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The Celtic Harp |
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Aedan MacDonnell |
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What is It? Harps are the most ancient and
beautiful of the stringed instruments. Celtic harps pre-date the pedal or
concert harp, which was created specifically for orchestras, by over a
thousand years. The early harps in Ireland were strung with brass, and
in Wales, horse hair. Today these harps are strung mostly with nylon and
sometimes metal or gut. The harp Aedan performs with uses nylon strings. Why Use a Celtic Harp? The Celtic Harp can be carried,
therefore can go where a concert harp cannot. This beautiful instrument is
hand-crafted from fine hardwoods and makes a wonderful visual. Its
versatility and transportability make the Celtic Harp suitable for a variety
of occasions History The tradition of the early Celtic
harp can be traced over one thousand years but some of the earliest
representations of the harps were found sculpted in stone in Scotland dating
from the eighth or ninth century. Music was an important part of life in ancient
Ireland, and harpers were honored above all other musicians. In social
position the harper ranked at the top of the bó-aire class
of nobility. Early European writings span several
hundred years and occasionally reference music which is now lost. Polydore
Virgil, who lived in England the early the sixteenth century states
"...that the Irish practice music, and are eminently skilled in it. Their
performance, both vocal and instrumental is exquisite, but so bold and
impassioned, that it is amazing how they can observe the rules of their art
amidst such rapid evolutions of the fingers and vibrations of the voice: and
yet they do observe them to perfection." Because of their power in Ireland,
harpers in Ireland began to be harassed by the English Crown in the early
1500's and many were imprisoned as spies or executed. Queen Elizabeth issued
a proclamation to Lord Barrymore in Ireland to "Hang harpers, wherever
found, and destroy their instruments" in an attempt to gain control of
Ireland. At the same time, she was enjoying Irish dances performed at
her court in London by her harper. The power of the Irish princes was
eroded away by increasing pressure from the English. This ended the patronage
of Ireland's harpers toward the end of the sixteenth century. Harpers,
however, were not the only Irish treated with such hostility In an
attempt to gain control of Ireland, laws were enacted by the English Crown
making it illegal for the Irish to speak their language, own land, become
educated and marry. The penalty was death. Between 1650 and 1660 Oliver Cromwell
ordered the destruction of harps and organs. Harps were burned and harpers
were forbidden to congregate. Harpers and minstrels, who once entertained
kings, were reduced to traveling from place to place and begging a living
where they could. By the end of the 18th century
traditional Irish harpers were nearly extinct. To preserve the old
harping tradition, a festival was held in Belfast in July of 1792. All
Irish harpers were invited to come and play. Prizes were offered for the three
best, but no one was to go away empty-handed. Only ten Irish harpers and one
Welsh harper showed up. The youngest was a boy of 15 years; the oldest was
Denis Hempson, who was 97 years old. Hempson was the last of the old
harpers who played with the harp on his left shoulder and used his nails to
pluck the strings. In the late 18th century he was considered a relic of
another time who played tunes so old and forgotten that they were unfamiliar
to the other harpers. Hempson refused to play some of his tunes; "There
was no use in doing so, they were too hard to learn, they revived painful
recollections." The Celtic harp has experienced a new
popularity in the last few years. . |
