mpnm>m 9o m?amhwon DIANA WOOD We are very sad to have to mark the death of Diana Wood, a member of our Harp on Wight team from the very beginning. Diana made a huge contribution to our Harp on Wight venture from the early days, through her persistence in fundraising which gained us the support of Ryde Town Council, her attention to detail, which greatly helped with the publicity side, her Chairmanship of the Harp on Wight Management Committee and her real commitment to and interest in everything she undertook. Harp on Wight was not the only recipient of Diana’s attentions. She was instrumental in founding the Historic Ryde Society and the driving force behind many of its achievements. She was also a very strong supporter of the Earl Mountbatten Hospice, where she played the harp she had made in our first harp making workshop. Diana even found time to work a couple of days a week in the Mountbatten Hospice Charity Shop in Ryde. Diana died very suddenly shortly after our 2018 Harp Festival, in which, despite difficulties resulting from a stroke earlier in the year, she played a very active role. Diana is much missed, and we send our sincere condolences to her husband Dave and the family. HARP SHOWROOM 2019 HARP ON WIGHT welcomes everyone to visit the Harp Showroom in Ryde Methodist Church, Garfield Road, Ryde PO33 2PT National harp makers will show their beautiful creations available for sale or rent, and will be happy to advise on all your needs as a player. Harp accessories, harp CDs and sheet music will also be on sale. The enchanted world of harps is at your disposal, just catch the opportunity. Opening Hours: 2 Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday 25th October 26th October 27th October 28th October 29th October 10:00 - 17:00 10:00 - 17:00 11:30 - 17:00 10:00 - 17:00 10:00 - 17:00 Some exhibitors may not stay throughout the Festival. Please check. Lily Neill welcomes you to Harp on Wight International Festival 2019 The poet Emily Dickinson famously wrote 'There is no Frigate like a Book/To take us Lands away' and the same can be said of music. For both players and listeners music can unleash untapped emotions, take us to places unseen on any map, and define the indefinable. That music can take us to places, tangible and intangible, is part of its lure. Music has brought me across the globe to places that as a child growing up in the Washington D.C. area I never imagined I would be lucky enough to visit, nor could have imagined being so drawn to. For me the Isle of Wight is one such place. I don’t come from a 'musical family'. Genuine curiosity and passion drew me to the harp, and I was determined to uncover the ever-growing possibilities of this enthralling instrument. I began playing concerts as a child and it wasn’t long until, aged 16, the combination of said passion and a plentiful dose of naivety led me to record my first album. As exciting as this sounds, what it really entailed was me standing in Washington D.C.’s sweltering summer heat selling cotton candy (‘candy floss’ as my friends in the UK say) to tourists, playing background music on my so-called ‘cello’, and giving a few concerts to pay for my studio hours and the mixing and mastering of my first CD. Fast forward a couple of years from the clouds of clinging cotton candy, and into my in-box flies a message from one Vic King, whose ears my CD had reached far away on the Isle of Wight. So began my introduction to this most fascinating of isles in England. I was immediately taken with everything, from the dinosaur fossils, the Roman villa, centuries-old churches, and tales of visionary Victorians. Not only is the Island’s history compelling, also the people I have met are among the kindest and most inspiring I have come across in my travels. What better environment than this history-laden island to provide the backdrop for a festival that celebrates the venerable harp? Like the Isle, the harp has a storied history and many a lens through which it can be seen. How lucky are we, as players, listeners, music makers, and enthusiasts, to have such a retreat where we can revel in our shared passion. I’d like to salute the Festival, now in its sixth year, and invite you all to partake in this glorious celebration of the ever-exciting harp. Lily 3 Proud supporter of Monica Stadler at this year’s festival Come and see our stand at Ryde Methodist Church, Garfield Road, Ryde, PO33 2PT Friday 25th October until Tuesday 29th October 2019 4 Pilgrim Harps, Stansted House, Tilburstow Hill Road, South Godstone, Surrey, RH9 8NA Telephone: 01342 893242 Email: info@pilgrimharps.co.uk www.pilgrimharps.co.uk Handmade in Torquay, Devon Camac levers, carbon fibre strings, solid maple construction, bell-like long sustaining sound 34-38 and 39 string models Fitted lights and amp pickups as standard heritageharps@yahoo.com Tel. Showroom 01803 690975, Mobile 07811503852 5 ! ! "" # $" $" "%$" &' '() * + ) ) +,) ,-. www.theharpstudio.co.uk Shop Online For All Your Harp Needs Music, Strings And Much More…. 