Harp On Wight
Editorials
2022
The opening Friday night concert of the ninth annual Harp on Wight International Festival featured a performance by Eira Lynn Jones and the Labyrinth Harp Ensemble - Andi Myles-Wright, Maureen O'Sullivan, Phoebe Mc Kernon and Celia Bouch.- a group from different walks of life, mentored online by Eira - and with a passion for all things harp. This was their first public performance and a highlight of the concert was William Alwyn's 'Crepuscule', performed by Andi Myles -Wright.
Leading young UK harpists Huw Boucher and Heather Brooks took part in the traditional Saturday afternoon Performance Platform concert , Huw's intentional crashing of pedals and slapping the soundboard being a memorable feature of his performance.
Tristan Le Govic from Brittany gave the Saturday evening concert, performing modern Breton music with real rhythm and harmony.. Tristan's cd's sales afterwards reflected a much enjoyed concert. Tristan decided to extend his stay at the festival as he was really enjoying the atmosphere and the company of musicians and live music.
Eira Lynn returned for the Sunday afternoon concert by an impromptu ensemble made up of students that she had been teaching in an ensemble workshop at the festival. They performed the ensemble piece 'The Enchanted Forest', which is based on a Welsh legend. This was the first public performance of the piece , which was written by Eira during lockdown. Eira was keen to give the participants the experience of playing in an orchestra which involved much counting in.
The performance of Aisling Lyons on the Sunday evening drew heavily on the many influences of music from her native County Clare , full of jigs and reels , some played on the concertina.
Fran Barsby gave a very tuneful and accessible one hour concert on the Monday afternoon, vey much appreciated by the audience. She demonstrated the wide range of music available for both lever and pedal harp, from Debussy's 'Clair de Lune' and Einaudi's 'Le Onde' to modern pop music and the use of a looper.
The Monday evening concert by Spanish Flamenco harpist Ana Crisman proved to be very popular, with dramatic Flamenco flourishes, and again much slapping of the soundboard. As Ana explained, she had been brought up with this music from childhood on guitar, bit it was a totally new direction to transcribe the music to the harp.
Alexander Rider's lectures, combined with live performance, are always informative and entertaining, and on the Tuesday afternoon he performed on his beautiful early 20th century pedal harp. and spoke of and played the music of Micheline Khan (1889-1977) - a celebrated French harpist , including Faure's 'Une Chatelaine en sa tour op. 110' which was especially written for Micheline.
Fittingly, it was left to Catrin Finch to give the closing concert, entitled 'The Story So Far' - a career retrospective. Catrin talked about her previous role as the First Official Harpist to HRH The Prince of Wales after the post was revived. Highlights of her concert were a beautiful rendition of a difficult piece , Hasselman's 'The Source' which she had learnt as a young student, and 'The Fly', a humorous piece given to her by an American friend.
As always, the overall strength of the festival was the consistently high quality of the workshops and concerts, and the festival can now look forward to celebrating it's tenth anniversary at the end of October.
Leading young UK harpists Huw Boucher and Heather Brooks took part in the traditional Saturday afternoon Performance Platform concert , Huw's intentional crashing of pedals and slapping the soundboard being a memorable feature of his performance.
Tristan Le Govic from Brittany gave the Saturday evening concert, performing modern Breton music with real rhythm and harmony.. Tristan's cd's sales afterwards reflected a much enjoyed concert. Tristan decided to extend his stay at the festival as he was really enjoying the atmosphere and the company of musicians and live music.
Eira Lynn returned for the Sunday afternoon concert by an impromptu ensemble made up of students that she had been teaching in an ensemble workshop at the festival. They performed the ensemble piece 'The Enchanted Forest', which is based on a Welsh legend. This was the first public performance of the piece , which was written by Eira during lockdown. Eira was keen to give the participants the experience of playing in an orchestra which involved much counting in.
The performance of Aisling Lyons on the Sunday evening drew heavily on the many influences of music from her native County Clare , full of jigs and reels , some played on the concertina.
Fran Barsby gave a very tuneful and accessible one hour concert on the Monday afternoon, vey much appreciated by the audience. She demonstrated the wide range of music available for both lever and pedal harp, from Debussy's 'Clair de Lune' and Einaudi's 'Le Onde' to modern pop music and the use of a looper.
The Monday evening concert by Spanish Flamenco harpist Ana Crisman proved to be very popular, with dramatic Flamenco flourishes, and again much slapping of the soundboard. As Ana explained, she had been brought up with this music from childhood on guitar, bit it was a totally new direction to transcribe the music to the harp.
Alexander Rider's lectures, combined with live performance, are always informative and entertaining, and on the Tuesday afternoon he performed on his beautiful early 20th century pedal harp. and spoke of and played the music of Micheline Khan (1889-1977) - a celebrated French harpist , including Faure's 'Une Chatelaine en sa tour op. 110' which was especially written for Micheline.
