[splitimage]

I rented my harp to Florence & The Machine last week for a show in Toronto. Here's a pic of my harp onstage.

[pegasus]

Wow! It's huge, it looks expensive! You must be very proud of it.

[splitimage]

Pegasus - Yes it's big. It's a full sized Concert Grande with 47 strings which is as big as they make harps. It was expensive - took me 5 years to save up for it. And I love it a lot.

splitimage

[lynn P.]

Wow that's a beautiful harp and what a thrill it was used for this performance. My oldest likes her songs. Looks like you had a good seat. Did you get to meet her? How does a person transport the harp so it doesn't get damaged? Thanks for sharing splitimage.

[splitimage]

Lynn P. I didn't actually go the show. I'm not that crazy about her as an artist, so I wasn't interested. Universal Music sent me the pic.

To transport a harp you have to put it in a thick padded Transport cover. That comes in 3 parts. A cover for the Base, a cover for the column, and then a big fitted thing that fits over the whole thing. There are slits in the side and back of the cover so you can reach in and lift the cover. I don't move my harp myself, I only use specialist harp movers - there are a couple in Toronto. They have proper harp dollies, padding and straps to hold the harp in place. If you are going to move your harp yourself, you need a van and you typically load it, so it's weight is on the column, and you wedge it between the front seats to keep it upright. That's what we did when we brought the harp back from Chicago to Toronto.

splitimage

[Wren_]

wow, your harp is amazing ... i'd love to hear you playing it

[eskielover]

Wow, it's so beautiful......I can hear it now.......oh would I love to have my sterling silver flute back.....stolen out of my truck in Albuquerque when I was traveling back to Calif 5 years ago......I had bought it when I was in college (music major at that time for my AA...changed majors for my BS)....but kept playing my flute....it was a part of me.....I hadn't played actually in a few years when I took it with me to KY.....I was supposed to be playing at church that Christmas which is why I took it with me.....ID stolen at the hotel, truck broken into to cover up the stolen ID & the only bag they stole out of my truck was my catch all bag I had thrown together with all my receipts & at the bottom was my flute.

A little voice has said when I was packing....put if under the seat....but I was running late leaving that day & had already packed everything in my truck so would have had to unpack a bit.....oh how I wish I had listened to that voice......flute & harp goes so beautiful together......I played in some wonderful chamber groups....my fav was with cello though.....but also played in many flute choirs. I had in separately insured, but hadn't had it reappraised for many years & the insurance company wouldn't give me what it was worth....only what the previous appraisal was worth.......note to anyone who has something that goes up in value insured....get it reappraised annually to make sure if anything happens......I couldn't replace it for under $6,500 .....only got $3,500......never did buy another flute because the money ended up going for higher priority things & nothing left to buy another flute with.....& to think I only paid $900 for it when I bought it back in 1973......will never have that kind of money to buy another one.

Funny, people have tried to give me old flutes they have found....bad pads & I don't have the money to even have bad pads fixed & then they think I don't appreciate their kindness....I do, but it's almost impossible to go back to a beginner flute after playing a professional.....work too hard to get a nothing sound out of it....it's just not enjoyable....would rather not play at all.....so I sit here with what ever flute music wasn't stolen with the flute & no flute. I kept hoping that some day it would be found somewhere........thought about calling all the pawn shops in Albuquerque....but just don't have the energy for what feels like a hopeless task only to be let down.....5 years later......doubt.

I sure understand what a wonderful instrument like your harp means to you & the beauty of it's sound.

Tuning it must be a but of a challenge because I would think that moving it is like moving a piano & even change of weather changes the string tension. It was hard enough for me trying to tune a violin when I tried to learn that.....which was why I stuck with the flute...one changed the pitch while blowing into it (adjusting from flat to sharp to the perfect pitch).

I do miss music....playing the piano never gave me as much enjoyment as my flute though. I can just imagine how wonderful your harp sounds when you are playing...what a peaceful feeling to generate such a gorgeous sound.

[ECHOES]

Your harp is beautiful, splitimage. I love the pic - it looks to me as if your harp is center stage

Such a beautiful instrument must make for beautiful music. What a joy!

[Sabrina]

Your harp is beautiful. Who played it at the concert?

Holy moley....BIG!!! In what genres do you play it SI? Celtic is a big draw for me with these though also with a lot of trad stuff in other european cultures. Geez this thing is tougher to move than a grand pianny! My niece was/is a fiddle player back east and about a year ago aquired a harp...no el grande hugioso like this baby tho!

Sorry to hear about your flute Eskie....You musical folk are so lucky to be so gifted y'know? it's like knowing another language except it's one that everyone can understand without being able to speak it necessarily. Boyoboy...If I didn't like music I would concede that I wz dead. I cain't play worth a nickel but my ears thank all who can!

Oh...btw what attracted me to the post happened to be the bands name....sounded like perhaps some blues fusion thing. I expected somehow a friend onstage was using your...mouthharp! *grin* That's the only instument I hack away at...mostly ol' jigs and occasional bluesy wails to my audience of ...a cat.

[splitimage]

Eskie,

I'm so sorry about your flute - I remember when you first posted that it was stolen. I guess that's one plus about having an instrument that weighs a 100 lbs, nobody's going to just snatch it, and yes I do have it reappraised every year for insurance purposes.

Quizzikle - I pay a wide range of music. I mainly play classical, Latin American, and Celtic, as well as some contemporary composers. The harp your neice bought was probably a lever / celtic / folk harp. They're a lot smaller, although there are some amazing sounding celtic harps out there. I have a celtic harp too, that I love. I mainly play celtic on it, the music actually sounds better on the celtic harp.

My big pedal harp - the one in the picture, is staying with my harp teacher in her studio since I don't have room for it at St, Clare's, but I have my celtic harp with me, in my room.

splitimage

[purple_fins]

It's so very beautiful!
wonder if you feel like a proud mom? I would!

thanks so much for sharing!

fins

[Fresia]

It really is a stunning instrument and so lovely to hear. I understand why you love it so much. Some of my favorite pieces to listen to are done on the harp.

It's so great that they sent you the photo to have and it is so very cool that it is so prominent on the stage, steals the show! Thank you for sharing it.

Oooooh cool - i love florence and the machine, she was very lucky to be loaned that lovely harp ^^

[notz]

Oh SplitImage!!!! That harp is exquisite! Just beautiful...will always think of you whenever I hear harp music always and forever now!

[gma45]

What a beautiful instrument, Something to be proud of Splitimage. I imagine it sounds heavenly. I also would love to hear it played.

[Nicks_Nose]

The harp is lovely, splitimage. I admire people like you and Eskie, who can express with such beauty. I have no artistic skill. I do appreciate beautiful music though. I bet when you play, the whole world feels like a harmony.

[dillpickle1983]

the harp is very pretty. It must sounds wonderous when played. Would love to hear you play it sometime!