6 Mail: 1-2 Usk Street, Newport. Gwent. NP19 7BE Telephone: 01633 675588 Email: info@theharpstudio.co.uk TELYNAU TEIFI Ben Creighton Griffiths Corrina Hewat Eleanor Turner Photo: Elliot Cooper Steph West Photo: Paul Blakemore / Paraorchestra Heather Downie Photo: Lieve Boussauw Photo: Da niel Whis ton Catrin Finch Join them to build the Camac electric legend... Rachael Gladwin Photo: Jeroen Strack Mary Macmaster Brenda Dor-Groot ertson Tara Minton Archie Photo: Macfarla ne photo: C. K. Derdacki Shelley Fairplay Ailie Rob Patsy Seddon 116B Pantbach Road Caerdydd - Cardiff CF14 1UE 029 2062 0900 www.camacharps.co.uk - info@camacharps.co.uk 7 34 and 27 string clarsachs and lap harps Choice of beautiful, naturally nished native and american hardwoods Medium tension - ideal for beginners and for more experienced players Harp hire available Multiple-purchase discounts for Clarsach Society groups Visit our stand at the festival or contact us for details: Ridge Farm, Linley, Bishop’s Castle. Shropshire. SY9 5HP T +44(0)1588 650 416 E jsletcher@yahoo.co.uk www.silverspearinstruments.co.uk The Clarsach Society (London & South-East Branch) is happy to support Harp on Wight in its sixth year and wishes the Festival every success The Clarsach Society exists to promote the clarsach (or lever harp) and its music in Scotland and in the wider world of the harp community. Join the Clarsach Society to benefit from: Harp hire at favourable rates Help with finding a teacher Local playing groups Information about harp courses, workshops, recitals Newsletters and e-news The Clarsach Society Annual Scholarship 8 More information on our branch website www.harpsoutheast.org.uk HARPCATCHER Thursday 24th October From 19:00 HARP-THEMED CANDLELIT DINNER VENUE: Harpist: MICHELANGELO RESTAURANT 30 St Thomas Street, Ryde PO33 2DL Tel. 01983 811966 3 courses, Harp-themed Menu, £30 Booking essential Helen Hankey Helen is a concert harpist, trained at The Royal Northern College of Music. She has played with many leading orchestras, including the RTE Concert Orchestra, The National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland and opera and ballet companies. Helen has performed in various beautiful locations for a range of audiences including royalty. She has toured as a soloist, worked on a cruise liner and played as a backing musician for pop groups. New to making the idyllic Isle of Wight her home, she is delighted to have joined Ryde School as Director of Music, and now is proud to be part of our Harp on Wight team. POP-UP HARP ANGELS MONDAY 21st OCTOBER TO WEDNESDAY 23rd OCTOBER KEEP A LOOK OUT - HARP ANGELS MAY POP UP ON YOUR FERRY CROSSING TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT 9 CONCERTS ALL EVENTS TAKE PLACE IN RYDE METHODIST CHURCH, GARFIELD ROAD, RYDE PO33 2PT FRIDAY 25th OCTOBER 19:15 OPENING CONCERT: EIRA LYNN JONES AND THE ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC HARP ENSEMBLE (from UK) A versatile and eclectic performer and widely regarded as one of the UK's leading harp teachers, Eira is Head of Harp at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) in Manchester. The opening concert will feature the sound of multiple pedal harps. Works by Carlos Salzedo, Bernard Andrès, Caroline Lizotte, Catherine Kontz and jazz legend Dorothy Ashby will be a feast for the ears and the eyes. From glissandos to graphic scores, this performance will showcase the unique sound world of these magnificent instruments. Tickets: £14, Children under 16: £7 SATURDAY 26th OCTOBER 14:00 PERFORMANCE PLATFORM featuring two leading young international harpists - winner and runner up of the 2019 North London Festival of Music and Drama, Camac Harp Competition: CLAUDIA LUCIA LAMANNA (from Italy) MARED PUGH-EVANS (from Wales) Tickets: £8, Children under 16: £4 19:15 AILIE ROBERTSON (from Scotland) A highly anticipated concert of traditional and contemporary Scottish music by this multi-award winning harpist. Tickets: £14, Children under 16: £7 TICKETS FOR ALL EVENTS FROM 01983 730930 or www.wegottickets.com or vic007@btinternet.com or the Festival Box Office at Ryde Methodist Church - see page 35 10 A Season Ticket for all concerts and the talk by Anne Denholm (see p.11) is available at the price of £75. CONCERTS AND TALK SUNDAY 27th OCTOBER 14:00 IMPROMPTU HARP ENSEMBLE (in collaboration with Royal Northern College of Music and students from the Festival) A performance from students who have attended the workshop ‘Flying with the Birds’ conducted by Eira Lynn Jones. Tickets: £5 19:15 GRÁINNE HAMBLY (from Ireland) Absolute mastery of the Irish harp. Tickets: £14, Children under 16: £7 MONDAY 28th OCTOBER 14:00 TALK BY ANNE DENHOLM, Patron to Harp on Wight ‘The Contemporary Harp’: An hour-long talk exploring why the pedal harp is one of the most valuable tools for the 21st Century composer. As more and more composers are choosing to use our versatile instrument, come and find out why! Tickets: £7, Children under 16: £3.50. Info: Vic King: 01983 730930 19:15 MONIKA STADLER (from Austria) ‘Away for a While’: Elements of Jazz, Classical, World, Folk and improvisational music. Monika combines the highest musical aspirations with technical brilliance. Tickets: £14, Children under 16: £7 TUESDAY 29th OCTOBER 14:00 HELEN HANKEY (harp), MERLYNNA JOHNSON (harp) and ANNELIES SCOTT (cello) ‘Sea and Sky’: A journey between sea and sky with two harps and a cello. Tickets: £7, Children under 16: £3.50. Info: Vic King: 01983 730930 19:15 HARP AND HANG DUO (from Italy) MARIANNE GUBRI (harp) and PAOLO BORGHI (hang drum) ‘Menhir’: Marianne and Paolo entwine the different timbres of their instruments to create a combination of acoustics and sonority with light and dark contrast which communicates the essence of Celtic, Mediterranean and Tribal lands. The interaction of these instruments creates moving and melodic tone poems. Tickets: £14, Children under 16: £7 11 EIRA LYNN JONES BIOGRAPHIES CONCERT: 19:15 FRIDAY 25th OCTOBER Ryde Methodist Church Welsh harpist Eira is a versatile musician with a passion for creativity and originality. Her eclectic career ranges from