Fittingly, it was left to Catrin Finch to give the closing concert, entitled 'The Story So Far' - a career retrospective. Catrin talked about her previous role as the First Official Harpist to HRH The Prince of Wales after the post was revived. Highlights of her concert were a beautiful rendition of a difficult piece , Hasselman's 'The Source' which she had learnt as a young student, and 'The Fly', a humorous piece given to her by an American friend.
As always, the overall strength of the festival was the consistently high quality of the workshops and concerts, and the festival can now look forward to celebrating it's tenth anniversary at the end of October.
2021
After becoming an onlline event in 2020 due to Coronavirus, the Harp on Wight Internnational Festival made a welcome return to live performances during October.
There four days of concerts and teaching workshops at Ryde Methodist Church - the first live harp festival to be held in the UK for two years.
Following the traditional harp-themed dinner at Michelangelo's Restaurant on Thursday, 21st there was s spectacular solld out opening concert at the Church the following evening. It featured the Festival's Patron Anne Denholm who joined forces with the thirty-strong Voices of the Isle of Wight Choir conducted by Linda Filby-Borrett to give the event an uplifting start, concluded by a rousing version of the English traditional song. 'Dashing Away With The Smoothing Iron'.
Leading young harpists Tara Viscardi from Ireland and Maria Mc Namee from Northen Ireland performed in the traditional Saturday afternoon Performance Platform concert. Maria performed some complex and delicate pieces , including 'Rhapsodie pour la harpe' by Marcel Grandjany. A lovely gentle version of Gabriel Verdalle's 'Impromtu no 2' stood out in Tara's programme.
Lauren Scott gave a delightfuly intricate Saturday evening concert on lever harp. Lauren's own composition 'The Leaping Salmon' and Monika Stadler's 'Away For A While' were highlights of the first half , with 'Be Thou My Vision' and 'Across The Universe' impressing in the second half. Lauren was joined by Anne Denholm for her encore piece.
Alexander Rider's Sunday afrernoon concert of music by French composers , played on an original Erhard pedal harp was both engaging and informative as he gave detailed explanations about each piece.
Scottish harpist Catriona Mc Kay gave an immaculate Sunday evening concert which maintained the festival's reputation for performances of a very high standard. She began with a suite of music from her 'Love In Secret' album , recorded during the first lockdown of 2020 - a lovely deep but delicate sound. The speed and dexterity of Catriona's playing is mesmeric. A great concet had a fitting ending with the encore 'Swan LK243' - Catriona's well-known composition is an absolute harp classic.
The students who had taken part in Lauren Scott's workshop gave a concert on the Monday afternoon, together with Lauren and Alexander,
The festival concluded with another top performance by Anne-Marie O'Farrell from Ireland with a wide repertoire ranging from Bach cello suites transcribed for lever harp in the first half to the Welsh tune 'Rising of The Lark' and the jig 'Gander In The Pratie Hole' in the second , all played with great technical ability , with lever changes at dazzling speed.
Festival Secretary Vic King said "The concerts are workshops were well attended ,,and we were very pleased with how our eighth festival went, especially given the current circunstances."
Speaking after the event, Festival Director Anna Sacchini spoke of a real depth to the concerts which she felt went beyond just the actual music itself.
There four days of concerts and teaching workshops at Ryde Methodist Church - the first live harp festival to be held in the UK for two years.
Following the traditional harp-themed dinner at Michelangelo's Restaurant on Thursday, 21st there was s spectacular solld out opening concert at the Church the following evening. It featured the Festival's Patron Anne Denholm who joined forces with the thirty-strong Voices of the Isle of Wight Choir conducted by Linda Filby-Borrett to give the event an uplifting start, concluded by a rousing version of the English traditional song. 'Dashing Away With The Smoothing Iron'.
Leading young harpists Tara Viscardi from Ireland and Maria Mc Namee from Northen Ireland performed in the traditional Saturday afternoon Performance Platform concert. Maria performed some complex and delicate pieces , including 'Rhapsodie pour la harpe' by Marcel Grandjany. A lovely gentle version of Gabriel Verdalle's 'Impromtu no 2' stood out in Tara's programme.
Lauren Scott gave a delightfuly intricate Saturday evening concert on lever harp. Lauren's own composition 'The Leaping Salmon' and Monika Stadler's 'Away For A While' were highlights of the first half , with 'Be Thou My Vision' and 'Across The Universe' impressing in the second half. Lauren was joined by Anne Denholm for her encore piece.
Alexander Rider's Sunday afrernoon concert of music by French composers , played on an original Erhard pedal harp was both engaging and informative as he gave detailed explanations about each piece.
Scottish harpist Catriona Mc Kay gave an immaculate Sunday evening concert which maintained the festival's reputation for performances of a very high standard. She began with a suite of music from her 'Love In Secret' album , recorded during the first lockdown of 2020 - a lovely deep but delicate sound. The speed and dexterity of Catriona's playing is mesmeric. A great concet had a fitting ending with the encore 'Swan LK243' - Catriona's well-known composition is an absolute harp classic.
