Harp Summer School &
Festival
Clairseoirí na
hEireann (The Harp Foundation)
Kilmore House, Cushendall, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
HARPFEST
HARPFEST is held in the Queen of the Antrim Glens, Glenariff, in a beautiful Victorian aristocratic residence, Kilmore House. This is situated at the heart of the glen nestling in the gentle lower slopes of an ancient riverpath below the high basaltic cliffs of the Antrim plateau. From the house, and a 15 minute walk (one mile) down the glen would bring you to the beautiful sandy beach and the country village of Waterfoot which looks out over the Irish sea to the Scottish Highlands and the Mull of Kintyre. Going one mile back up the glen will bring you to the magnificent unspoiled expanse of the ancient woodland of Glenarrif with its very famous scenic forest, creek and waterfall walks.
Venue
Kilmore House is a magnificent Victorian aristocratic home, and couldn't be a more historically appropriate place for Harpfest. The current 18th century building was the home of Ulster's 3rd most powerful clan, the MacDonnells of the Glens, ancient kings of Dalriada, the kingdom embracing the western Scottish Highlands and the eastern coast of Ulster. In the late 1770s, the harper Arthur O'Neill spent 3 years with the MacDonnell family in the tradition of the minstrel harpers playing and teaching the children of the family. One of this family was the Doctor James MacDonnell who was the organiser of the famous Belfast Harper's Assembly of 1792, the single most important event in Ireland's cultural history from which we have the most important collection of old Irish harp music in existence. It was this body of work that brought Janet Harbison to Belfast (from Dublin) in the early 1980s for her doctoral research.
Programme
HARPFEST presents a comprehensive programme of harp tuition with fiddle and set dancing so everyone can bring a friend to participate in activities! The daytime programme consists of classes, lectures and workshops for all standards with lots of harps available for the total beginner to try. Supplemental individual tuition is also available with the tutors.
Each afternoon features specialist interest seminars and activities for harp teachers, therapists and professional players. There are also workshops on repertoire, arrangement, accompaniment, traditional interpretation, oral teaching methods (especially useful for teachers), harping for the sick, and harp repair and maintenance facilities.
The late afternoon programme offers lots of different activities including Set Dancing for everyone, guided walks in the forest, trips to the local village, and on our Wednesday outing, we take off up the coast to spend an afternoon at the Giants Causeway, one of the world's most famous geographical wonders. The evening times feature various activities including special lectures, and concerts including an evening with the world famous (and Grammy Award winning) Belfast Harp Orchestra.
Costs
|
Residential adult (Harp or Fiddle) |
ST£420 |
|
Residential adult (Set Dancing) |
ST£360 |
|
Non residential adult (Harp / Fiddle) |
ST£210 (lunches included) |
|
Non residential adult (Set Dancing) |
ST£80 (lunches included) |
|
Residential under 16s: |
ST£270 |
|
Nonresidential u.16s: |
ST£ 106 (lunches included) |
The association address is:
The Harp Foundaton (Belfast Harps)
1 Quinville
Holywood
Co Down BT18 9DH
Northern Ireland
Tel: + 44 (0) 28 9042 5551
Fax: + 44 (0) 28 9042 5585
E-mail: jharbison@harps.dnet.co.uk
Summerschools --> | Glencolmcille Harp School | HARPFEST |