orchestral work, recordings and commissions to chamber music collaborations. She is known equally for her committed, dynamic playing and her innovative, dedicated teaching. As Head of Harp at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) she loves inspiring young musicians and has received invitations to run workshops in Denmark, Iceland, Greece, Sweden, USA and South Africa. While a student at RNCM Eira won numerous awards, including a Guinness Foundation Scholarship and an Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM) Performer Award, resulting in her BBC Radio 3 debut on the ‘Young Musicians’ series. Further studies with Kathleen Bride at the Manhattan School of Music in New York led to a Master’s degree. Invited to join the Manhattan Contemporary Music Ensemble, she premiered new works for harp, which ignited her interest in researching unusual and varied repertoire. She did indeed take her harp to the party: to Carnegie Hall, the Aspen Music Festival, Banff Centre of Performing Arts and Creativity, and even to the top of the Empire State Building! Eira’s two solo albums include pieces which she enjoys teaching and playing by Bernard Andrès, Marcel Grandjany, Fiona Clifton-Welker and first recordings of compositions by Esther Swift, Anna Appleby, Sally Beamish and Eddie McGuire. She also has her own publications: ‘Pick and Mix’ (warm-up exercises for all levels), ‘Portraits’ (original works for lever/pedal harp) and ‘Daffodils’ (popular Welsh tunes). Eira approaches each project with passion, and is a true ambassador for this most magical of instruments. www.eiralynnjones.com The RNCM Harp Ensemble is directed by Eira. Their sold-out concert at the Huddersfield International Contemporary Music Festival was broadcast on Radio 3. Other UK appearances include the Natural History Museum, London; the European Harp Symposium, Cardiff and the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead. The Ensemble has premiered works by Catherine Kontz, Grace Evangeline-Mason, Tim Garland and Paul Patterson. Members are all from the Harp Class at RNCM, and come from Wales, Scotland, England, Belgium and China. The ensemble will be performing at the 2020 World Harp Congress in Cardiff. 12 PERFORMANCE PLATFORM CLAUDIA LUCIA LAMANNA and MARED PUGH-EVANS CONCERT: 14:00 SATURDAY 26th OCTOBER Ryde Methodist Church CLAUDIA LUCIA LAMANNA Claudia was First Prize winner of the 2019 North London Festival of Music and Drama, Camac Harp Competition. She has been performing around the world since she was very young and completed her Master’s degree with top honours at the Nino Rota Conservatory of Music at only 17 years old. She continued her studies with Jana Boušková at the Koninklijk Conservatorium of Brussels and with Isabelle Perrin at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo. Claudia has played in many prestigious venues, including Oslo Opera House, London's Royal Albert Hall and the Merkin Concert Hall in New York. She has given recitals at harp festivals in France (2012), Wales (2014), Thailand (2016), and the World Harp Congress in Canada (2011) and Australia (2014). She has had many successes in national and international competitions, including Fifth Prize at the 10th USA International Harp Competition in Bloomington (2016), where she also received the Zaniboni Prize, given to the highest ranked Italian contestant. Claudia also won the Premio Claudio Abbado at the XI Edizione del Premio Nazionale delle Arti, held in Turin (2015), and the Thailand International Harp Festival and Youth Competition, held in Bangkok (2012). Claudia recently won the internship for 2017-2019 as Principal Harp for La Scala Academy Orchestra in Milan. She has just completed her Advanced Diploma in Performance with Karen Vaughan at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where she has been selected to join the Bicentenary Scholarship scheme, through which she will release her debut album. CAMAC HARP COMPETITION This major award for harpists is sponsored by the French harp makers Camac. Entry is open to harpists of conservatoire standard or beyond, studying or resident in the United Kingdom or Ireland, aged up to thirty years. www.northlondonfestival.org.uk 13 MARED PUGH-EVANS Mared was the runner-up in the 2019 Camac Harp Competition. Since 2015 it has become a popular feature for Harp on Wight to invite the winner and runner-up of the competition to perform a concert on the Saturday afternoon of our Festival. Since 2016 Mared has been a student at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff. Her harp teacher is Caryl Thomas. Mared first decided to play the harp at the age of six. Although she couldn't read music, her inspiring teacher taught her by ear. Mared had to sit with three cushions on her chair in order to reach the strings on her first lever harp! Playing the harp has given Mared the opportunity to travel widely, including visits to Thailand, Italy, France and Belgium. In addition to this year’s Camac Competition, Mared has been successful in the Caernarfon International Harp Festival in North Wales and the Felix Godefried Harp Competition in Belgium. Mared loves attending harp festivals and we are very pleased to welcome her to the Isle of Wight. THIS EVENT IS SUPPORTED BY THE UK HARP ASSOCIATION THE UK HARP ASSOCIATION IS PROUD TO SUPPORT THE SIXTH HARP ON WIGHT FESTIVAL The United Kingdom Harp Association exists to bring together all those interested in the harp, in all its forms, including amateur and professional players, teachers, and businesses providing services