The students who had taken part in Lauren Scott's workshop gave a concert on the Monday afternoon, together with Lauren and Alexander,
The festival concluded with another top performance by Anne-Marie O'Farrell from Ireland with a wide repertoire ranging from Bach cello suites transcribed for lever harp in the first half to the Welsh tune 'Rising of The Lark' and the jig 'Gander In The Pratie Hole' in the second , all played with great technical ability , with lever changes at dazzling speed.
Festival Secretary Vic King said "The concerts are workshops were well attended ,,and we were very pleased with how our eighth festival went, especially given the current circunstances."
Speaking after the event, Festival Director Anna Sacchini spoke of a real depth to the concerts which she felt went beyond just the actual music itself.
2019
Since it began in 2014, the hallmark of the annual Harp on Wight festivals has always been the very high standard of both concerts and teaching workshops. and the 2019 event certainly maintained that very high level of quality.
It proved to be an inspired decision by the organizers to build a link with a Conservatoire for the first time. Eira Lynn Jones from the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester was invited to perform in the opening concert together with an ensemble of four of her students, and then also to lead a mixed abilities workshop entitled 'Flying with the Birds' which led to a further heart warming performance on the Sunday afternoon given by Eira and the workshop participants.
Reverting back to the opening concert, Eira's solo performance included a new work by Anne Appleby entitled 'Knocking' and Charlotte Petersen ( the poem 'Invisible Wire'). The Ensemble featured a graphic score by Catherine Kontz- Yaxley, lyrical work by Monika Stadler (the poem 'Invisible Wire'. The Ensemble featured a graphic score by Catherine Kontz-Yaxley, and a raga by Caroline Lizotte. It is a tradition of the festival for the Saturday afternoon concert to provide a performance platform to the winner and runner-up from the Camac Competition held at the North London Festival earlier in the year. The festival `is very grateful for the support given to this concert by the UK Harp Association. Welsh harpist Mared Pugh Evans contemplative pieces included Sonata In A Major by Scarlatti and Rhapsodie by Grandjany, whilst Italy's Claudia Lamanna concluded her performance with an extremely elegant interpretation of Carlos Salzedo's 'Variation on a theme in the ancient style'.
The highlight of Ailie Robertson's outstanding Saturday evening concert was a sublime version of 'Little Bird' from her 2018 Celtic
Connections Festival New Voices commission which incorporated a choir effect on the Camac Ulysee electro-harp. Her performance showcased the full range of the instrument and included a variation on the Irish reel 'The Black Hole', foot-tapping polkas, a Norwegian tune and a lullaby as an encore.
Grainne Hambly's Sunday evening concert was surprisingly the first ever by an Irish harpist in the six year history of the festival. It was an entrancing display of Irish music, including a spellbinding version of O'Carolan's 'Eleanor Plunkett', some fluid Willie Clancy finger jigs and a jaunty Junior Cregan hornpipe, all interspersed with interesting introductions about the history behind the pieces.
On the Monday afternoon, the Festival's Patron Anne Denholm gave a very informative illustrated talk documenting the development of the pedal harp, including some short sections that she played on the harp.
Austria's Monika Stadler's Monday evening concert was superb, and arguably one of three best ever concert in the festival's history.
Mesmeric flowing playing with outstanding technical brilliance. Highlights were many, including the light and jazzy 'Away For A While', 'Tango del Pasdo' which reflected on the time that Monika spent recently in Wales, and 'Tomorrow' - a happy, joyful piece, usually performed with a kora player.
Isle of Wight music teacher Helen Hankey and cellist Anneleis Scott maintained the high standard with their Tuesday afternoon concert included a striking 'Fire Dance' and two Bach pieces.
It was then left to the Harp and Hang duo of Marianne Gubri on pedal and electro-harp and Paolo Borghi on hang drum to bring a blissful conclusion to a memorable festival. The resonance between their instruments is beautiful., the Celtic-inspired 'Aquamarine' being one of many highlights. It was a relaxing and fitting way to finish the event.
It was evident to see why the festival added the word 'International' to it's title. The programming was spot on, and Lucia Para's striking artwork on the programme cover and posters very much reflected the friendly and welcoming atmosphere of the festival. There will be much to look forward to in 2020.
It proved to be an inspired decision by the organizers to build a link with a Conservatoire for the first time. Eira Lynn Jones from the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester was invited to perform in the opening concert together with an ensemble of four of her students, and then also to lead a mixed abilities workshop entitled 'Flying with the Birds' which led to a further heart warming performance on the Sunday afternoon given by Eira and the workshop participants.
