The Lark in the Morning - for Harp

The Lark in the Morning is a folk song that dates back to at least 1778, made popular in the 1970s by The Dubliners.  Here's a harpy romp through things Irish (and one Swedish).  It runs about 2 minutes.

Pictures in Video -

1 - Colleen in Kinsale Cloak, post card, 1905
2 - 101st Anniversary Dinner, detail of program illustration, Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, 1885
3 - Shamrock Dear, magazine cover, 1907
4 - 117th Annual Banquet program, Hibernian Society, 1888
5 - Leprechaun, journal illustration by Jean Noel Lafargue, post 1968
6 - On the Seventeenth, magazine cover illustration, 1911
7-Lucky Way, detail of Christmas card by Jenny Nystrom, pre 1947
8 - The Sweet Little Shamrock, post card, circa 1910
9 - The Shamrock, post card by Ellen H. Clapsaddle, 1908
10 - Wearing of the Green, post card by Ellen H. Clapsaddle, 1907
11 - Lismore Castle, post card, 1903
12 - Castle Connell, post card, 1903
13 - Eire, print, 1865
14 - Let the Golden Harp Play, post card, unknown date
15 - Erin go Bragh, detail of post card, unknown date

The Banks of the Sweet Primroses - for Harp

Happy Valentine's Day! Here's a little traditional English tune I arranged for harp. The images with it are vintage Valentines, mostly by one of my favorite illustrators: Kate Greenaway. It's about a minute and a half of music-boxy harpy sweetness. (And just so you know, the lyrics of this folk song give a very real-world-and-less-idyllic depiction of romance.)

Pictures in Video -

1-3 Valentines from "The Quiver of Love," book illustrations by Kate Greenaway, 1876
4 - Valentine post card, circa 1905
5 - Valentine from "The Quiver of Love," book illustration by Kate Greenaway, 1876
6 - Valentine card by Kate Greenaway, circa 1880
7 - Valentine chromolithograph greeting card by Kate Greenaway, 1876
8 - Valentine post card, 1911

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

Wild Mountain Thyme - for Harp

 

This is a folk song that I have loved all my life, inspired by Judy Collins' rendition. I've arranged "Wild Mountain Thyme" for harp, and the pictures are a celebration of Ireland's mountains and of wildflowers in the spring.  It's about a minute and a half.

Pictures in Video -

1 - Macgillicuddy's Reeks, oil painting/postcard, Killarney, 1903
2 - Upper Lake Above Gap of Dunloe, oil painting/postcard, Killarney, 1903
3 - Near Dinis Island, oil painting/postcard, Killarney, 1903
4 - Eagle's Nest, oil painting/postcard, Killarney, 1903
5-11 Wild Flowers and Where They Grow, book illustrations by Lizbeth Bullock Humphrey, Boston, 1882
12 - Upper Lake, oil painting/postcard, Glendalough, 1903
13 - Serpent Lake, Gap of Dunloe, oil painting/postcard, Killarney, 1903
14 - Glendalough, oil painting/postcard, 1903
15 - Dublin, watercolor by Stephen Lucius Gwynn, 1915
16 - Picking Wildflowers, watercolor by Rhoda Holmes Nicholls, US, 1900
17 - Wild Thyme, book illustration by Anne Pratt, US, 1857
18 - St. Patrick's Day Greetings, oil painting/postcard, Glendalough, 1903

Yuletide Blessings - for Harp

 

This is the first-ever holiday carol composed by me! Instead of singing it (lol), I have arranged it for harp. Hope you enjoy it (about 2 minutes long).

Pictures in Video -

1 - Postcard by Ellen H. Clapsaddle, New York, 1907
2 - Bringing Home the Yule Log, greeting card, London, circa 1900
3 - Bringing Home the Yule Log in Catland, book illustration by Louis Wain, London, 1910
4 - Bringing in the Yule Log, book illustration, London, 1856
5 - Yule Logs, book cover, George Alfred Henley, London, 1898
6 - Inglenook, textbook illustration, Foresman, Chicago
7 - A Stitch in Time, Victorian trade card
8 - Time for Porridge, watercolor card by Jenny Nystrom, Sweden, pre-1947
9 - Around the Yule Log, book cover, William Boyd Allen, Boston, 1898
10 - The Circle of Love, book illustration by Eliza F. Manning, London, 1894
11 - With Kind Regards, greeting card, Germany, 1915
12 - The Great Bell, book illustration by Sarah Hutchins, Philadelphia, 1890
13 - Christmas bell, magazine illustration, Germany, 1892
14 - May Your Christmas Be Happy, postcard, US, 1910

Silent Night - for Ukulele & Harp

 

Here's another carol arranged collaboratively by my ukulele-friend, Mary, and me. It's a tinkly-pretty uke & harp version of Silent Night, and it runs just over 2 minutes.

