It's a Rosebud in June - for 2 Harps

Happy Valentine's Day!  Here's an English folk song, which dates from before 1715.  This version was arranged in 1916 by Cecil J. Sharp, and I transcribed and adapted it for 2 harps.  It makes a lush, harpy backdrop for some lovely pictures with roses.  The video runs about 2 minutes.

Pictures in Video -

1 - Rose Island, book illustration from Greenhouse Flora of Europe, circa 1866
2 - Juin, print from calendar by Samuel Grasset, 1896
3 - Growing Buckbee's American Beauty Roses, Victorian trade card, circa 1911
4 - Rose Garden, painting by Charles Vetter, 1926
5 - Roses, painting by P.S. Kroyer, 1893
6 - Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May, painting by John William Waterhouse, 1909
7 - Girl with Rosebush, painting by Hugo Kauffmann, 1904
8 - Early Lovers, painting by Frederick Smallfield, 1858
8 - God Speed! detail of a painting by Edmund Leighton, 1900
10 - The Soul of the Rose, painting by John William Waterhouse, 1908
11 - Rosa Triplex, watercolor by Gabriel Rossetti, 1874

The Holly and the Ivy - for Harp and Ukulele

One of my favorite Christmas carols, The Holly and the Ivy is arranged here for harp and ukulele.  It runs about 1 minute.

Pictures in Video -

1 - Window with Ivy Tendrils, German stained glass, circa 1819
2 - Heigh Ho Holly, book illustration by Walter Crane, 1900
3 - Battle for Wesnoth, elvish style digital portrait, 2011
4 - Holly, book illustration by Laura Coombs Hills, 1890
5 - Pia de Tolomei, detail of painting by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, circa 1870
6 - Janvier, print from calendar by Samuel Grasset, 1896
7 - Scribner's for Xmas, poster print by Louis Rhead, 1895
8 - Harper's Bazar Xmas 1894, magazine cover, 1894
9 - Winter, book illustration by Florence E. Dudgeon, 1800s

Once to Every Person and Nation - for Harp and Chamber Ensemble

 I admit, I brazenly changed a word in the title of this song: "Man" to "Person."  This old Welsh melody has been my all-time favorite hymn since I was a teen - minor key, low, grinding march-type tune.  The first 2 lines are "Once to every man and nation, Comes the moment to decide." I think it is particularly appropriate in our time. It's about 2 and a half minutes long.

Pictures in Video -

1 - etching by William Strang, 1913, "The Aeroplane"
2 - painting by Honore Daumier, 1856, "Theater Audience"
3 - painting by A. Yakovlev, 1918, in Peking
4 - newspaper illustration, circa 1871 Louisiana, "French Opera House"
5 - print, 1868, "The High Court of Impeachment"
6 - painting by Fritz Beinke, 1873, "The Juggler"
7 - detail of postcard illustration by Albert Guillaume, circa 1914, "15 minutes of Entr'acte"
8 - detail of painting by Antonina Rzhevskaya, circa 1902, "The Music"
9 - detail of aquatint print by George Cruikshank, 1821, "Drury Lane Theatre"
10 - detail of drawing by B. Kustodiev, 1908, "Yakov Turok Is Singing"
11 - detail of painting by William Geets, 1809, "The Accident"
12 - woodblock print by Utagawa Hirosige, 1838, "View of the Kabuki Theaters"
13 - book illustration from "Pilgrim's Progress" by John Bunyan, written 1678, illus. 1821, "Road from City of Destruction to the Celestial City"

Be Thou My Vision - for Harp

This video is in honor of Ukraine, and also for my friends Ruth & Kermit Hugo, who could use some peace and inspiration right now.  I think we could all use some of that.  The melody is a well-known hymn, Be Thou My Vision, which has an Irish folk melody as its haunting and stately basis.  It's just over 2 minutes long.

Pictures in Video -

1 - Rainbow, painting by Archip Kuindshi, 1903
2 - Big Clouds, painting by Hans Emmeneggar, 1903
3 - The Rocky Mountains Landers Peak, painting by Albert Bierstad, 1863
4 - The Reedsee with Tischlergruppe Mountains, painting by Johann Varrone, 1864
5 - The Gate in the Rocks, painting by Karl Friedrich Schinkel, Germany, 1818
6 - The Voyage of Life: Childhood, painting by Thomas Cole, 1840
7 - Mountain Lake with Steep Rock Face, painting by Heinrich Heinlein, circa 1865
8 - The Wreck, painting by Frederic Edwin Church, 1852
9 - Fervaal, opera illustration by Carlos Schwabe, Paris, 1898
10 - The Christian Martyrs, detail of a painting by Gustave Dore, France, 1871
11 - The Voyage of Life: Old Age, painting by Thomas Cole, 1840
12 - K2-138, NASA illustration by Robert Hurt, 2019
13 - Kepler 47, NASA illustration by Tim Pyle, 2019
14 - White Dwarf Planet Death, NASA illustration by A. Garlick, 2009
15 - Pulsar PSR B1257+12 System, NASA illustration by Robert Hurt

We Wish You a Merry Christmas for Harp & Ukulele

Merry Christmas, everybody!  Here's a favorite carol of the season, arranged for ukulele and harp by my friend, Mary Roman and myself. A minute and a half of fun.