for the harp. www.ukharp.net 14 AILIE ROBERTSON CONCERT: 19:15 SATURDAY 26th OCTOBER Ryde Methodist Church Ailie is widely regarded as one of Scotland’s leading young traditional musicians. Growing up in Edinburgh, she was immersed in the harp world from an early age. She began playing the clarsach when she was eleven years old and through her piano and clarsach lessons she developed a love for classical and traditional music. A five-times Gold Medallist at the National Mòd (Festival of Scottish Gaelic literature, song and arts) and a BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year finalist, Ailie also won first prize at the inaugural London Harp Competition. She was judged best overall musician at the Edinburgh Competition Festival and won the St Albans New Roots award. Her debut solo album ‘First Things First' won the 'Live Ireland' award for 'Best Instrumental Cut of the Year’. She has performed and taught all over the world, released three solo CDs and published seven volumes of harp sheet music. Ailie is a musician in the broadest sense: composer, arranger, teacher, improviser and harp virtuoso. Her accomplishment on the clarsach is such that leading Irish flautist Niall Keegan said: ‘Ailie’s synthesis of Irish, Scottish and contemporary harping technique into an individual style represents the realisation of otherwise unimagined possibilities for the Celtic harp’. Ailie set up Lorimer Productions in 2014 to curate new music events in the UK, an organisation dedicated to bringing new and innovative work from both established and developing composers to wider audiences at home and abroad. Lorimer Productions commissions new work and aims to connect artists, writers, dancers and musicians to work together in exciting new ways. www.ailierobertson.com Twitter: @ailierobertson www.facebook.com/ailierobertsonmusic AILIE ROBERTSON IS SUPPORTED BY THE CLARSACH SOCIETY 15 GRÁINNE HAMBLY CONCERT: 19:15 SUNDAY 27th OCTOBER Ryde Methodist Church Gráinne is an internationally recognised exponent of the Irish harp, and is in great demand as a performer and teacher, both at home in Ireland and abroad. Gráinne started to play Irish music on the tin whistle at an early age, before moving on to the concertina and later the harp. She lived in Belfast for six years, where she completed a Master's degree in Musicology from Queen’s University (1999). Her main research topic was 'Folk Music Collections and the Harp in 18th Century Ireland'. She also completed the Graduate Diploma in Education (Music) at the University of Limerick. Gráinne has been playing professionally as a solo musician for a number of years, performing in Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland, Brazil, Colombia, Israel, Japan and USA. She has also toured and recorded with various artists, including the Belfast Harp Orchestra, Comhaltas CeoltóiríEireann and Irish Christmas In America. She has attracted glowing praise for her live performances and recorded material, which brilliantly showcase what has been described as her ‘absolute mastery of the Irish harp’. Gráinne’s playing illustrates the full range and scope of this instrument. She specialises in teaching Irish traditional music ‘by ear’ and offers private lessons and intensive tuition options at her home, as well as teaching at various annual summer schools and harp festivals. Gráinne has featured on a number of recordings both as guest artist and accompanist. She has released three critically acclaimed solo CDs, and two books of arrangements. Her most recent collaboration is with Scottish harper William Jackson, with whom she frequently tours. Their recording ‘Music from Ireland and Scotland’ (2009) features a variety of Irish and Scottish airs and dance tunes, some dating back to the 17th and 18th Century harp repertoire. www.grainnehambly.com 16 MONIKA STADLER CONCERT: 19:15 MONDAY 28th OCTOBER Ryde Methodist Church Monika is one of the most creative solo harpists in Europe. She studied classical harp at the Vienna University of Music with Prof. Blovsky-Miller (gaining her Diploma with highest honours), and jazz harp with Deborah Henson-Conant, in Boston, USA, where she won several awards at international jazz harp competitions. After engagements with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, she only performs as a soloist, in duet or trio formations, exclusively with her own projects. Apart from her intensive schedule as a performer throughout Europe, USA, Canada, Middle East and Asia, she also teaches many jazz and improvisation workshops for harpists worldwide. Currently Monika is a guest professor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London and also a staff member of the University of Music and Drama in Vienna, Austria. To date she has released 11 CDs (mainly her own compositions) and several music books published by Creighton's Collection and also by the Austrian music publishing company Musikverlag Doblinger. Monika describes her music as 'very personal, an expression of my soul, my spirituality and my femininity. It is drawn from being connected with nature, from the rhythms of life, from the experience of inner and environmental moods and of silence. www.harp.at/en/home.html MONIKA STADLER IS SUPPORTED BY PILGRIM HARPS 17 FESTIVAL AT A GLANCE 18 Friday, 25th October Saturday, 26th October 09:30-11:00 Workshop AILIE ROBERTSON Simple Scottish Tunes Lecture Room Workshop AILIE ROBERTSON Simple Scottish Tunes Lecture Room 11:30-13:00 Workshop EIRA LYNN JONES Workshop EIRA LYNN JONES ‘Flying with the Birds’ Lecture Room ‘Flying with