BOOKS - HARP
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Click for further detailsCelebration of Love
Mary O'Hara
(Hard back)

Reading is a favourite form of relaxation for singer and harpist Mary O'Hara, and in this delightful collection of prose, poetry and song she gives others the opportunity to enjoy what has meant most to her. Her choice centres around the theme of love. Beautifully illustrated with line drawings by Bridgid Marlin, and fully indexed, here is a book to give away and a book to keep and treasure.

Click for further detailsCelebration of Love
Mary O'Hara
(Paper back)

Reading is a favourite form of relaxation for singer and harpist Mary O'Hara, and in this delightful collection of prose, poetry and song she gives others the opportunity to enjoy what has meant most to her. Her choice centres around the theme of love. Beautifully illustrated with line drawings by Bridgid Marlin, and fully indexed, here is a book to give away and a book to keep and treasure.

Click for detailsDialogue on historical wire for Gaelic harps
between Daniel Tokar and Ann Heymann, edited and introduced by Simon Chadwick
(paper back)
This book presents the results of a series of groundbreaking experiments by metalworker Daniel Tokar, and musician Ann Heymann. Their experimental results are presented in full, and their working methods and conclusions are laid out in the form of a dialogue. Illustrations include close-up SEM photos of some of the wires.

Click for detailsDutch Harp Music
Mirella Vita
(Paper back)
Mirella Vita began her career playing many transcriptions, based on the firm conviction that the harp had no valid music of its own. When she realized that there was a huge repertoire of harp music spanning many centuries, she began to seek out original music for her syllabuses. She soon became aware that the extent of the treasure she was unearthing was too great for her own personal requirements, and so she began systematically collecting historical data, names and biographies of composers, as well as names and addresses of publishers and libraries. To make full use of her files it would be necessary to publish a work of many volumes; but it is much clearer and more accessible to divide the vast amount of material according to the various countries and their cultures. This volume traces the history of the harp in one of the most important musical countries in the world, and also details Dutch composers and their music written for the harp.
 

Click for detailsGestures
Harp Technique book by Simon Chadwick
(paperback)
This book gives a whole palette of techniques to make your harp playing more expressive and articulated. Subtitled “Harp technique from old Irish, Welsh & Scottish tradition”, the book presents annotated editions of the lists of fingerings and grace notes from the Robert ap Huw manuscript, and from Edward Bunting’s 1840 book, The Ancient Music of Ireland. These are then brought up to date for present day harpers, with a detailed description of how to play a comprehensive selection of gestures, based on and expanding on the ones presented in the historical sources. Additional sections give discussions of performance and interpretation, and examples from three different tunes are presented and the use of gestures to perform them is described.

Click for detailsThe Gurl's Guide to Amplification
Deborah Henson-Conant
(Paper back)
The Gurls Guide to Amplification for the "Gurl" in Everyone. Ever get tangled up in wires trying to set up a simple sound system? Ever wondered how it all works? Or how come it doesn't? The "Gurl's Guide" explains it in plain English, with lots of Deborah's drawings to show you how it all fits together. Special instructions for harp players, but useful to EVERYONE!

Click for detailsThe Harp in Wales
Bruce Cardwell.  (Hardback Book)
A celebration of the harp in Wales, an instrument as symbolically key to a Welsh identity as the flag itself. Foreword by Catrin Finch. Bruce Cardwell provides a history of the harp in Wales, including how it grew to prominence, its evolving role in Welsh culture, how it became a central symbol of Welshness, how it has developed as a musical instrument in response to changing musical taste, and the booming harp business today. He also explores the craft of harp-making, including the variety of construction, materials, designs and aesthetics, issues of ‘playability’ and tone, and the fusion of craft skills with art sensibilities. The book also has a section on thirty-six contemporary Welsh harpists (see "Contents" for list of harpists), with portraits and a narrative on their perspective on their personal instruments, their individual repertoires and how they see their place in the continuing tradition.

Click for detailsThe Modern Harp
Lucia Bova  (Paperback Book)
The Modern Harp by Lucia Bova examines harp writing in the solo and chamber repertory from the 16th century till today. The edition sold on this site is the newer updated and expanded 2016 edition in English, translated by Brent Waterhouse.

Click for further detailsThe Performer's Wardrobe
Mirella Vita
(Paper back)
The music played at concerts nowadays spans a variety of periods and styles in order to delight audiences, but it is a demanding task for performers to bring to life the different composers and musicians they interpret. Sometimes the concert programme seems very prom ising, but boredom can set in as the notes played all sound the same. To lighten the performer’s task, it might be useful to immerse oneself in the part by imagining oneself wearing the clothes and accessories that those musicians wore and playing as they played. How can this be done? By finding inspiration for success in the performer’s secret wardrobe.

Click for further detailsTree of Strings
Alison Kinnaird
(Hard back / Paper back)

This book on the history of the harp in Scotland presents an in-depth study, drawing on material from unpublished documents, family papers and manuscripts, which will throw new light on the background of these ancient and beautiful instruments. The first of its kind, this volume will be of interest to historians, musicologists and harp players, and also to any reader with a general interest in Scottish and Celtic culture.
Click for further detailsWho was Lady Llanover, the 'Bee of Gwent'?
Celyn Gurden-Williams
(Paper back)
Lady Llanover (1802-1896) was one of the most important female contributors to the nineteenth century Welsh cultural revival. She was also one of it’s most fascinating characters. The purpose of this book is to encourage further exploration of Gwenynen Gwent, her complex identity and life’s work of creating a sanctuary for her version of Welsh culture. First published by Lady Llanover Society, August 2016