HARPS FOR HOPE
CRUIT Éireann/Harp Ireland presents Harps for Hope, a series of online harp concerts from more than 50 of Ireland’s leading harpers, to express togetherness and lend their voices to the fight against Covid-19.
Never was the saying ‘Ar scáth a chéile a mhairimid, we live in each other’s shadows’ more relevant than it is now. To date, the series includes music from a selection of leading harpers, including Laoise Kelly, Cormac de Barra, Tríona Marshall, Máire Ní Chathasigh, Siobhán Armstrong among others and will culminate with a 240-strong harp ensemble performance in June.
Bray musician and teacher Rachel Duffy is one of the list of illustrious musicians participating in Harps for Hope and performs the air ‘Amhrán na Leabhar’ alongside one of her own compositions ‘ The Gateway Slip Jig’. The piece was inspired by the landscape of Glendalough, home to an international synod of harpers in the 11th century. It was originally written for Music Generation Wicklow’s Rithim Orchestra, a Bray-based traditional ensemble comprising 25 talented young musicians.
Rachel is a third-year doctoral student at Trinity, exploring the transformation of the Irish harp tradition in the later 20th century. She teaches the harp locally through the Bray branch of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann.
‘It is a pleasure to be a part of Cruit Éireann’s Harps for Hope series amidst a wonderful selection of harpers from across the country,’ said Rachel. ‘It’s also very exciting to have 10 of my students from the Bray Comhaltas Harp Ensemble involved in the final performance, showcasing the growing harp tradition here in Wicklow.’
‘Over the past year, people have highlighted to us how connected they feel to the sound of the harp; how it calms them, comforts them and enhances their sense of national identity,’ said Aibhlín McCrann, chair of Cruit Éireann/ Harp Ireland. ‘We were struck by the depth of emotion and resonance that Irish harp holds for so many people when it was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity last year.
‘Undoubtedly, Ireland’s national instrument enjoys a unique place in Irish musical and cultural life and that is a tribute to the steadfast dedication of harpers, teachers, harp students and our supporters nationally and internationally.’
The full series of videos is available at harpireland.ie. The introductory track on each of these videos is ‘An Cruitire ‘from the ‘Spirit of Laois’ suite composed by harper-composer, Michael Rooney and performed by Siobhán Buckley.