The Flood: Recreating ancient music for lyre and voice

http://vimeo.com/109768756

According to Stef Conner’s website:

“The Flood’ is a creative collaboration between Stef Conner, Andy Lowings (instrument-builder, harpist and creator of the Gold Lyre of Ur Project) and Mark Harmer (sound engineer, producer and harpist). Based on Mesopotamian texts from as early as the 4th millennium BC and composed for voice and the Lyre of Ur (a reconstructed 4500-year-old instrument excavated in the early 20th century from the Royal Graves at Ur), the album is the first ever CD of new music sung entirely in Sumerian and Babylonian.”

You can find out more about the Lyre Ensemble and the Gold Lyre of Ur Project here: www.stefconner.com/the-lyre-ensemble

Hurly Burly Spring Concert, May 25 in Peterborough, ON

Hurly Burly (Peterborough’s early music ensemble) will be revisiting the animal theme in their upcoming spring concert on Sunday, May 25th. As the Facebook event page says, “Hurly Burly’s annual Spring concert goes to the dogs… and fleas… not to mention birds and a missing sheep!” We’re having lots of fun with the songs, and hope you will enjoy them too! It will be our trademark blend of early and late period pieces, with mixed instruments and voices.

Animal, Vegetable, Madrigal: an Afternoon of “Beastly” Songs and Dances
Sunday May 25th, 2:30 p.m.
St. John’s Anglican Church in the Guild Hall

99 Brock Street (just east of Water Street in Peterborough)
Tickets available at the door
(And yes, there will be the usual home-made refreshments during the intermission!)

Hurly Burly main group site: http://hurlyburlyensemble.wordpress.com/
May 25 Concert Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/544264745688966/

Hurly Burly Spring Concerts, with Special Guest

Hurly Burly in 2010 at St. John'sWow, time does whizz by. Sorry for not posting in April, the weather was too nice here to stay indoors! – T.H.

We’re happy to announce that Hurly Burly will be joined by Hazina Bellydance for both our Sat. May 18 concert in Oshawa, ON, and our Sun. May 26 concert in Peterborough, ON.

More info on the official Hurly Burly site: http://hurlyburlyensemble.wordpress.com/

 

Early Music Concert (with Arianna Savall on period harp)

Top-notch performances by Jordi Savall, Rolf Lisevand, Perdo Estevan, and Arianna Savall. I instantly fell in love with the larger of Arianna’s two period replica harps. It’s not easy to find video of medieval harps in concert where the sound mix does them justice, but the balance is perfect in this one.

The Harp Consort – Purcell Fairest isle & Rondo

The Harp Consort, with Andrew Lawrence King on harp, performing in York in 2011.  And yes, he is indeed using the pinkie of his left hand when he plays!  First time I’ve seen that technique in action.  For more on the Harp Consort and early harps, you can visit their website: www.theharpconsort.com/

Harp Circle Tunes part 2

Dona Nobis Pacem is now up on the Chubby Sparrow site, you can download and listen to it here.

Along with Ode to Joy (below), we’ll be playing this at the Peterborough-Kawarthas harp circle in honour of Peace Day on Sept. 11th.   For those who can’t make it, we’ll be playing with you in spirit!

All music in the Chubby Sparrow free music section is available for anyone to download and use free of charge.  We just ask that you include all headers and footers in your print copies.

May 29 Medieval Concert, Peterborough

Hurly Burly Early Music Ensemble Presents
The Vigorous Impulse: Music from the 12th Century Renaissance

This Sunday, May 29 · 2:30pm – 5:30pm
The Guild Hall, St. John’s Anglican Church, Peterborough, ON

The 12th century was a time of musical innovation and fervent. Our concert features some of the first recognizable names in Western composers: Abelard, Hildegard, the Comtessa de Dia, and many troubadours and trouveres.
Featured instruments this time out include multiple harps, citoles, recorders, vielle, rebec, hurdy gurdy, and percussion.
Take a break from the gardening and join us for a lively and melodic afternoon!

For those of you on Facebook, we now have a group page (search for “Hurly Burly Music Ensemble”).

The page for this Sunday’s event can be found here.

Group website: celticharper.com/hurlyburly

May Tune of the Month: Childgrove

 

Childgrove can be played as an upbeat dance tune, or at a slower, more thoughtful pace.  The arrangement I wrote for our trio includes a counter-melody based on “The Foggy Dew”, and is played at a medium march tempo, whereas English Country Dancers generally like it played at a fair clip.

The C# in bars 24 and 32 is optional; it can be played as a modal tune without lever flips. (I’ve included both versions in midi form on the Chubby Sparrow Site here).

The HarpBlog Tune of the Month is courtesy of Chubby Sparrow Music . For a printable version, right click on the picture and choose “save target as”, or pop over to the Chubby Sparrow Free Music page for more detailed printing instructions (note: if you just left click and try to print directly from the browser, it probably won’t print at the right size).

Robin Ward plays Suite Royalle on Triple Harp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmTJYj-k_MY

According to Mr. Ward:

An arrangement of Robert de Visee’s Suite Royalle in Dm. Originally for Lute/Theorbo. Performed on an Italian styled triple harp, built by the performer.

You can see more of Robin Ward’s playing here, and visit his website at www.earlyharps.com. (Along with performing he also teaches and builds harps).