[bksvol-discuss] Re: harper's gift for Kim, Daria, Music lovers and all

  • From: "Kim Loftis" <kll2277@xxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Sat, 1 Sep 2012 15:30:45 -0400

Dear Lissi,

Oh, wow!!!  I'm so deeply touched by your beautiful post and your 
ever-so-thoughtful gift.  It was Celtic harp music that brought me to the harp 
in the first place, so I have no doubt that this beautiful book will serve as a 
continuous wellspring of inspiration as I travel this path as a beginning 
harpist.

Abundant gratitude to you and to Evan for making this available!!!  I'm deeply 
moved by your sharing, and will send you a personal note off-list in the next 
few days.  You definitely sound like a kindred spirit after my own heart.  
*smile*

Hugs and Thanks,



From: Estelnalissi 
Sent: Friday, August 31, 2012 10:04 PM
To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] harper's gift for Kim, Daria, Music lovers and all


  Dear Kim, Daria and Booksharian Friends,

  We read the glad news that you are the owners of new harps and are going to 
be taking lessons. Quickly Evan scanned, I proofread and Madelyn approved a 
book that we think you’ll love, our way of helping to support, to inspire and 
to get you off to a grand start.



  Playing Celtic harp in a group and with a harp partner was my joyous pleasure 
until I had to stop due to injury and illness. Harping was truly heavenly for 
me, the exercises, the practicing of technique and musical phrases, the tunes, 
the performing and the mystique of carrying on the musical traditions of 
Scotland, Ireland and Wales. I loved researching the sources of the music and 
weaving what I learned into my performances. When I became unable to play, 
Bookshare gave me a place to continue my exploration of all things Celtic from 
fact to fiction, from way back then until now. I still have what seems like 
mountains of Celtic related books to add to the collection, but the mention of 
your start on the difficult but extremely rewarding road to becoming harpers 
caused me to search out my very well read and loved copy of A Harp of Fishbones 
for you.



  This book has the blessing of Derek Bell, Harpist to the Chieftains. He was 
tremendously influential in reawakening interest in the Celtic Harp.  I cried 
the day he died and still miss his presence in the world of Celtic music. 
Missing the sweetness of his playing and the added authenticity of his 
contribution to their sound, the Chieftains often invited local harpists to 
join them in the cities where they played on tour. This participation has been 
a high point in the careers of fortunate harpers across the United States and 
elsewhere. It was a wonderful way to honor Bell’s mission to popularize and 
raise the Celtic harp worldwide. 



  So many of the people and places named in A Harp of Fishbones call to mind 
tunes I loved playing and hearing on the CDs in my Celtic music collection. 
Traditionally harp tunes are named for 1. People who sponsored the harpist, 2. 
Musicians from whom a harpist learned the tune, 3. The town or even the road 
where the tune was first heard or learned, and 4. The characters or historic 
events which inspired the tune. Harpers were often asked to commemorate 
relatives living, but usually dead, particularly fallen in battle, of a 
harper’s sponsor. Harpers were also purveyors of news which was best passed on 
in poetry or song in a culture where written language was rarely or never used. 
Surprisingly, British landowners whose ancestors invaded Ireland or who were 
gifted the land by British royalty, rendering the rightful owners homeless or 
making of them hapless renters, actually grew to love Ireland and were 
responsible for supporting harpers and preserving their legacy. 



  You have a world of musical discovery before you if you track down further 
information about the people, places and tales in A Harp of Fishbones. I like 
to call Turlough O’Carolan, the blind harper and composer of over 170 tunes, 
Ireland’s Mozart. His lovely works combine the Baroque music of the period with 
the traditional lilt of Celtic traditional music. You will find many recordings 
of various collections of his work. His story and that of several other known 
harpers is in this short book along with many folk tales.



  Here are the short and long synopses.



  27 tales of the small lap Harp over the centuries. They are primarily Irish 
and other European. They emphasize harp music’s power to entertain, uplift and 
even perform magic, particularly when there is love and dedication in the 
harper. A treasure for harpers, music lovers and everyone. Pictures are 
described.



  Complete Synopsis



  [from the back cover]

  “Twenty-seven tales of mystery, passion, intrigue and enchantment--discover 
the deadly outcome of Uaithne's prophecy, where Thady Elliot's love of whiskey 
led him, why the harp of the Dagda Mor fell silent, how O'Carolan was duped, 
and the cruel fate of the harper who burned his harp to keep his faithless 
lover warm.

  A collection of some of the most beautiful--and most powerful--Irish and 
European folk tales, fairytales, and legends to have been written on the theme 
of harping, along with colourful reminiscences of some of the great Irish 
harpers, explanatory commentaries, and a bold, iconoclastic introduction by the 
compiler, Russell Walton.

  "Harpers will love these stories, but this is not just a collection for 
connoisseurs, it will delight all kinds of readers, and touch anyone who has a 
feeling for music."

  Derek Bell Harper to the Chieftains

  These tales come to life when accompanied by the playing of and listening to 
Celtic and other folk harp music. They can be the foundation for the musician’s 
presentation of various kinds of tunes in performance. They will also inform 
and add depth to the listener’s appreciation of harp music. 



  Comments



  Is written with British spelling such as occurrence, civilisation and 
favourite. A large quantity of Gaelic names and words are used as well as words 
in several other languages like the African crwth. Antiquated languages are 
also used such as: dun, Thorskfjord, and courtesy for courtsey. All of this 
considerable amount of irregular spelling has been checked with the print copy 
of the book that was scanned.



  We are so fortunate to volunteer for Bookshare, an organization which 
encourages us to follow our passions to add any book of our choosing that isn’t 
already accurately rendered in the collection. We have the honor of not only 
adding to the collections numbers, but to its depth and diversity. We have the 
opportunity to make our bookish dreams and those of Bookshare’s membership, 
come true.



  May your harps always play in tune.



  Always with love



  Lissi

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