that area, and I have seen her teach and play, and she is wonderful at both. She is a former pupil of Lucile Lawrence and Beatrice Rose, has a very relaxed technical approach, is very warm and musical, and has plenty of teaching experience. She has a lot of orchestral experience as player and soloist, and also gives recitals and does chamber music. You would be very satisfied, pleased, and lucky
You are brave Briggsie to do that. I will have to pluck up courage and give it a try. Thanks so much. Your description is very clear.
Venus custom made a Criterion for a lady here in San Antonio who has an ultra modern house – the harp is
I just went to the Folk Traditions Store website and it seems that as of Jan. 2008, they are still “closing” their store.
I have my original Troubador, with beautiful tone and lousy levers, and my 23 with gorgeous tone and slowly aging out of regulability. I may be getting another lever harp soon, or not, depending. I dearly long for a second pedal harp, because I can rehearse duos then, and play with my students, and if needed, have the other one repaired. But the cost of strings then, oh boy!
I do not feel called to pedal harps, at least at this point in time, but I agree with you Seoid, that (providing you have a reasonable chance to make the payments) that taking a loan is better than saving up. The problem with saving is that you will likely get 90% + of the money and the s–t hits the fan and it gets used up in some crisis or other. Also, would you value the time you spent with the instrument? If the answer is (I hope) yes; then you want to consider that the value gained from having the instrument sooner is probably well worth the cost of borrowing. For instance, if it would take you 5-7 years to save $20,000. for a pedal harp would you value the cost of borrowing (likely about $2,500. –
