| Harp Stuff |
| This is quick summary of harp stuff, not very special or anything, just off the top of my head...just to help you slightly understand. The ancient Egyptians had harp thingies, but they were kind of weird and only had two sides, no forepillar. The first real harps (or at least some of the first) were Celtic. The soundbox was carved out of one piece of wood, and they were strung with wire strings, producing a bell-like ringing sound. The Celtic bards were very respected, but then the English people came and ruined their culture and that was that. They are known as wire-strung harps, clarsachs (various spellings coming from Irish and Scottish Gaelic), and Gaelic harps, I think, not to be confused with Celtic harps, which are just the small folk harps. Most people think of pedal harps, or concert harps, when people say harp. That's the humongo (think six feet for concert grand) kind people play, in orchestras and stuff like that. They are insanely expensive. Concert harps came from the Celtic harps, and the pedals are used to sharp or flat all the strings of a particular note. Recently-ish (like the forties? and the seventies), the Celtic harp has been revived, but it seems that most are nylon- or gut-strung, but still smallish like the ancient harps. There are also wirestrung harps, played by such musicans as Patrick Ball, Ann Heymann, and Cynthia Cathcart. Harp Links Wirestrung Info www.cynthiacathcart.net www.clarsach.net Harpmakers www.dreamsingerharps.com -- my harp came from here, affordable but lovely www.ardival.com -- historically accurate, I believe they are supposed to be good, and they're pretty www.harpanddragon.com -- will get exact link but they are cool harps www.magicalstrings.com Harp Music and Stuff Stores www.harpcenter.com -- Sylvia Wood's site, it has lots of stuff, and some wirestrung books and info www.folkharp.com -- Melody's Traditional Harp and Music Shoppe, very cool |