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Site Search: Use the search box to find an artiste, composer, title, or venue on this site |
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Listening position:
Relax with your choice(s) of beverage, in a place of your choosing, alone, or with company |
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André Caplet (1878-1925)
from Deux Divertissements (1924) Divertissement à la Française Bien allègrement et carré Quite freely and frank |
Carl Philip Emmanuel Bach (1714-1788)
from Harp Sonata in G major H563 Wq139 2 Allegro Fast |
Marcel Georges Lucien Grandjany (1891-1975)
The Colorado Trail, Fantaisie Op 28 |
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We readily associate the harp with the Celtic nations, and most of all with the Welsh and their Eisteddfodau. Here is a beautiful performance by Rhys Whatty, from Swansea, at the Urdd Eisteddfod of 2014.
He is playing Nataliana, a Grade 7 piece. You will hear a lady say his name, pronouncing it as if the H was the first letter, rather than the second. American harpist and composer Deborah Henson-Conant describes Nataliana as a romantic piece, adding: This was the first piece I ever wrote for harp. I was so taken with the hand-built lever harp my friend Natalie had that I wanted to write a professional-level concert piece I could play on it. Printed in both C and E-flat, this piece has no lever or pedal changes, but it’s very challenging, romantic and passionate! |
Deborah Henson-Conant (b1953)
Nataliana performed by Rhys Whatty at the 2014 Urdd Eisteddfod |
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Giuseppe Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757) Keyboard Sonata in E major K380 Andante comodo Comfortable walking pace performed by Anne Denholm before the opening event for the 2017 Thaxted Festival, Essex |
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Anne Denholm is also a member of The Hermes Experiment who were due to perform Double Fiesta, by the American composer Meredith Monk, at the Vale of Glamorgan Festival on May 19th 2020. Live performance being impossible The Hermes Experiment put together this virtual performance from their homes. Here is modern writing that includes the harp. There is plenty of music being written for solo harp, and quite a lot appears on youtu.be. |
Meredith Jane Monk (b1942)
arr Anne Denholm (b1991) Double Fiesta performed by The Hermes Experiment: Anne Denholm, harp • Oliver Pashley, clarinet Marianne Schofield, double bass • Héloïse Werner, soprano & co-director Hanna Grzeskiewicz, co-director |
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Our three Welsh harpists all come from South Wales, Anne Denholm from Carmarthenshire, Rhys Whatty from Swansea, and next we hear Gwenllian Llŷr, from Bridgend. Gwenllian has performed at LMC twice, and is keen to join us again, and to play for Leatherhead Trinity School as soon as circumstances permit. Never one to shy away from a challenge, here is Gwenllian playing her transcription of Scriabin's beautiful piano Nocturne for the Left Hand. |
Aleksandr Nikolayevich Scriabin (1871-1915)
transcription by Gwenllian Llŷr from Prélude et Nocturne pour piano pour la main gauche seule, Op 9 (1894) Nocturne in Db major Andante Walking performed by Gwenllian Llŷr |
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Let's listen to another living Welsh composer, Haldon Evans, and the first of his Three Soliloquies, Dros y Mynydd or Over the Mountain. The performer is once again Gwenllian Llŷr. |
Haldon Evans (b1953)
from Ymsonau Three Soliloquies 1 Dros y Mynydd Over the Mountain Allegretto Moderately fast performed by Gwenllian Llŷr |
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For this week's encore piece I have chosen a little more from Rhys Whatty. This is from 2017 when he ventured as far as Cannock, Staffordshire. He couldn't have done that during the lockdown, the Welsh were limited to 5 miles from home! I hope you will enjoy Petite Suite, written by Welsh harpist and composer David Watkins. And please remember to scroll down and put your fiver into Mollie Canning's MENCAP campaign, in celebration of her 100th birthday tomorrow. |
David Watkins (1946-1991)
Petite Suite (1961) Prelude ♦ Fire Daance performed by Rhys Whatty, ARSM, in St Stephen's Methodist Church, Cannock, in June 2017 ARSM: Associate of the Royal Schools of Music is a degree-level performance qualification. Rhys gained his, with Merit, at the age of 19. |
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Never miss a concert . . .
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Music on Thursdays - Online
Flute Fest artistes: Sir James Galway ♦ Lady Jeanne Galway ♦ Paris Voxmusicorum Orchestra, conductor Ada Pelleg ♦ Icelandic Flute Ensemble David Antich, recorder ♦ Leonardo Luckert, cello ♦ Ignasi Jordà, harpsichord Gianluca Vanzelli, flute ♦ Kammerorchester Timisoara, conducter David Crescezi Shin-jung Oh, flute ♦ Heo Jung-hwa, piano ♦ Dave Valentin, jazz flute music by: Cimarosa • Boismortier • Händel • John Rutter • Pedro Flores access concert: by clicking on the date or the pictures Venue: this website and a place of your choosing |
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Music on Thursdays - Online
guest curator Lynda Chang with a personal musical selection titled Virtual Viola featuring music by: York Bowen • Telemann • Brahms • Rebecca Clarke performances by: Ting-Ru Lai ♦ Timothy Ridout ♦ Jeremy Berry Academia Bach de Buenos Aires access this concert: by clicking on the date or the picture Venue: this website and a place of your choosing |
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Music on Thursdays - Online
Multi Piano music by: Rossini • Holst • Mozart • Rollins • Lavignac • Beethoven under the hands and fingers of 55 pianists playing on 31 pianos (not all at once, of course) and including some quite famous names among the pianists access this concert: by clicking on the picture or the date Venue: this website and a place of your choosing |
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Music on Thursdays - Online
from Sagbutts to Trombones from the sagbutt to the modern trombone, with introductions by top players, and the music of Gabrieli ♦ Priuli ♦ Beethoven ♦ Ropartz ♦ Stravinsky ♦ Rimsky-Korsakov ♦ Freddie Mercury plus extra listening by Purcell • Gounod • Albert E Brumley (New Orleans) to access our From Sagbutts to Trombones concert please click on the Date above or on the trombone player image Venue: this website and a place of your choosing |
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