the Birds’ Lecture Room 14:00-15:00 Workshop FRAN BARSBY Come and Try the Harp Lecture Room Performance Platform CLAUDIA LUCIA LAMANNA MARED PUGH-EVANS 15:30-17:00 Workshop AILIE ROBERTSON Simple Scottish Tunes Lecture Room Workshop GRÁINNE HAMBLY Exploring Irish Traditional Music Lecture Room 19:15 Opening Concert EIRA LYNN JONES and the RNCM HARP ENSEMBLE Concert AILIE ROBERTSON ALL CONCERTS, EVENTS AND WORKSHOPS TAKE PLACE IN RYDE METHODIST CHURCH. FOR WORKSHOPS PLEASE CHECK ROOM Sunday, 27th October Workshop GRÁINNE HAMBLY Exploring Irish Traditional Music Lecture Room Monday, 28th October Tuesday, 29th October Workshop Workshop GRÁINNE HAMBLY HARP AND HANG DUO Exploring Irish Traditional Breton Harp, Improvisation Music and Dances Lecture Room Lecture Room Workshop EIRA LYNN JONES Workshop MONIKA STADLER Jazz, Improvisation Lecture Room Workshop HARP AND HANG DUO Breton Harp, Improvisation and Dances Lecture Room Concert IMPROMPTU HARP ENSEMBLE RNCM and Students from the Harp Festival Talk ANNE DENHOLM Concert HELEN HANKEY MERLYNNA JOHNSON ANNELIES SCOTT 'Sea and Sky' ‘Flying with the Birds’ Lecture Room ‘The Contemporary Harp’ Workshops Workshop 15:00-16:00 FRAN BARSBY HARP AND HANG DUO Come and Try the Harp Breton Harp, Improvisation Rose Room and Dances Lecture Room 15:30-17:00 MONIKA STADLER Jazz, Improvisation Lecture Room Concert GRÁINNE HAMBLY Concert MONIKA STADLER ‘Away for a While’ Workshop MONIKA STADLER Jazz, Improvisation Lecture Room Concert HARP AND HANG DUO 'Menhir' 19 ANNE DENHOLM, PATRON TO HARP ON WIGHT TALK: ‘THE CONTEMPORARY HARP’ 14:00 MONDAY 28th OCTOBER Ryde Methodist Church Anne is one of Britain’s leading harpists, and was formerly Official Harpist to HRH The Prince of Wales. Appointed to the Office in July 2015, she passed on this prestigious title at the end of June. In addition to her classical repertoire Anne is increasingly in demand as an interpreter and performer of new music. Anne graduated with a Master’s degree from the Royal Academy of Music, with distinction, and has won numerous prizes in local, national and international music festivals and competitions. She has performed as a soloist at the Wigmore Hall, Buckingham Palace and other venues across Britain. She is a founding member of the contemporary quartet The Hermes Experiment, which regularly commissions new works for its idiosyncratic combination of instruments (clarinet, soprano voice, harp and double bass). Anne also enjoys working with orchestras and choirs and is particularly keen on using music in community and educational contexts. www.annedenholm.com FRAN BARSBY ‘COME AND TRY THE HARP’ (one hour sessions) 14:00 FRIDAY 25th OCTOBER (LECTURE ROOM) or 15:00 SUNDAY 27th OCTOBER (ROSE ROOM) Ryde Methodist Church Fran is a British harpist known for her passion and innovation. She made her professional debut in 2008 at St. John’s Smith Square, London and has since performed in venues across Europe. Having graduated in 2015 from Birmingham Conservatoire Fran is enjoying a flourishing career as a solo harpist and with groups such as the international harp ensemble, ‘Aurumite’ (flute and harp duet), and various orchestras. 20 The Harp Studio is the home of PoppyHarp, a lever harp showroom for Pilgrim Harps and PoppyHarp publishing, through which Fran helps young musicians and composers publish their work. www.franbarsbyharpist.co.uk HELEN HANKEY, MERLYNNA JOHNSON and ANNELIES SCOTT CONCERT: 14:00 TUESDAY 29th OCTOBER Ryde Methodist Church ‘Sea and Sky’: A journey between sea and sky, with two harps and a cello. A concert peformed by three musicians who live on the beautiful Isle of Wight. MERLYNNA JOHNSON Merlynna studied piano and voice from a young age but it was not until her early forties that she suddenly knew she simply had to play the harp. She studied harp technique with Susan Allen in Leicester, and studied education, languages and music in Sheffield. Merlynna taught in state and private schools for many years, as well as playing celtic harp in various venues in the UK and Spain. One of her happiest memories is playing at the Chalice Well in Glastonbury at full moon. Back on the Island since 2010 she now also enjoys playing her antique double action pedal harp. Merlynna-harpist.co.uk ANNELIES SCOTT Annelies was a string finalist in the 1986 BBC Young Musician of the Year, and in the same year won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music where, whilst still an undergraduate, she was awarded the Dip.RAM, their highest postgraduate qualification. Annelies went on to perform with the European Soloists Ensemble for 10 years, playing in concert halls across Europe and to record a CD of Stravinsky’s chamber music with the pianist Vladimir Ashkenazy. Due to a shoulder injury, she no longer performs full time, but still enjoys playing as a chamber musician and occasional soloist. In 2014 Annelies qualified as a counselling psychotherapist and works mainly with teenagers, which complements her music teaching work both in schools and as a private teacher. HELEN HANKEY Helen will be playing at the Harp-themed Candlelit dinner at Michelangelo Restaurant on Thursday 24th October. For her biography please see page 9. 