Reverting back to the opening concert, Eira's solo performance included a new work by Anne Appleby entitled 'Knocking' and Charlotte Petersen ( the poem 'Invisible Wire'). The Ensemble featured a graphic score by Catherine Kontz- Yaxley, lyrical work by Monika Stadler (the poem 'Invisible Wire'. The Ensemble featured a graphic score by Catherine Kontz-Yaxley, and a raga by Caroline Lizotte. It is a tradition of the festival for the Saturday afternoon concert to provide a performance platform to the winner and runner-up from the Camac Competition held at the North London Festival earlier in the year. The festival `is very grateful for the support given to this concert by the UK Harp Association. Welsh harpist Mared Pugh Evans contemplative pieces included Sonata In A Major by Scarlatti and Rhapsodie by Grandjany, whilst Italy's Claudia Lamanna concluded her performance with an extremely elegant interpretation of Carlos Salzedo's 'Variation on a theme in the ancient style'.
The highlight of Ailie Robertson's outstanding Saturday evening concert was a sublime version of 'Little Bird' from her 2018 Celtic
Connections Festival New Voices commission which incorporated a choir effect on the Camac Ulysee electro-harp. Her performance showcased the full range of the instrument and included a variation on the Irish reel 'The Black Hole', foot-tapping polkas, a Norwegian tune and a lullaby as an encore.
Grainne Hambly's Sunday evening concert was surprisingly the first ever by an Irish harpist in the six year history of the festival. It was an entrancing display of Irish music, including a spellbinding version of O'Carolan's 'Eleanor Plunkett', some fluid Willie Clancy finger jigs and a jaunty Junior Cregan hornpipe, all interspersed with interesting introductions about the history behind the pieces.
On the Monday afternoon, the Festival's Patron Anne Denholm gave a very informative illustrated talk documenting the development of the pedal harp, including some short sections that she played on the harp.
Austria's Monika Stadler's Monday evening concert was superb, and arguably one of three best ever concert in the festival's history.
Mesmeric flowing playing with outstanding technical brilliance. Highlights were many, including the light and jazzy 'Away For A While', 'Tango del Pasdo' which reflected on the time that Monika spent recently in Wales, and 'Tomorrow' - a happy, joyful piece, usually performed with a kora player.
Isle of Wight music teacher Helen Hankey and cellist Anneleis Scott maintained the high standard with their Tuesday afternoon concert included a striking 'Fire Dance' and two Bach pieces.
It was then left to the Harp and Hang duo of Marianne Gubri on pedal and electro-harp and Paolo Borghi on hang drum to bring a blissful conclusion to a memorable festival. The resonance between their instruments is beautiful., the Celtic-inspired 'Aquamarine' being one of many highlights. It was a relaxing and fitting way to finish the event.
It was evident to see why the festival added the word 'International' to it's title. The programming was spot on, and Lucia Para's striking artwork on the programme cover and posters very much reflected the friendly and welcoming atmosphere of the festival. There will be much to look forward to in 2020.
2018
Harp on Wight celebrated their fifth birthday in triumphant fashion with a series of dazzling and well attended concerts across a myriad of styles and very informative teaching workshops.
After the traditional Thursday night harp-themed dinner at Michelangelo's Restaurant in Ryde where the harpist was Bethan Watson from Wales, the concert programme began the following evening on Friday 26th at All Saints' Church.
After a welcoming speech by the Mayor of Ryde Councillor Malcom Ross, harpist and judge Fran Barsby began by announcing - and then performing - the winning pieces in the festival's 2018 composition competition to compose a new piece of music for the harp on the theme of a mystical journey.
The senior competition winner was Mera Royle from the Isle of Man and the jnior competition winner was Megan Collyer.
There then followed a concert by the contemporary quartet The Hermes Experiment featuring Harp on Wight's Patron Anne Denholm on harp. It was fascinating to see how the ensemble de-constructed Bach Preludes and then re-built them in an innovative way using soprano Heloise Warner's voice as an added insrument to the harp, clarinet and double bass.
The Saturday afternoon Performance Platform concert is always a popular feature of the festival. It provides an opportunity for the winner and runner-up in the prestigous competition organized in the North London Festival in May by the French harp makers Camac to paly at Harp on Wight. This year saw two performances by students from the Royal Academy of Music in London - Milo Harper, from the UK, and Nicolette Chin from Singapore (also last years runner-up). The technical prowess of the two harpists is always an outstanding feature of these concerts. Nicilette gave an atmospheric rendition of Le Jardin Mouille (The Moist Garden) by Fresle , whilst an entertaining aspect of Milo's excellent playing was the harp imitating the sound of a woodpecker tapping on wood in Le-Tic-Toc-Choc au Les Maillotins by Couperin.
A standout highlight of the festival was the peerless performance by American harpist Lily Neill in the Saturday evening concert.. Lily is popular with Island audiences having played here seven times prior to the festival, and she took the capacity audience on a real international journey, performing pieces from Finland, Irish tunes by O'Carolan, American ragtime and even early music written by William Byrd. It was beautifully sensitive and one of the best ever concerts in the festival's history.
