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In the politically charged era following the 1801 Act of Union, when Ireland's harp symbol was ubiquitous in political imagery, the playable instrument, the Gaelic harp, had largely disappeared. John Egan, a self-taught inventor, conceived a new national instrument, the "Portable Irish Harp," with innovative mechanisms to expand the harp's chromatic capabilities. The template for the modern Irish harp, Egan's design was imitated a century later by several principal harp makers. Antique Egan harps, prized as rare cultural artefacts and art objects, survive in museums and private collections worldwide, and the book's illustrations and a "Catalogue of Egan Harps" are an invaluable resource. This book on Ireland's renowned harp maker, John Egan, and the Egan family firm, reveals the significance of Egan harps in shaping Irish harp history.
Harp
"Written by an art historian who is also a performing harpist, this book provides, in a single source, information on the development of the harp and its technique and repertoire. The first part is devoted to a lucid exposition of the history of the instrument and is documented by over 70 illustrations of carvings, illuminated manuscripts, paintings, and musical instruments. Dr. Rensch traces the harp from its representation on monuments of the ancient East to its present-day form. There is material from Egypt, Mesopotamia, Israel, and Greece, with a rich haul from medieval manuscripts and carvings of Western Europe. Harps portrayed by master painters, from the early Renaissance to the baroque period, and some extant harps from the late Middle Ages are also described in detail. There is an extensive discussion of the pedal harp, from the earliest instruments made by Hochbrucker, Cousineau, Naderman, and Erard to harps made in America in the twentieth century by Lyon and Healy and by Wurlitzer. Contributions of the virtuoso harpists of the nineteenth century and important harpist-teachers of the twentieth are noted. Modern use of the harp is also surveyed. The book's information on technical points, special effects, and the like will be of particular interest. A full list of recordings of solo and ensemble music and a carefully chosen list of compositions, graded for school use, are included in the appendixes. There are also a comprehensive bibliography and an index. The material of this book will be of wide interest to the professional musician, the music educator, and the composer; students of the harp will find it a vital source of information."--Jacket.
Twelve-year-old Danny O'Carolan and his sister, Kathleen, arrive in New York City in 1863, at the height of the Civil War. Kathleen finds a job in domestic service for herself and Danny, hoping to keep Danny from being drafted into the US Army as a drummer boy. As he explores the city and shares his talent for Irish dancing, Danny discovers the vast variety of New York's neighborhoods. With the threat of the draft pitting Irish immigrants against the free Black population, stoking tensions between the rich and the poor, and threatening the life Danny hopes to build, can he find a safe place to call home?
This book provides an introduction to historical performance on the 12th- and 13th-century harp, including information as to the form and tuning of the instrument; its probable repertoire; the development of period performance skills, including ornamentation and improvisation; and the use of the harp in medieval storytelling.
A collection of 34 English and Scottish ballads arranged for harp. The ballads date from the fifteenth through the nineteenth centuries, and range from the well known to the rare and unusual. They can be played on a lap harp with a range of just two and a half octaves, or on larger harps. They can also be played on flute, violin, guitar, or any melody instrument. The book includes lyrics, historical notes, and illustrations. The pieces are in the key of C, or in sharp keys. All of the pieces include fingerings and chord symbols.
The most valuable resource for 16th-century dances and dance music, this volume describes galliards, pavans, branles, gavottes, lavolta, basse dance, morris dance, and more, with detailed instructions of steps. 44 illustrations.