21 HARP AND HANG DUO MARIANNE GUBRI (harp), PAOLO BORGHI (hang drum) CONCERT: 19:15 TUESDAY 29th OCTOBER Ryde Methodist Church Marianne started playing the Celtic harp when she was young. She gained her Bachelor of Music Degree at the Conservatory in Lannion, France (1997) and went on to study Medieval Renaissance and Baroque harp in France and Italy. In 2002 she obtained her Diploma in Ancient Harp at the Conservatory of Tours and the Diplôme d'Études Approfondies degree in musicology at the University F. Rabelais of Tours. From 2004 to 2008 Marianne worked with the International Museum and Library of Music in Bologna, and in 2008 she founded, and has since directed, the 'Arpeggi' Harp School in Bologna. Having become interested in harp music therapy, Marianne studied this aspect of the harp with Christina Tourin, going on to graduate from the International Harp Therapy Programme in 2017. Marianne is now the Director of the Bologna Harp Festival. Her performances have delighted audiences in USA, Dubai, China, India, Brazil, Mexico, and many other venues in Europe. Paolo was born in 1983. Having started out as a carpenter, designing and building staircases and other tailor-made woodwork projects he turned his talented hands towards music. He was always searching for unusual instruments to play, such as Tubular Bells, Flamenco, Cuban Cajóns, Tongue Drums and other percussion instruments. He has made many instruments himself, often using recycled materials. Paolo’s biggest passion is for the Hang, a metallic percussion instrument invented by two Swiss craftsmen, Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer. Paolo also plays other instruments: Vietnamese Jew’s harp, West African Djembè, Tibetan Singing Bowls, Gong, Tubular bells (or Chimes), Sansula, Didgeridoo and his self-made percussion instruments. He has always strived to synchronise his sound with his own internal well being and that of others. Paolo graduated in music therapy in 2013. He has played all over Italy and the world accompanying many distinguished artists at important events. www.harpandhang.com 22 WORKSHOPS ALL COURSES AND WORKSHOPS ARE HELD IN Ryde Methodist Church, Garfield Road, Ryde PO33 2PT Please check for room details FRAN BARSBY Friday 25th October 14:00 - 15:00 (Lecture Room) or Sunday 27th October 15:00 - 16:00 (Rose Room) COME AND TRY THE HARP (for absolute beginners) An opportunity for everyone to try the harp. All ages welcome. Harps are kindly supplied by some of the harp exhibitors. £10 x 1 session of 1 hour (Friday or Sunday) AILIE ROBERTSON Friday 25th October 09:30 - 11:00 (Lecture Room) Friday 25th October 15:30 - 17:00 (Lecture Room) Saturday 26th October 09:30 - 11:00 (Lecture Room) SIMPLE SCOTTISH TUNES A chance to build up a solid technique while approaching with confidence simple but beautiful Scottish tunes. This course is suitable for post-beginners or for any other students that want to 'slow down' and relax while consolidating the basic techniques. £45 (3 sessions x 1.5 hrs) EIRA LYNN JONES Friday 25th October 11:30 - 13:00 (Lecture Room) Saturday 26th October 11:30 - 13:00 (Lecture Room) Sunday 27th October 11:30 - 13:00 (Lecture Room) 'FLYING WITH THE BIRDS' A harp ensemble workshop with a difference. Inspired by the journeys we make as musicians, this course gives you all kinds of skills to develop your playing. From technical confidence to ensemble pieces, from working on a graphic score to learning a solo piece together, you will leave ready to take flight for your next journey. Music will include tunes from Greece, France, Scotland and more. We will also give a short performance, so get ready to fly! Suitable for post-beginners to intermediate level. Taught with music. £45 (3 sessions x 1.5 hrs) 23 GRÁINNE HAMBLY WORKSHOPS Saturday 26th October 15:30 - 17:00 (Lecture Room) Sunday 27th October 09:30 - 11.00 (Lecture Room) Monday 28th October 09:30 - 11:00 (Lecture Room) EXPLORING IRISH TRADITIONAL MUSIC This course will look at the broad spectrum of music which makes up the Irish harp repertoire, from the music of the 17th and 18th Century harper composers to song airs, to dance music widely played on the Irish harp today. Emphasis will be placed on exploring the different types of ornamentation and melodic variation used in Irish traditional music. Some approaches creating interesting and stylistically appropriate arrangements will also be covered. Intermediate and advanced levels. £45 (3 sessions x 1.5 hrs) MONIKA STADLER Sunday 27th October 15:30 - 17:00 (Lecture Room) Monday 28th October 11:30 - 13.00 (Lecture Room) Tuesday 29th October 15:30 - 17:00 (Lecture Room) JAZZ, IMPROVISATION AND CREATIVE PLAYING The aim is to extend the participants’ musical horizon and to stimulate their own creativity. To achieve this Monika will show the participants some tools for jazz improvisation, a variety of rhythmic possibilities, many options for a creative right hand and many possibilities to create different moods. Students will also have the chance to experience free improvisation. This course is suitable for pedal and lever harps. Intermediate and advanced levels. £45 (3 sessions x 1.5 hrs) THANKYOU EVERYONE 24 The Harp on Wight team gives a big hug to everyone who has helped to make the SIXTH Isle of Wight Harp Festival happen. We could not have done it all without you. WORKSHOPS HARP AND HANG DUO MARIANNE GUBRI (HARP), PAOLO BORGHI (HANG DRUM) Monday 28th October 15:30 - 17:00 (Lecture Room) Tuesday 29th October 09:30 - 11:00 (Lecture Room) Tuesday 29th October 11:30 - 13:00 (Lecture Room) BRETON HARP, IMPROVISATION AND DANCES Repertoire: Gwerz, lamentations, dances (Gavotte, An Dro, Laride, Plinn…). How to recognise them and create new repertoire. Arrangements: how to put a bass line on melodic tunes. Ornamentation: how to enrich your melodies. Improvisation: how to avoid playing a melody again in the same way. How to create an introduction and a conclusion to a tune. Composition: how to compose a typical Breton dance or a Breton melody using modes, rhythms and patterns. Intermediate level. £45 (3 sessions x 1.5 hrs) TECHNIQUE SURGERY If you would like to solve technique problems, book your one-to-one appointment with Fran Barsby at the Pilgrim stand in the Harp Showroom (Ryde Methodist Church). £15 x 1 session of 30 minutes. GUIDE TO COURSE LEVELS ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS: No experience of playing the harp. BEGINNERS: Even if you have already taken some lessons you still need help with the basic technique. POST-BEGINNERS: You know where to place all your fingers and you can already perform simple tunes, but you require further help in developing techniques. INTERMEDIATE: Your technique is established and you are able to work at moderate speed or stretch yourself. 