Clairseoiri na hEireann - The Harp Foundation is a registered charitable company encouraging and supporting all to do with the Irish harp throughout the world today.

Its membership enjoys access to a wide ranging programme of activities and facilities which are administered from a permanent Belfast office with a full time staff directed by Chief Executive, Janet Harbison.

The Harp Foundation's board of directors span all interests, cultural traditions and religious backgrounds in the community, and provide the ongoing energy and vision directing all the Foundation's activities.

Harp Foundation Festivals and Summerschools

These offer all harp players a total emersion in Irish music in the company of the tradition's leading exponents and tutors.

The Irish Harp Tradition

The Irish tradition is particularly special because of its ancient method of oral transmission, ie all teaching is done "by ear". This allows performers to be infinately creative and individualistic within the Irish style.

Because of its great history, Irish harping has a number of fairly distinct roles and repertoires. Originally, the harper provided music to accompany the recitation of heroic verse at the Celtic chieftain's court. After the dissolution of old Gaelic society, the harper became a wandering minstrel performing in the 'big houses' of the aristrocracy. Then, in the 19th century, the tradition evolved anew as Irish 'high society' played for its own entertainment.

In the early 1950s, the Irish harp featured prominently in popular Irish entertainments promoted heavily throughout the world in the tourism industry - and in the late 1960s, the American folk music revival had its response in Ireland with the 'rediscovery' of Irish folk music. All of these developments in the Irish harp story are characterised by particular playing styles and repertoires - all of which are addressed in our teaching.

Harp Teaching

In today's environment, the harp is universally taught in two ways.

• The Classical (European Art Music) tradition.
• The Irish 'Oral' tradition.

Both traditions will be found in Ireland.

The 'classical' system will be found espousing Concert harp techniques and using the limited resourse of published volumes of harp arrangements - all published only since the 1960s.

The Harp Foundation, maintains the ancient oral tradition and enjoys introducing classically trained musicians to the tradition. The greatest surprise is often just how easy it is to learn by this most natural of methods. Neither an acquaintance with the piano or the ability to read music is required. Our illustrious harp tradition has survived over 14 centuries in the oral tradition, and we proudly continue in that tradition.

Levels Taught

Tuition at all our harp schools caters for every standard from the absolute beginner to the advanced performer. Students will be placed with groups relative to their level of expertise and a number of harps are available to hire from the Harp Foundation's harp bank. Early booking is advised!

Harp Foundation Tutors

In 1984, Janet Harbison established annual Irish harp summerschools which have always and only promoted the native oral tradition which has persisted from historical times. The tradition was first passed to Janet from the famous Dublin harp teacher Mairin Ferriter who also taught such notables as Mary O'Hara, Kathleen Watkins and Dierdre O'Callaghan.

Janet was also emersed in the Irish rural folk music tradition and learned a great deal of the historical repertoire from uilleann pipers and many other respected instrumentalists in the living tradition. Coupled with her intimate acquaintance with various historical harp music collections, and particularly the Bunting Manuscripts dating from the 1790s, she has renewed and pioneered the oral tradition in the present generation. She is widely acknowledged as the most senior authority in teaching the traditional harp, its history and repertoire in Ireland today.

All the tutors in the Harp Foundation Summerschools programmes are amongst the most exciting exponents of traditional harping in Ireland today. All are leading and solo members of the Belfast Harp Orchestra and are members of the Irish National Harp Ensemble that achieved wide acclaim after their 4 month concert tour of the UK in 1996.

Tutors are qualified with the Traditional Music Teachers' Diploma, the TTCT espoused by the Dept of Education and by Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann, the central organisation promoting Irish music in the world today.

Disclaimer
In no event shall Mayo Ireland Ltd be liable for any incidental or consequential damages, lost profits, or any indirect damages arising from any errors in these pages.

copyright © 1996 - 2003 Mayo Ireland Ltd