Dutch harpist Anouk Platenkamp delivered a restful and relaxing hour of European music and songs on Sunday afternoon, before a major departure for the festival in the evening to celebrate their fifth birthday. Pandit Budhaditya Mukherjee from India is arguably the best sitar player in the world. He was joined by table player Soumen Nandy and together they delivered a breath taking show. The intensity and speed of the playing - together with the wonderful empathy between the two musicians - was amazing to witness. They only played one complete piece the first half - Raga Shyam Kalyan - and two in the second but they received a deserved standing ovation at the end of each half.
Brittany harpist Nikolaz Cadoret - making only his second UK appearance - maintained the very high standard in the Monday evening concert. In the first half he played acoustic lever harp with some lively Breton dance tunes, longer jazzier pieces with dramatic flourishes and a beautifully sensitive Breton lament.
In complete contrast, in the second half he played the electro-harp and incorporated a range of looping effects with lots of delay and sustain. The looped notes echoed around the Methodist Church, producing an out-of-this-world effect. Nikolaz certainly takes the harp into new unexplored territory.
Tuesday saw the two final concerts. Island harpists presented 'The Magic Island' during the afternoon - a happy hour-long combination of music and storytelling for all who are children at heart.
It was then left to Paraguayan brothers Sixto and Juanjo Corbalan to close the festival. They had received a standing ovation on their last visit to Ryde two years ago and another awaited here. As well as traditional Paraguayan tunes, there lots of longer stretched out jazzier pieces, played with a colourful and resonant Latin American flourish. Again, there was great understanding between the two brothers in their rapid and rhythmic playing as they attacked their harps with great passion.
Finally, throughout the five days, the exhibition of harps in the Methodist Church made by national manufacturers was a popular feature.
Over the five years the festival has built a respected reputation for bringing together a diverse range of outstanding international harpists .
This years concert programme was probably the strongest yet in that respect.
Festival Secretary Vic King said "We were delighted with how everything went."
After the traditional Thursday night harp-themed dinner at Michelangelo's Restaurant in Ryde where the harpist was Bethan Watson from Wales, the concert programme began the following evening on Friday 26th at All Saints' Church.
After a welcoming speech by the Mayor of Ryde Councillor Malcom Ross, harpist and judge Fran Barsby began by announcing - and then performing - the winning pieces in the festival's 2018 composition competition to compose a new piece of music for the harp on the theme of a mystical journey.
The senior competition winner was Mera Royle from the Isle of Man and the jnior competition winner was Megan Collyer.
There then followed a concert by the contemporary quartet The Hermes Experiment featuring Harp on Wight's Patron Anne Denholm on harp. It was fascinating to see how the ensemble de-constructed Bach Preludes and then re-built them in an innovative way using soprano Heloise Warner's voice as an added insrument to the harp, clarinet and double bass.
The Saturday afternoon Performance Platform concert is always a popular feature of the festival. It provides an opportunity for the winner and runner-up in the prestigous competition organized in the North London Festival in May by the French harp makers Camac to paly at Harp on Wight. This year saw two performances by students from the Royal Academy of Music in London - Milo Harper, from the UK, and Nicolette Chin from Singapore (also last years runner-up). The technical prowess of the two harpists is always an outstanding feature of these concerts. Nicilette gave an atmospheric rendition of Le Jardin Mouille (The Moist Garden) by Fresle , whilst an entertaining aspect of Milo's excellent playing was the harp imitating the sound of a woodpecker tapping on wood in Le-Tic-Toc-Choc au Les Maillotins by Couperin.
A standout highlight of the festival was the peerless performance by American harpist Lily Neill in the Saturday evening concert.. Lily is popular with Island audiences having played here seven times prior to the festival, and she took the capacity audience on a real international journey, performing pieces from Finland, Irish tunes by O'Carolan, American ragtime and even early music written by William Byrd. It was beautifully sensitive and one of the best ever concerts in the festival's history.
Dutch harpist Anouk Platenkamp delivered a restful and relaxing hour of European music and songs on Sunday afternoon, before a major departure for the festival in the evening to celebrate their fifth birthday. Pandit Budhaditya Mukherjee from India is arguably the best sitar player in the world. He was joined by table player Soumen Nandy and together they delivered a breath taking show. The intensity and speed of the playing - together with the wonderful empathy between the two musicians - was amazing to witness. They only played one complete piece the first half - Raga Shyam Kalyan - and two in the second but they received a deserved standing ovation at the end of each half.
Brittany harpist Nikolaz Cadoret - making only his second UK appearance - maintained the very high standard in the Monday evening concert. In the first half he played acoustic lever harp with some lively Breton dance tunes, longer jazzier pieces with dramatic flourishes and a beautifully sensitive Breton lament.
In complete contrast, in the second half he played the electro-harp and incorporated a range of looping effects with lots of delay and sustain. The looped notes echoed around the Methodist Church, producing an out-of-this-world effect. Nikolaz certainly takes the harp into new unexplored territory.