25 HOW TO BOOK FOR WORKSHOPS Complete the booking form available on the website: www.harponwight.co.uk or contact annasacchini@btinternet.com or Vic King: +44 (0) 1983 730930 A maximum number of 10 to12 students is accepted for each class. Please book in advance to avoid disappointment. Please bring your harp or rent one from the exhibitors who are coming to the Harp Showroom at Ryde Methodist Church. A list of exhibitors can be found on our website www.harponwight.co.uk REGISTRATION AND VENUES ALL WORKSHOPS ARE HELD IN RYDE METHODIST CHURCH. PLEASE CHECK FOR ROOM DETAILS. On arrival please register for your workshop at the Festival Box Office, Ryde Methodist Church. See p. 35 for opening hours. YOUR LINK TO Exclusive travel benefits MyLink Proud sponsors of Harp On Wight Sign up today for exclusive rewards at wightlink.co.uk/mylink 26 CF 'i?flEllT 5? Saturday 15th November 2019. It?pm Karelie Suite Op. 11 Sibelius Viola Concerto soloist: Timothy Hideul No. 1 Walton Saturday January 18th 2028. 7.15pm Overture: Street Corner Flawsthorne Horn Concarto No 1 Strauss soloist.? Joel Roberts The Perfect Fool Vilava lrorn Ma Vlasi The Firebird Holst Smetana Stravinsky Saturday March 14th 2820. 7.15pm Caprice Bohemian Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No 1 Tchaikovsky soiol'st: Viv McLean No. 1 Balakirev Saturday May 1?th 2020, ?.15pm Musoravo Kliphuis Phoenix Rising 'Ulysses? Violin Concerto soloist: Tim Klipnuis No. 5 Mahler Saturday July 4th, 7.15pm USA independence Day Concert Fanfare for the Common Man Copland An American Overture Britten Knoxville: Summer of 15315 Barber soprano Eliszaoelli Karani' Gone with the Wind Suite Steiner Washington Post Sousa On the Town Bernstein Flying Theme from E.T. Williams An American in Paris Gershwin Medina Theatre, Newport, Adults ?15, Under 185 ?6 Box Office: 01983 823884 LEJ WIGHTLINK ISLE Elf WIG HIES Make Yourself a Harp in 6 days under the guidance of Sylvestre Charbin Organised by Harp on Wight QUARR ABBEY Archway Meeting Room Ryde, Isle of Wight, PO33 4ES 24th - 29th OCTOBER 2019 Deadline for deposit: 31st July Limited spaces available 28 Complete the booking form on the website: www.harponwight.co.uk or contact annasacchini@btinternet.com or Vic King: +44 (0)1983 730930 SIX DAYS HARP MAKING WORKSHOP UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF SYLVESTRE CHARBIN (France) ORGANIZED BY HARP ON WIGHT VENUE: QUARR ABBEY (Archway Meeting Room) RYDE IOW PO33 4ES DATES: THURSDAY 24th OCTOBER TO TUESDAY 29th OCTOBER 2019 (6 consecutive days) 10:00 to 17:00, Lunch break 1 hour MODEL: 23 STRING LAP HARP (No levers) Check out the videos on: http://www.cpfi-lemans.com/spip/spip.php?article1 PRICE: £700. This includes the cost of all materials needed to construct and finish the harp TEACHER: SYLVESTRE CHARBIN (Harp Maker from CPFI - Centre du Patrimoine de la Facture Instrumentale, Le Mans, France). PROCEDURE: Students are required to adjust and glue together different parts of the instrument following the drawing plan. It is not just a kit: students will have to cut some parts of wood to the right size and fit the different pieces together, using a plane to work on the soundboard and adjust the response of the instrument. Students can shape their instrument as they wish with a degree of freedom to personalise it: they will learn how to draw the instrument; how it works; what to do with the wood, which woods are preferable and why; how the shape and thickness and quality of the wood affect the sound of the instrument; how the sound changes if the design is modified; to understand the mechanical forces that affect the instrument etc … OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this workshop is not just to build your own harp. It will also give you an insight into instrument making. By the end of the course, in addition to the harp you have made, you should have a thorough understanding of the relationship between the design of the instrument and the sound it produces. With this knowledge you will never look at a harp again in the same way. This course provides an excellent starting point for those wishing to take their harp playing to a professional level. DEPOSIT: A £350 DEPOSIT MUST BE PAID WHEN BOOKING. Places will be allocated on receipt of deposit. Payment of deposit strictly by 31st July 2019 will enable the luthier to prepare the parts ready for you when you attend the workshop in October. The final payment of £350 must be made by 15th October 2019. CLASS: The course can accommodate a maximum of 6 adults, aged 18 or over. Intending participants must ensure that they can attend for all 6 days in order to complete the harp. Only one instrument per participant is to be made during the course. For health and