Pictures in Video -

1 - Christmas postcard, Italy, 1940
2 - Merry Christmas, postcard, Germany, 1902
3 - Nativity postcard, Norway, 1912
4 - Merry Christmas, postcard, Germany, 1908
5 - A Warm Christmas Greeting, postcard, Germany, 1917
6 - Merry Christmas, postcard, Germany, 1904
7 - Winter, postcard by Gino Salviatti, Italy, 1948
8 - Christmas postcard, Norway, 1909
9 - The Head of the Herd, postcard by Harry Payne, 1909
10 - Christmas Wishes, postcard, circa 1905
11 - A Merry Christmas, postcard, Russia, circa 1908
12 - Merry Christmas, postcard, Germany, 1913
13 - Merry Christmas, postcard, Norway, 1892
14 - Wishing You a Joyful Christmas, postcard, circa 1905
15 - Merry Christmas, postcard, Germany, 1909
16 - Best Christmas Wishes, Christmas card, North Carolina, date unkn.
17 - Merry Christmas, Christmas card by Jenny Nystrom, Norway, circa 1910
18 - Merry Christmas, postcard, Italy, 1940

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing - for Harp

Another hymn that I like for Thanksgiving is "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing."  It works particularly well on harp.  The line, "Here I raise my ebenezer, hither by Thy help I'm come" always comes to mind for me with this song.  This video is all about ebenezers, or standing stones, memorial stones, etc. It is around 2-1/2 minutes long.

Pictures in Video -

1 - The Frithjof Memorial Stone on Leikanger by Balestrand in Sogn, painting by Hans Leganger Reusch, Norway, circa 1825
2 - The Bridge of Brodgar, postcard by Walter Hugh Patton, Scotland, 1875
3 - A Burial Mound from Ancient Times by Raklev on Refsnaes, painting by Johan Lundbye, Denmark, 1839
4 - Menhir, painting by Ferdinand du Puigaudeau, France, circa 1900
5 - Danish Winter Landscape with Dolmen, painting by Nordahl Grove, Denmark, 1873
6 - Winter at the Sognefjord, painting by Johan Christian Dahl, Norway, 1827
7 - Haymaking Between the Menhirs at Nornes, painting by Johan Christian Dahl, Norway, 1839
8 - A Walk at Dusk, painting by Caspar David Friedrich, Germany, circa 1838
9 - Cleder Menhir, postcard by Emile Hamonic, circa 1900
10 - Menhir Near Plouneour-Trez, by Auguste Mayer, France, 1845
11 - Cross of the Apostles at Logonna-Daoulas, by Eugen Cicen, 1867
12 - Sewell Memorial, sculpture by Arthur Calder, New Jersey, 1910
13 - Evening Landscape with a Dolmen, painting by Carlo Dalgas, Denmark, 1844
14 - Sunset at a Dolmen, painting by Carl Frederik Bartsch, Denmark, 1882

Simple Gifts - Arranged for Harp

Here's one of my favorite hymns, which always puts me in a Thanksgiving mood.  "Simple Gifts" was written in 1848 by Shaker Elder Joseph Brackett, and I've arranged it here for harp.  If you're familiar with the work of the American composer, Aaron Copland, you'll recognize my little musical homage to him at the end.  This is a look at Shaker life and art from mostly over a hundred years ago. The video is about 2-1/2 minutes long.

Pictures in Video -

1 - A Little Basket Full of Beautiful Apples, Shaker drawing by Hannah Cohoon, 1856
2 - Shaker village, postcard, Sabbathday Lake, Maine, circa 1920
3 - Shaker box maker, photo, 1935
4 - Stone barn Shaker meeting house, postcard, Harvard, Mass., circa 1915
5 - Tree of Life, Shaker drawing by Hannah Cohoon, 1884
6 - Shaker gift drawing by Polly Jane Reed, before 1881
7 - Gospel Union Tree, Shaker drawing by Polly Collins, circa 1840
8 - Shaker gift drawing, by Polly Collins, circa 1840
9 - A Bower of Mulberry Trees, Shaker drawing by Hannah Cohoon, 1854
10 - A Present, Shaker drawing by Polly Jane Reed, before 1881
11 - Tree of Life or Blazing Tree, Shaker drawing by Hannah Cohoon, 1845
12 - Wreath, by Polly Collins, circa 1840
13 - Enfield Shaker village, postcard, Enfield, Maine, circa 1920
14 - A Tree of Love a Tree of Life, Shaker drawing by Polly Collins, 1857
15 - Harvard Shaker village, postcard, Harvard, Mass., circa 1905
16 - Shaker village, postcard, Alfred, Maine, circa 1915

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