Pictures in Video -

1 - Christmas Card by Jenny Nystrom, Norway, circa 1900
2 - A Christmas Carol, newspaper illustration, Allentown, PA, 1900
3 - Christmas Eve, chromolithography print published by J. Hoover, 1880
4 - Frohliche Weihnachten, post card, Germany, 1906
5 - Frohliche Weihnachten, post card, Germany, 1906
6 - Buon Natale, post card, Italy, 1913
7 - Now Is a Goodly Feast Outspread, book illustration by Eliza F. Manning, London, 1894
8 - The Coming of Father Christmas, book illustration by Eliza F. Manning, London, 1894

Coventry Carol for Harp & Ukulele

This haunting lullaby was part of the nativity plays performed in Coventry, England by the city's guilds for centuries.  The melody goes at least back to 1591 when it was written down with the words to be sung by three mothers of Bethlehem.  Arranged for ukulele and harp by my friend, Mary Roman and myself, this is about 2 minutes of lutey-harpy poignant lullaby.

Pictures in Video -

1 - Nativity Scene, woodcut print by Lucille Oille, 1945 presumably
2 - When Life Is Young, by Mary Elizabeth Mapes Dodge, book illustration, 1894
3 - Armenian, book illustration by Franz Burger, 1897
4 - Scene in the Jewish Quarter of Constantine, painting by Theodore Chasseriau, 1851
5 - Centuries of Oppression, Persecution, and Ruin, book illustration, 1899
6 - A Flood, painting by John Millais, 1870
7 - The Young Mother, painting detail by Gerrit Dou, 1658
8 - At the Cradle, painting by Albert Neuhuys, before 1914
9 - Ix Voto, votive painting from Pfarrkirch Maria Geburt, Germany, 1767
10 - Ex Voto Gott Sie Dank, votive painting from Pfarrkirch Maria Geburt, Germany, 1867

All Things Bright and Beautiful

At Thanksgiving time, I think of this song and how thankful I am for Nature. Arranged here for harp, bells, lute, and bass, the video runs about 2.5 minutes.

Pictures in Video -

1 - Deer in a Sunny Forest Glade, painting by Franz Xaver von Pausinger, 1880
2 - Fox Stalking Thrushes, painting by Bruno Liljefors, 1887
3 - Highland Wanderers, painting by William Watson, 1907
4 - The Alpsee Near Hohenschwangau, painting by Karl Millner, 1872
5 - Common Eiders on a Rocky Islet, painting by Bruno Liljefors, 1899 6 - Loons, painting by Bruno Liljefors, 1913
7 - Geese, painting by Bruno Liljefors, 1922
8 - Stretching Swans, painting by Bruno Liljefors, 1915
9 - Deer, painting by Alfred Bassel Rehbrunft, 1903
10 - On the Prowl, painting by Otto von Groote, circa 1920
11 - Adirondack Black Bear, attributed to Oliver Kemp, 1902
12 - Deer in Repose, painting by Rosa Bonheur, 1867
13 - Morning in a Pine Forest, painting by Ivan Shishkin, 1889
14 - Playing Lions, painting by Wilhelm Kuhnert, circa 1900
15 - The Two Majesties, painting by Jean Leon Gerome, circa 1850

A Mighty Fortress - for Harp

This hymn was a kind of theme song from childhood for me and my brother in the 1960s.  It was featured in a children's clay-animated tv show produced by the Lutheran Church: Davey and Goliath.  One of my favorite hymns that we sang in the Methodist church, A Mighty Fortress was written by Martin Luther and later harmonized by J.S. Bach.  With that in mind, it was a pleasure to arrange it for harp - the video runs about 3 minutes.

Pictures in Video -

1 - A View of Tantallon Castle with the Bass Rock, Scotland, painting by Alexander Nasmyth, circa 1815
2 - Edinburgh Castle and the Nor' Loch, Scotland, painting by Alexander Nasmyth, 1824
3 - An English Frigate in Choppy Waters in the Tagus [River] Passing the Belem Tower, Portugal, painting by John Thomas Serres, circa 1790
4 - Belem Tower, Portugal, bookplate, 1917
5 - Conway Castle By Moonlight, Wales, anonymous painting, circa 1795
6 - The Gate in the Rocks, painting by Karl Friedrich Schinkel, Germany, 1818
7 - View of Mont Blanc, France, painting by Karl Friedrich Schinkel, 1813
8 - Conway Castle, Wales, painting by Thomas Moran, 1917
9 - The Norman Gate and Deputy Governor's House Windsor Castle, England, painting by Paul Sandby, 1765
10 - Medieval City on a River, painting by Karl Friedrich Schinkel, circa 1815
11 - Kidwelly Castle, Wales, 1791
12 - Mannorbeer Castle Moonlight Scene, Wales, 1815
13 - Gothic Church on a Rock By the Sea, painting by Karl Friedrich Schinkel, 1815
14 - Landscape with Pilgrim, painting by Karl Friedrich Schinkel, circa 1813
15 - The Voyage of Life: Youth, painting by Thomas Cole, 1840

Bach's Toccata in D Minor - for Harp

 

Coming up on Halloween, here's a harp arrangement of Bach's Toccata in D Minor.  I've always wanted to arrange this, and I discovered that it takes 2 harps to make this pipe-organ piece sound good.  It's 2 minutes long.