safety reasons it is not possible to have children in the workrooms. HOW TO BOOK: Complete the Booking Form available on the website: www.harponwight.co.uk or contact annasacchini@btinternet.com or telephone Vic King +44(0)1983 730930. Please book early to avoid disappointment. Born in 1971, Sylvestre Charbin is a self-taught musician. From an early age he loved to work with wood. After graduating with a Master’s degree in cell biology at the University of Rennes, he returned to his first love and in the 1990s began to make musical instruments, developing his particular interest at that time in the making of flutes. Sylvestre joined the CPFI (Centre du Patrimoine de la Facture Instrumentale) in 1999. CPFI is an organization set up to collect music, musical instruments and musical know-how from artists world-wide, and share these with other artists and the wider public. Sylvestre was responsible for the care and repair of the Centre’s collection of 3,000 instruments, which are played and exhibited, and in constant need of attention. In 2016 Sylvestre set up his own harp making company. 29 30 Michelangelo Italian Restaurant is proud to support the Harp on Wight International Festival 2019 RYDE TOWN COUNCIL Harp on Wight wishes to express grateful appreciation to Ryde Town Council for its vision in supporting our mission to share the song of the harp with the people of Ryde and the Isle of Wight, and with all those who come from overseas to take part in our celebration of the harp and its music. Harp on Wight is now an international event. Together we have put Ryde on the world harp music map. Harp on Wight values highly Ryde Town Council’s support for our efforts through schools to catch the interest of young people and bring more young musicians into the harp family. MANY THANKS to RYDE TOWN COUNCIL from Harp on Wight International 31 Dorset House Hotel in Ryde, Isle of Wight is situated close to six miles of sandy beaches, Esplanade, Shopping Centre & Transport links. Ryde offers a range of restaurants, pubs, night clubs & other entertainment for all ages Dorset House Hotel Facilities include Residential Licence Bar Mostly en-suite bedrooms Some rooms with sea view Colour Television and hospitality tray Free car parking A fine breakfast is served in the attractively appointed Dining Room. From £32.00 per person per night. Special rates for coach parties/group bookings. Ferry Inclusive Packages can be arranged. www.thedorsethotel.co.uk 01983 564327 Dorset House Hotel 31 Dover Street Ryde Isle of Wight PO33 2BW The Olive Tree Restaurant at Busy Bee Garden Centre One of the Island's leading restaurants for day time catering featuring stylish home cooked food with the menu changing daily Considering a celebratory lunch? This is your ideal venue – chat to our chefs and together create your own menu. Fancy a fillet or would you just love a lobster? Nothing is too much trouble. 32 Spacious Airy Restaurant Easy Disabled Access, Free Parking Brading Rd, Ryde PO33 1QG 01983 811096 www.busybeegardencentre.co.uk TRAVELLING TO HARP ON WIGHT Wightlink Fastcat foot passenger ferry: Portsmouth Harbour Railway Station to Ryde Pier Head, 22 minutes Wightlink car and foot passenger ferry: Portsmouth Wightlink Car Ferry Terminal to Fishbourne, 45 minutes; Lymington Wightlink Car Ferry Terminal to Yarmouth, 40 minutes www.wightlink.co.uk, tel. 0333 999 7333 Hovertravel foot passenger Hovercraft: Portsmouth (Southsea) to Ryde, 10 minutes www.hovertravel.co.uk, tel. 01983 717700 Red Funnel car and foot passenger ferry: Southampton to East Cowes, 55-60 minutes Red Funnel Red Jet foot passenger ferry: Southampton to West Cowes, 25 minutes www.redfunnel.co.uk, tel. 0844 844 9988 Island buses to Ryde from Fishbourne, Cowes, Yarmouth Southern Vectis: www.islandbuses.info Tel. 01983 827000 Trains from London Waterloo to Portsmouth Harbour: www.southwesternrailway.com Trains from London Victoria to Portsmouth Harbour: www.southernrailway.com ACCOMMODATION Dorset House Hotel, 31 Dover Street, Ryde, PO33 2BW www.thedorsethotel.co.uk, 01983 564327 Also see: www.visitisleofwight.co.uk/explore/towns/ryde/placestostay CAR PARKS IN RYDE Victoria Street, Ryde PO33 2PU Lind Street, Ryde PO33 2NT St. Thomas Street, Ryde PO33 2DL Green Street, Ryde PO33 2QH Check the Isle of Wight Council website for parking information and tourist parking tickets: www.iwight.com/Visitors/Parking-and-Travel Also see: www.visitisleofwight.co.uk/travel/car-parking-and-car-parks 33 4 4 3 2 1 5 1 - Ryde Methodist Church (Concerts, Workshops, Talk, Harp Showroom, Festival Box Office) 2 - Quarr Abbey (Harp Making Workshop) 3 - Michelangelo Italian Restaurant (Harpcatcher, Info) 4 - Wightlink Ferries (Harp Angels) 5 - Dorset Hotel (Harpists' Headquarters) 34 Summary of Programme Contents Harp-themed Candlelit Dinner Concerts Biographies Festival at a Glance Workshops Harp Making Course Travel, Accommodation and Parking Map of Harp on Wight Venues p p p p p p p p 9 10 12 18 23 28 33 34 Festival Box Office, Ryde Methodist Church, Garfield Road, Ryde PO33 2PT Opening Hours Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday 26th 27th 28th 29th 30th October October October October October 09:15-17:00 10:00-17:00 11:30-17:00 10:00-17:00 10:00-17:00 Tickets for All Events from 01983 730930; www.wegottickets.com; vic007@btinternet.com; or the Festival Box Office A Season Ticket for all concerts and the talk is available at the price of £75 Harp on Wight 9 Whitwell Farm High Street Whitwell, Isle of Wight PO38 2PY www.harponwight 35 31,535? 59 1% 111mg gw?mwvos?wm??oobw