Comments

harp recordings

I'm looking for some recordings of Irish harp to send to a friend, but don't even know where to start. Does anyone know any good players/CDs out there for a beginning listener?

# Posted on June 21st 2006 by finster16

Re: harp recordings

Laoise Kelly has an album quite a few years now called "Just Harp". It's a great album (plays gut strung harp).

Paul Dooley also has an album but I'm not sure of the name - he plays a steel strung celtic harp- also a great player.

# Posted on June 21st 2006 by Shtrum

Re: harp recordings

Grainne Hambly's Between the Showers is quite lovely. She has others, too. Check out Billy Jackson as well.

The Chieftains did one called The Celtic Harp with the Irish Harp Orchestra, but it is not solo harp.

Sarah Marie Mullen (an American) has one called Luna's Fancy, which is also very nice.

# Posted on June 21st 2006 by Gaelic writer

Re: harp recordings

Grainne Yeats' "The Belfast Harp Festival" has both wire strung and gut/nylon strung which I like alot. It also has a few songs.

Derek Bell did several solo albums separate from the Chieftains.

Sue Richards has a number of albums with some nice arrangements.

# Posted on June 21st 2006 by rob zouk

Re: harp recordings

Anything with Michael Rooney. He and his wife, June McCormack (flute), have 2 recordings out together, "Draiocht" and "Land's End". Again, not solo harp, but harp and flute duet. He also did a recording with Oisin McDiarmud (sp.?) and a concertina player whose name escapes me at the moment. I believe you can find it on Teada's website.

# Posted on June 21st 2006 by Jason G

Re: harp recordings

Sileas
The Poozies
Harriet Earis
Maire ni Chathasaigh
Distant Oaks

I found a Sileas album in the local used bookstore and it is mindbogglingly good.

# Posted on June 21st 2006 by wormdiet

Re: harp recordings

Alain Stivell - Renaissance of the Celtic Harp
Packie Byrne and Bonnie Shaljean -harp and whistle and songs

# Posted on June 21st 2006 by Guernsey Pete

Re: harp recordings

the derek bell recordings are great -- also antoinette mckenna

# Posted on June 21st 2006 by gravelwalks

Re: harp recordings

Sileas is Scottish.

# Posted on June 21st 2006 by slainte

Re: harp recordings

Patrick Ball has several CDs of mostly O'Carolan tunes played on a wire-strung harp. One is called something like "The Music of Turlough O'Caroaln." Very nice.

# Posted on June 21st 2006 by Jiml

Re: harp recordings

Eithne Ní Dhonaile on the album An Tri is a Rian, along with Claire Keville and John Weir.

On Claddadh records I think.

# Posted on June 21st 2006 by On Sabbatical

Re: harp recordings

Cormac De Barra. I especially like his duets with his brother, Eamon, on flute.

http://cormac.debarra.net/index.html

# Posted on June 21st 2006 by Bob himself

Re: harp recordings

If you can wait another 4 weeks my solo harp album will be out! irish, scottish and original tunes ;)

www.rachelhair.com

www.myspace.com/rachelhair

# Posted on June 21st 2006 by rachrach

Re: harp recordings

Keep me in the loop, Rachel. :-)

I also have to agree with the Laoise Kelly suggestion.

Other suggestions: Melissa Morgan and Norland Wind (with Thomas Loefke). Norland Wind used to be kind of new-agey, but lately they seem to be doing more Irish and Norwegian trad and folk-rock. To me, this is a good thing. ;-)

# Posted on June 22nd 2006 by Drop_D_Chalupa

Re: harp recordings

Welsh harpist: Hilary Rushmer has several excellent well made albums.Derek Bell, Patrick Ball, Michelle Mulcahy with her family, Soloists Grainne Hambly, Laoise Kelly. Kathleen Loughnane (Galway) has two albums "Harping On" and "Affairs of the Harp" with her friends Alec Finn, Mary Bergin, Seamus Begley, Ringo McDonagh.

Stateside: Carol Thompson-Clarke,
Ann Heymann, Laurie Riley, Sue Richardson, Lynn Barnes.

There will be a folk harp conference in Big Sky, Montana in July 07

# Posted on June 25th 2006 by wvwhistler

Re: harp recordings

I forgot : Janet Harbison, Dir. Belfast Harp Orchestra will be teaching at Goderich (Canada) Festival July 06.
They have several recordings.

# Posted on June 25th 2006 by wvwhistler

Re: harp recordings

Siobham Armstrong would be a good place to start for wire harp.

Also Ann Heyman and Cynthia Cathcart are probably worth checking out.

For another angle, try Alain Stivel a breton wire harper.

Enjoy.

Reynold

# Posted on June 26th 2006 by ReynoldGreenleaf

Re: harp recordings

Does anyone have any info on Janet Harbison's "Irish Harp Orchestra"? There is very little on her site. Is it still as good as it was bac in the early 90's?

# Posted on July 8th 2008 by byheck