Harpblog

A hundred harps for Christmas Eve in Taipei!

Jakez is off on a regulation tour to Taiwan this week. I've got a feeling he's going to be pretty busy, because he is going shortly before an amazing harp marathon is due to take place. If he's going to be regulating even half the harps that are travelling to Taipei City to take part in the marathon, he'll have his hands full.

 

Jakez'll be on his own in Taiwan, as Liza Jensen's not going

The harp marathon has been organised by Shannon Chieh, principal harpist with the National Symphony Orchestra of Taiwan, and her colleagues at the Taiwan Harp Association Meng-Lu Chiu, Shu-Hsin Chen, Chia-Yuan Liang, Chi-Mei Hung and Yi-Wen Kuang. The marathon will begin at 2PM on Christmas Eve in the Grand Lobby of Taipei Central Station, and consist of a continuous programme of various harp-related performances right up until midnight. The marathon's grand finale will be a massive ensemble of one hundred harps, performing three suites specially-written for the occasion: a Christmas medley, a Taiwanese folksong suite, and a Taiwanese aboriginal suite.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shannon Cheih

"We had been planning this event for some time", Shannon told me last week on the phone, "but we reached a sticking-point because we couldn't find a venue big enough for an ensemble of one hundred harps. Being offered the station's Grand Lobby was a stroke of luck - it's huge, and over five hundred thousand people will probably pass by our show. Also, the station wanted the event to go on for as long as possible on one day. While we had originally conceived of a three-day event, we therefore changed this to one big non-stop marathon! 

We'll begin with as many different harp performances as we can - harp solo, harp chamber music, harp ensembles of various sizes and ages, and also harpists with special additional talents - like singing, performing magic tricks, and even tango dancing. Everyone who has already performed will join in with the grand finale. 

Prior to the harp marathon, Jakez will be the special guest at our press conference for the event. This will be on December 15th, at 2:30pm in the Tapei station Grand Lobby. Jakez will perform during the press conference, and follow this with a jazz workshop at 5PM, in the conference room at the station."

 

Harpy Christmas!

Happy Christmas from all the team at Camac Harps!

May your journeys to Christmas gigs be easier than for our seasonal harp hero pictured here, Keziah Thomas!

Harpy Christmas party at l'Espace Camac

 
And on the subject of Christmas...l'Espace Camac is having a Christmas party on December 5th, from 2 to 6PM! Of course, it is a musical Christmas party: open stage to all harpists - teachers, students, young and old - and all harps, celtic, pedal, electric...

If you would like to come, let  Claude know on +33 1 40 40 08 40, c.bouly@camac-harps.com!

Fantasisie sur Noel: Christmas Fantasies

More recording news from Valérie Milot, this time to get you into the Christmas spirit! Valérie has recorded a mini-album, Fantaisie sur Noël, of five Christmas-inspired works beautifully arranged for violin and harp by Antoine Bareil. Discover tracks like A New Northern Dittye of the Lady Greene Sleeves, where the famous traditional melody joins forces with a section of Prokofiev's Sonata no.1.

This album is available to hear and download from Analekta. You can also find in on iTunes, and other similar sites where you can buy music.

Christmas music

'Tis the season of peace, cheer and goodwill to all men.  The snow is sparkling on the ground, and throughout Northern climes, harpists are leaving for their gigs two hours earlier then normal and praying the car doesn't pack up.  I wish you all well-gritted roads, joyously festive concerts and very happy holidays.

Whatever logistics the weather may throw at us, wherever you may be, Christmas is a time for music, and harpists around the world have been telling me about their favourite Christmas music.  

"Perhaps not limited to Christmas, but I love 'Le Sommeil de l'Enfant Jesus' ('The Sleep of the Baby Jesus') by Henri Busser. It is beautifully written for the harp, and can be done with voice and harp, harp, violin and organ, or harp and organ. there are separate arrangements for each of the above combinations. My personal favorite is with voice for the words are so lovely.   Then, for me, it is not Christmas until I play the arrangement Linda Rollo and I did of 'Silent Night' in our three volumes of Christmas arrangements for the harp.  I love to play it and am always a little sad when Dec. 26th arrives and I put it away for another year.  I also love 'O Holy Night' and 'O Little Town of Bethlehem', also in those collections.   With every good wish for a wonderful and blessed Christmas to all!" 

Susann McDonald

"Mine is 'Over the Rainbow' with Judy Garland.  It reminds me of Christmas at home, when my parents lived it up in the living room and I watched 'The Wizard of Oz' on television in the kitchen. I was finally allowed to watch TV in the evenings and this film has now practically become part of me.  I think I know it by heart, I watched it so much!  Especially with my child's eyes...I looooooooove the scarecrow!"

Isabelle Moretti

You can hear Isabelle's recording of 'Over the Rainbow' with Dame Felicity Lott on their new CD, Cantare!

Vacation reading

Camac Harps are on

V

A

C

A

T

I

O

N

from July 17th until August 17th!

Have a great summer!

New Year quiz

 

Woo-hoo! It's 2009!  And that means it's also time for HARPBLOG'S NEW YEAR QUIZ. See how much you know about the year just past chez les Harpes Camac; I will send a posh tuning key (or a CD, if you don't play the harp or have got enough tuning keys) to the ten best bashes at my celebratory questions. If you get all ten right plus my special bonus question I will send you both a tuning key and a CD. Answers will be published later.

1.Boys will be boys. At school, was Jakez's driving ambition to become -

- a racing driver?

- a producer of fine French wine?

or

- a German teacher?