Tuesday saw the two final concerts. Island harpists presented 'The Magic Island' during the afternoon - a happy hour-long combination of music and storytelling for all who are children at heart.
It was then left to Paraguayan brothers Sixto and Juanjo Corbalan to close the festival. They had received a standing ovation on their last visit to Ryde two years ago and another awaited here. As well as traditional Paraguayan tunes, there lots of longer stretched out jazzier pieces, played with a colourful and resonant Latin American flourish. Again, there was great understanding between the two brothers in their rapid and rhythmic playing as they attacked their harps with great passion.
Finally, throughout the five days, the exhibition of harps in the Methodist Church made by national manufacturers was a popular feature.
Over the five years the festival has built a respected reputation for bringing together a diverse range of outstanding international harpists .
This years concert programme was probably the strongest yet in that respect.
Festival Secretary Vic King said "We were delighted with how everything went."
2017
The fourth Harp on Wight Festival concluded on Tuesday, October 24th. Since it began in 2014, the festival has rapidly gained a reputation for delivering very high quality concerts covering the full range of the harp spectrum. Some world class performances at this year's event have enhanced that reputation.
After the previous night's pre-festival dinner at Michelangelo Restaurant, the first concert took place on Friday 20th at All Saints' Church in Ryde and featured the festival's recently-appointed Patron Anne Denholm who is Official Harpist to HRH The Prince of Wales. In an elegant performance, Anne's fourth piece was an intriguing folk elegy written for a shepherd by the French composer Bernard Andres which included a 'storm' element - very fitting for the following day - which reprised the full range of the 'box of tricks' at the harpist's disposal.
Maintaining the classical theme, the audience who braved the high winds and heavy showers of Storm Brian to turn out for the Saturday afternoon concert were rewarded by witnessing performances by two leading young international harpists. The final piece by Nicolette Chin from Singapore was the delightful 'Rhapsodie' by Marcel Grandjany, while Noelia Cotuna finished with a lively and spirited 'Granada' which conveyed the atmosphere of her native Spain. At the beginning of this concert judge Fran Barsby announced and performed the winning pieces in the festival's Senior and Junior competitions to compose a new piece of music for the harp.
The Saturday evening concert at Ryde Methodist Church by Italian harpist Adriano Sangineto was arguably the best performance in Harp on Wight's four year history. It included a jaunty traditional Breton song and another lovely rhythmic French tune. An entertaining second half medley of tunes, included 'Yesterday', 'Twist and Shout', 'Mamma Mia' and 'Billie Jean'. Other harp players at the festival - Ben Creighton Griffiths, Bethan Watson, Tamsin Davies and Fran Barsby joined Adriano onstage for a rousing ensemble finale.
The extremely high standard was maintained for the remainder of the festival, with Scottish harp virtuoso Savourna Stevenson and saxophonist/flautist Steve Kettley delivering a spellbinding Sunday evening show. There were several Robert Louis Stevenson reference points. One piece was inspired by a trip that Stevenson took on a steamer to New York, while another, 'La Solitude', was named after the house in France that the novelist lived in. There was excellent subtle interplay and balance between the instruments.
Monday evening saw the first Harp on Wight appearance of the delightful Welsh triple harp played by the masterful Robin Huw Bowen. His performance featured gentle Welsh folk airs and lively gypsy hornpipes all played with consummate authority.
The closing day on Tuesday saw two very contrasting concerts. In the afternoon Netherlands' harpist Yolanthe Cornelisse gave a charming and intimate recital of pieces all inspired by the natural beauty of various locations on the Isle of Wight and The Lake District.
The final concert was an energetic and intense debut performance by jazz fusion trio Chube - Ben Creighton Griffiths on electro-acoustic harp and keyboards, Aeddan Williams on bass guitar and double bass and Matthew Williams on drums. They delivered long, slow building pieces with Ben demonstrating a wide range of pedal effects on the harp.
The concerts were just a part of the festival which also included teaching workshops, pop-up events featuring Island harpists Merlynna Johnson and Theresa Ellis, an exhibition of harps and a six day harp making course at Quarr Abbey led by Breton instrument maker Sylvestre Charbin.
The large number of UK mainland and international attendees at the concerts and workshops delighted the organisers.
"The festival reflected the varied colours of the harp rainbow. There were some unforgettable moments." summed up Festival Director Anna Sacchini.
The shades and colours at this event were so vivid that it must have been a double rainbow.
Vic King
After the previous night's pre-festival dinner at Michelangelo Restaurant, the first concert took place on Friday 20th at All Saints' Church in Ryde and featured the festival's recently-appointed Patron Anne Denholm who is Official Harpist to HRH The Prince of Wales. In an elegant performance, Anne's fourth piece was an intriguing folk elegy written for a shepherd by the French composer Bernard Andres which included a 'storm' element - very fitting for the following day - which reprised the full range of the 'box of tricks' at the harpist's disposal.
