| HARP |
| The harp is the famous stringed instrument that is almost immediately associated with Ireland. An older version of the Irish flag featured a harp on a solid green background, thus showing the harp's place as a national instrument. Although it has experienced a time where it was not commonly played, it is currently enjoying a lovely revival in mainstream Celtic music. The soft and gentle strains of the harp are easily lost in the ever-popular reels and jigs, but it still holds a special place in the delicate airs and ballads of traditional song. It may be played solo, but most frequently it accompanies a single female singer. Sometimes it is played alongside the fiddle in slower airs and songs. The most famous harp in Ireland is at Trinity College in Dublin. It boasts the claim of being the oldest harp in Ireland and is called the "Brian Boru" harp. Brian Boru was a famous High King of Ireland, and the harp is reputed to have belonged to him. Whether or not he was a harpist himself remains to be known! |
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| Copyright 2001 by M. Mackery |