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2005 EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL HARP FESTIVAL

Each spring the EIHF brings hundreds of harp players of all nationalities to the beautiful grounds of Merchiston Castle School for five days of courses, concerts and workshops.

Always primarily concerned with teaching, the festival presents those who have always wanted to try the harp with an opportunity to have a go, and allows those already hooked to further their skills. This year there were thirty-one courses catering for everyone from complete beginners to advanced players and covering numerous styles from Scottish folk to jazz and Paraguayan.

If the harp has suffered in the past from being stereotyped as a drawing room instrument, the festival is testimony to the wealth of vastly different types of harps and harp music throughout the world. This year's concerts once again showcased this variety, opening on Friday evening with Bachue's now trademark mixture of jazz and traditional music linking through to the jazz pedal harp of Hugh Webb.

Saturday's concert further explored the use of the harp in new ways, with Cormac de Barra accompanying the voice of Hazel O'Connor. Better known as a punk rocker, she seemed almost the last person to expect at a harp festival, but the duo surprised and delighted the audience with the fruits of this unusual combination.

Other highlights included Jochen Vogel's unique approach to the wire-strung Celtic harp. He led the audience through a kaleidoscope of transformations, moving from ringing medieval plainchant to jazz improvisations, bluesy vocal accompaniments and moody ballads, culminating in some mock-rock fun with an effects pedal and strap-on harp.

From Germany to Latin America: Alfredo Ortiz's dazzling performance of traditional South American music interspersed with his own compositions and improvisations quickly transported the audience to warmer climes, despite the bitter gusts outside.

Other highlights included Savourna Stevenson demonstrating her technical expertise and endless creativity, storytelling from Heather Yule and Marion Kelly with harp and Ku-Zheng and a lecture from Andy Lowings on The Golden Lyre of Ur Project: an attempt to build a playable replica of one of the world's harps. Wendy Stewart, with her group Tryst, brought us more traditional tunes and songs, Anne Postic, played a mixture of traditional music from all over Brittany, while the classical pedal harp was represented by Eluned Pierce and Jan Bennett

In addition to the courses, a variety of workshops catered for various aspects of playing from prevention of injuries to harp care and maintenance. For those who fancied something different there were also workshops in Breton dance, singing and yoga as well as an on-site masseuse to soothe away the aches and pains of carrying harps

Following this year's success, next year - our 25th - promises to be extra special. We have specially commissioned a piece, to be composed by Edward Harper, and plan to host a very exciting line-up of concerts and courses. So if you missed the festival this year, look out for it in 2006!

For more information