Harp showcase at Birnam
Birnam Arts has three very different styles of harp to offer visitors to a concert performed by Karen Marshalsay on Friday, November 8.
The first is an incredible‘buzzing’ medieval harp, with its own built-in amplification device.
The bray harp was designed to cut through the hubbub of dances and gatherings in castles during the fifteenth and sixteenth century.
Leading Scottish harp player Karen will be bringing this harp to entertain Birnam audiences on Friday, along with the modern gut-strung clarsach and the wire-strung harp from the Gaelic tradition.
“Harp players were the ceilidh band leaders of the day back in medieval times,”said Karen.
“And the bray harp was the instrument they played.
“Each string has a‘bray’- a small piece of wood - that makes a buzzing effect, not unlike the sitar. If you put that together with a crumhorn and a tabor, or hand drum, that would have been the band that people danced to.”
Karen, who has worked with some of traditional music’s foremost musicians, including singer- flautist Cathal McConnell of Boys of the Lough and piper Allan MacDonald, recently released her first solo album,‘The Road to Kennacraig’.
And on it, Karen plays all the harps featured and added whistle on one track.
All the music on the album is either traditional or written in the traditional style, with around half of the tunes being Karen’s own.
“I’ll be playing music from the album in Birnam,”she explained.
“I’ll also be talking a bit about the tunes and the harps because people seem fascinated by the instrument.” Karen’s concert is at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £12, £10 concessions and £5 under 26 and are available from www. birnamarts.com