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Just a few notes (pun intended!) about myself and my work.
I have been playing harp since my 50th birthday. Beats having a mid-life crisis! Mmy major joy in harp playing has been to play for patients at Holy Spirit Hospital in Camp Hill, PA, and to play in two local Catholic churches: St. Joseph's in Mechanicsburg, PA and St. Patrick's in Carlisle, PA. If you have questions about the harp, give me an e-mail at office@harpnfish.com
I established the Somerset Folk Harp Festival and served as the director from 2001 to 2008. The Festival will be held in 2010 - July 29 - Aug 2, 2010 - in Parsippany, NJ under the direction of Kathy De Angelo. See www.somersetharpfestival.com for details.
The logo on my hospital harp. The harp is a Thormahlen Serenade, and I chose the Blue Heron as a reminder of all the blue herons in my life - in the marshes near Rock Hall, MD, and on our ponds at our home near Carlisle, PA.
I LOVE what I do! Does it show?
I am never too busy to show an interested youngster that "ignorance is gliss!" Just set the levers in pentatonic mode and let 'er rip!
Thumbs up!
 My main performance harp - A Dusty Strings 36!
The little harp on the index page is also a Dusty Strings - an Allegro. I really like the little harp - it is so handy for traveling to workshops, and I plan to take it on the Harp Cruise
Thanks to Edie Elkan for sending me a printable version of Sioban. I hope my readers will be able to use it in this format. Words follow,
Hymn, O Mary of Graces
O Mary of Graces and mother of God
May I tread in the paths that the righteous have trod
And mayest thou save me from evil's control
And mayest thou save me in body and soul.
And mayest thou save me by land and by sea
And mayest thou save me from tortures to be
May the guard of the angels around me abide
May God be before me and God at my side.
May a smile of thy mercy from heaven come down
When my heart would leave thee and cleave to the ground
And when this poor body returns to its sod
May thy loving arms bear my soul to its God.
I don’t know who wrote this hymn. I learned it around fifth grade at St. Bernardine’s School in Baltimore, and I never forgot it. At the time I was in a children’s choir that sang Gregorian, and sometimes Ambrosian, chant, and I learned to love modal music. To me the sound was aetherial, and still is.
Here is another hymn, this one by Percy Dearmer. It is found in some Anglican hymnals (Oremus) and Catholic (WorshipII)
With Jesus for Hero, for teacher and friend,
The world to the purpose of God shall ascend:
We struggle and quarrel, but He brings release,
And shows us the way to His wisdom and peace.
His Kingdom is coming, God’s will shall be done,
And kindness and justice and peace shall be won;
Then learn we that gospel of love to obey,
Till Sickness and want and disputes pass away.
To God be the glory, to Christ be the praise
To God be our service, in Christ be our ways,
O Spirit eternal, in thee be our rest,
Beyond us, within us, our goal and our guest!
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