Pictures in Video -

1 - Harp of Life, from book cover, written by George Augustus Lofton, Nashville, Tennessee, 1896
2 - Harp at Night, pencil drawing by Carl Gustav Carus, circa 1895
3 - Patrick Byrne, photo by Hill and Adamson, circa 1845
4 - The Harp Player, oil painting by Kenyon Cox, 1888
5 - Quadrangle at King's College Cambridge, etching by Thomas Rowlandson, 1811
6 - Elizabeth Francis Standing to the Left with a Harp, cut paper silhouette by Auguste Edouart, Philadelphia, 1843
7 - The Harp Lesson, oil painting by Jean-Antoine-Theodore-Giroust, 1791
8 - Prophets, Patriarchs, Saints, and Music-Making Angels in Glory, drawing by Giovanni Bautista Gaulli, circa 1670
9 - David the Boy Harper, from book cover, written by Mrs. Annie E. Smiley, 1900
10 - Angel with Harp, by Jan Matejko, Poland, 1895

English Dance - for Harp

 
In honor of May Day, here's a little video with harp music.  It's called "English Dance," and it's a traditional tune I arranged for harp.  About a minute of month-of-May dancing and festing.

Pictures in Video -

1 - Detail from "London Town" book illustration by Ellen Houghton, 1883
2 - Ornamental engraving with Morris dancers by Ismahel van Meckenem, before 1503
3 - A Garland for May Day, relief print cover design by Walter Crane, 1895
4 - "London Town" book page by Ellen Houghton, 1883
5 - May Day, Oxford College, Ohio, 1914
6 - May Day Pageant, Oxford College, Ohio, unknown date
7 - May Day Procession, Oxford College, Ohio, 1916
8 - May Pole Dance, Ohio State Normal College Model School, 1911
9 - Print from The Annual of Photography, taken by Kate Mathews, 1911
10 - Tree Day, Western College, Ohio, 1926
11 - May Day, Oxford College, Ohio, 1923

The Youngest Daughter

It's Saint Patrick's Day, and we're stuck at home, waiting out this virus.  So I have arranged an Irish reel for harp, and I hope you enjoy it!

Vintage Post Cards in Video -

1 - Post card from 1912
2 - May McAvoy, actress, 1923
3 - St. Modwen's Church, Burton-on-Trent, England, 1916
4 - Calendar, 1908
5 - Queenstown, Ireland, 1912
6 - Ellen Clapsaddle, artist, post card, circa 1900
7  -Old Weir Bridge, Killarney, 1912
8 - Post card, circa 1900
9 - Illustrated Limericks, 1905
10 - Post card, 1908
11 - Post card, 1911
12 - Meeting of the Waters, Killarney, 1917
13 - Post card, 1909

Auld Lang Syne

Happy New Year!  This video is Auld Lang Syne, which I arranged for harp.  It's about 2 minutes long.

Here's a list of the vintage pictures in the video:

1 - Inverary Cross and Castle, Scotland, 1907
2 - family in Queensland, Australia, 1900
3 - boy in Australia, 1890
4 - Flora MacDonald, Scotland, painting by Allan Ramsay, 1749
5 - Crimean War piper, circa 1855
6 - Edinburgh Castle, Scotland, by Samuel Bough, late 1860s
7 - Scottish suffragettes, circa 1910
8 - boy in Australia, 1898
9 - piper and dog in Australia, 1921
10 - Edinburgh Castle, Scotland, by Alexander Nasmyth, 1880
11 - Highland Gathering, Sydney, Australia, 1937
12 - highland dancing, Sydney, 1938
13 - Glasgow University, circa 1895
14 - piper, Scottish Highlands, 1934
15 - Robert Burns, Scottish poet: Auld Lang Syne, late 1700s

Pachelbel's Canon in D for Christmas

Here's my latest holiday musical arrangement.  It's Pachelbel's Canon for harp plus some chamber instruments.  Enjoy!  The video is about 3 minutes long.

We Gather Together

Here's a Thanksgiving song I arranged for harp.  Happy Day!

The vintage pictures in the video are as follows:

1 - From cover of Ladies Home Journal, 1891
2 - Harvesters in Alberta, Canada, 1890
3 - Hopi, 1898
4 - Sami girl in Lapland, c.1930
5 - Hopi, c.1900
6 - schoolchildren in Frankfurt, Germany, 1930
7 - school party in Grand Coulee, WA, 1935
8 - dinner menu, Ft. Mifflin, Philadelphia, 1918
9 - WACs director at Thanksgiving in Frankfurt, 1946
10 - dinner table in Neffsville, PA, 1942
11 - children cooking in Norway, 1957
12 - Thanksgiving postcard, c.1900