Maintaining the classical theme, the audience who braved the high winds and heavy showers of Storm Brian to turn out for the Saturday afternoon concert were rewarded by witnessing performances by two leading young international harpists. The final piece by Nicolette Chin from Singapore was the delightful 'Rhapsodie' by Marcel Grandjany, while Noelia Cotuna finished with a lively and spirited 'Granada' which conveyed the atmosphere of her native Spain. At the beginning of this concert judge Fran Barsby announced and performed the winning pieces in the festival's Senior and Junior competitions to compose a new piece of music for the harp.
The Saturday evening concert at Ryde Methodist Church by Italian harpist Adriano Sangineto was arguably the best performance in Harp on Wight's four year history. It included a jaunty traditional Breton song and another lovely rhythmic French tune. An entertaining second half medley of tunes, included 'Yesterday', 'Twist and Shout', 'Mamma Mia' and 'Billie Jean'. Other harp players at the festival - Ben Creighton Griffiths, Bethan Watson, Tamsin Davies and Fran Barsby joined Adriano onstage for a rousing ensemble finale.
The extremely high standard was maintained for the remainder of the festival, with Scottish harp virtuoso Savourna Stevenson and saxophonist/flautist Steve Kettley delivering a spellbinding Sunday evening show. There were several Robert Louis Stevenson reference points. One piece was inspired by a trip that Stevenson took on a steamer to New York, while another, 'La Solitude', was named after the house in France that the novelist lived in. There was excellent subtle interplay and balance between the instruments.
Monday evening saw the first Harp on Wight appearance of the delightful Welsh triple harp played by the masterful Robin Huw Bowen. His performance featured gentle Welsh folk airs and lively gypsy hornpipes all played with consummate authority.
The closing day on Tuesday saw two very contrasting concerts. In the afternoon Netherlands' harpist Yolanthe Cornelisse gave a charming and intimate recital of pieces all inspired by the natural beauty of various locations on the Isle of Wight and The Lake District.
The final concert was an energetic and intense debut performance by jazz fusion trio Chube - Ben Creighton Griffiths on electro-acoustic harp and keyboards, Aeddan Williams on bass guitar and double bass and Matthew Williams on drums. They delivered long, slow building pieces with Ben demonstrating a wide range of pedal effects on the harp.
The concerts were just a part of the festival which also included teaching workshops, pop-up events featuring Island harpists Merlynna Johnson and Theresa Ellis, an exhibition of harps and a six day harp making course at Quarr Abbey led by Breton instrument maker Sylvestre Charbin.
The large number of UK mainland and international attendees at the concerts and workshops delighted the organisers.
"The festival reflected the varied colours of the harp rainbow. There were some unforgettable moments." summed up Festival Director Anna Sacchini.
The shades and colours at this event were so vivid that it must have been a double rainbow.
Vic King
2016
The organisers were very pleased with the continued exceptional standard of musicianship at this year's festival.
The opening concert showcased trio Arpatagora exploring pieces where the harp seamlessly blends with violin and cello. 13 year old Thomas Luke of Cowes celebrated becoming a teenager in style by winning the 2016 composition prize, inspired by the “music of the trees”. His piece, ‘The Willow Tree’, was played for the audience and a surprised, but delighted Thomas, by Mike Parker.
Bill Taylor gave a fascinating concert of ancient Scottish music on Friday evening using two medieval harps. Music of the 16th and 17th century was expertly played in a gentle style where the resonance of the two instruments stood out.
On Saturday afternoon All Saints’ Church provided a backdrop for Richard Allen and Jia Peng – first and joint second in this year’s Camac competition at the North London Festival. Jia’s performance began with a striking version of Bach’s famous Toccata in D Minor, whilst Richard ‘s technical prowess shone through during his three delicately played pieces. Harp on Wight would like to express their thanks to the UK Harp Association for their support in arranging this concert.
Paraguayan harp master Ismael Ledesma thrilled the audience on Saturday evening with a dazzling and uplifting display of vibrant South American rhythms. The speed and dexterity of his technique greatly impressed as was evidenced by two encores and a standing ovation.
Alaskan harpist Cheyennne Brown – now based in Scotland – gave an exemplary performance of Celtic music on Sunday evening. With subtle accompaniment from Graham Muir on guitar, bass and clarinet, a feature of the concert was the beautiful, clear acoustic sound.
A new feature for the festival was a child-centred storytelling event entitled ‘Jack and the Lost Harps’ by Scotland’s Heather Yule. Heather gave two performances ending with an opportunity to come and try the harp at the end of each session.
A six day course to make a 22 string lap harp took place in the serene setting of Quarr Abbey under the direction of Brittany harp maker Sylvestre Charbin. The standard of craftsmanship was very high, a reflection of how this year’s festival will be remembered.
2015
The second Harp on Wight Festival concluded after six packed days of concerts, teaching courses, workshops, lectures and a popular showroom of harps made by leading national manufacturers.
