Hugs & Kisses
Ralf Kleemann

With "Hugs & Kisses", Ralf Kleemann presents his third album with music for the Celtic harp. Most of the tracks, which are generously enriched with solo parts, were composed during various journeys and concert tours throughout Europe.

On this album there are musette waltzes, an Irish love song, a tango-mélange, as well as a Scottish presto allegro, originally a pipe tune. The title track, "Hugs & Kisses," is a little suite in four parts.

Buy this album now CD: £12.99 + p&p 

About the New Celtic Harp

In Ralf Kleemann’s harp, traditional Celtic harp and modern harp design are merged into one. This type of harp is using the best of several epoques of European instrument making, creating a very clear shape and a versatile tone. The design is optimised for clarity of sound in order to help the musical palette;

"My music is very much about the actual sound of the instrument. Rather than running for raw loudness, I'm trying to interweave musical structures and timbres, trying to listen to what the instrument tells me. Each piece should be able to unfold itself and find to its unique and appropriate tone."

Ralf's harps were designed at the instrument workshop of the North German luthier Frank Sievert, who looks back to more than 25 years of harp making experience. He has been creating several generations of modern Celtic harps with some unique design features and an unparalleled sound. The pictured model is called "Silmaril" and features custom-made semitone levers, a shielded pickup system and a sound board that can swing freely in the bass section.