The first event of the festival on Tuesday evening was a sell-out harp-themed dinner at Michelangelo’s Restaurant where Dutch harpist Marije Visjelaar played for the diners and was warmly received.
The opening concert was at Ryde School on Wednesday evening. After short welcoming speeches from the Mayor of Ryde Councillor Roi Milburn, and Simon Dabell, Chairman of Visit Isle of Wight, young harpists Clara Garde (France) and Zita Silva (Portugal) impressed with their virtuosity and technical prowess. Clara’s performance included playing the harp with a bow and striking it with a drumstick to produce unusual effects during ‘Feerie’ by Marcel Tournier. Clara and Zita were rewarded with a performance opportunity at the festival following their success in the 2015 CAMAC competition at the North London Festival.
The prize for the composition competition, to write a piece of music inspired by the sea was presented to Christopher Pickett. After performing Christopher’s winning entry, Mike Parker presented ‘History of the Harp – Part One’ both describing and playing a range of historic harps in his usual entertaining and informative style.
On Thursday evening Senegalese kora player Seckou Keita thrilled the audience at Ryde Methodist Church with a captivating and enthralling performance of instrumental pieces and songs, enhanced by images highlighting the theme of the inspiring music.
Classical harpist Keziah Thomas presented a programme of British harp music on Friday night under the appropriate title of ‘Crossing Waves’ and won many admirers with her engaging and informative introductions to the pieces. ‘Rondeau Turc’ by Stiebelt was beautifully played.
Two concerts took place on Saturday. Young Cardiff-based harpist Ben Creighton Griffiths created a real impression at All Saints’ Church in the afternoon with his selection of jazz music played on an electro-acoustic pedal harp. He chose pieces by Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock and Hoagy Carmichael, interspersed with Ben’s own inventive compositions, incorporating harp and keyboard effects which took the harp into new territory.
American Celtic harpist Kim Robertson’s Saturday evening concert at Ryde Methodist Church was full of lively jigs and hornpipes, together with more contemplative pieces, some with song. A real highlight came at the end of her performance when she was joined on stage by the Festival Director Anna Sacchini on sitar for a spellbinding version of ‘She Moved Through The Fair/ Tender Shepherd’.
The festival ended on Sunday evening with a concert by American harpist Christina Tourin, who is a world specialist in the field of harp therapy. Christina played some suitably calming pieces, some enhanced by visual projections. Kim Robertson joined her for a duo piece with the two harps chiming like bells. The second half included a large degree of audience involvement, with members encouraged to accompany Christina on harps and hand bells.
Vic King – one of the organising team – said “We are delighted with the progress that the festival is making in what is only our second year. There were good numbers attending the teaching courses and all the concerts were well supported. For me, the highlight was the extremely high quality of all the concerts across a very diverse range of styles”.
Festival Director Anna Sacchini concluded “It was a beautiful festival”.
2014
The first Harp on Wight Festival was hailed as a great success, both by those who attended the various concerts, lectures and teaching courses, and by the organising team.
Held in the seaside town of Ryde during the last week in November, the week long Festival concluded with an informal music session/ceilidh at St Mary’s Centre. Before the music started, the audience were able to see the harps made by students at a two day course during the Festival.
The winners of a competition to compose a new piece of music for the harp inspired by the Isle of Wight were also announced. Winner in the Under-16 age group was Matthew Brett with “Carisbrooke Cry”, whilst Theresa Ellis was successful in the Over-16 section with “Catch The Moon To Culver”. Mike Parker - such a popular figure during the Festival both as performer and educator - announced the winners before proceeding to play both of the winning pieces. Mike had earlier given a memorable performance in the Festival’s opening concert in which he played no less than nine different harps.
Other highlights were an uplifting Friday night concert by classical harp duo Arcangeli, and an illuminating and informative Saturday afternoon performance by violin and harp duo Frances Mason and Jenny Broome. The latter focused on the music of Clara and Marianne Eissler who performed twice on the Isle of Wight - at Ryde Town Hall in 1892, and for Queen Victoria at Osborne House in 1898.
Scottish duo Sileas enchanted the Saturday evening audience at Aspire, Ryde, with a heart-warming show of magical tunes and songs.
A real Festival highlight was the wonderful exhibition in the St Therese Hall at St. Mary’s by Morley Harps, Pilgrim and Affairs of the Harp which attracted considerable interest.
Audience numbers were good throughout the Festival which had a charming mix of elements to it - part folk festival, part classical recital and part Antiques Roadshow, given the considerable focus during the week to informing and educating the public about the instrument’s long, varied and colourful history.
Vic King - one of the organising team - concluded: “Putting any Festival together in the first year is always difficult, particularly when you are only focusing on a single instrument, but we were absolutely delighted with how the event went and the positive response that we had to it”.
For further information please visit http://www.harponwight.co.uk/ or telephone 01983 - 730930
