The Read Leaf -- Now Published!

I am very excited to tell you that my new composition, The Red Leaf is now available for sale!  The cost will be $ 5.00 plus shipping.

The piece is 4 pages long, for intermediate players. 
It's a peaceful sounding tune and you will be able to imagine the leaf travelling along as it floats through the air and swirls in the water of a small stream.

I hope everyone will want a copy!

:-)

Tunes to Go

Tunes to Go, 400 tunes in lead sheet format for the harp, by Cynthia Shelhart. Published by HarperCraft Productions, 2003. 290 pages, $39.95. Available from: http://www.cynthiashelhart.com/.

Are you looking for Celtic/Folk, Children’s, Christmas, Early/Classical, Other Holiday/Patriotic and/or Religious selections?
I will tell you, this book is one of my MOST favorite! 
This extraordinary collection has it all!  With the exception of a few original tunes by Cynthia herself, all the tunes in this book are in the public domain. It is spiral bound and lays flat nicely. 
The melodies and chord symbols are easy to read. You will find familiar tunes as well as new ones.  It's a great resource and also an opportunity to learn reading from a lead sheet!
Ideal for ANY musician who plays melody instruments: keyboards, harps, guitars, etc. Order it today! Tell Cynthia I sent you! :-)

Blossoms and Briars - a new CD by Nancy Davis

Blossoms & Briars, Songs of Love and Other Mischief  ~
featuring Nancy Davis on Celtic Harp and Voice

You will certainly enjoy this lovely  new CD.  Nancy's voice sounds sweet and clear, as she tells the story of each tune. 
Her selections are unique, some familiar to me, some new.  Nancy's harp accompaniments are very creative (I love them all!), and fit each story beautifully.  You will find some ideas for your own solo and voice/harp arrangements here as well!
Some selections include: The Wind the Shakes the Barley, The Fields of Athenry and The Fisherman's Song.  You contact Nancy and find out more about her at http://www.harpscapes.com/.  Tell her I sent you!!! :-)

Happy Holidays from Harp Matters!

TAPESTRY played on Dec. 10th for a lovely party given by the President of Mercy Tiffin Hospital.

We played in McCutchenville, Ohio, a place called "Plank Road Tavern".

The people were delightful and the food, excellent!

McCutchenville is about half way between Findlay, Ohio and Tiffin, Ohio. 

If you are ever in the area, it's well worth stopping for a bite!

Holiday Harps

Holiday Harps, Harp Ornaments for Joyous Times, photographs and text compilation by Diana Stork, Tasha Waters and Ethan Snyderman. Published by Diana Stork, 2010, 46 pages, $ 15.00.

Available from: www.harpdancer.com. 

We all have a collection of harp ornaments and baubles, right? Well, “Holiday Harps” is a beautiful collection of full color photographs from Diana Stork’s ornament collection. You will enjoy combing through these pages and exploring photographs of ornaments new and old. Mixed throughout are quotes, poems, song lyrics about harps and music for your enjoyment. Each page has a quote, poem, song lyric or short history of the ornaments. This delightful, high-quality book is just 4 ½ inches wide and 6 ½ inches high, and even has a protective cover. It is the ideal stocking stuffer for yourself or a harpist friend!

"That's the way it was...."

Welcome to our new feature "That's the way it was..."
You will enjoy reading about things from the past. 

In this issue, we are taking some things from the Fall, 1951 issue of Harp News. 
Harp News was a predessor to the American Harp Journal.  
This cute little ad appeared on page 15.
I have removed the name and address of the business where you were to send your $ 3.25, as it does not exist anymore.
Does anyone have one of these?

The second item for your enjoyment from this issue of Harp News is a little "News Notes" item. It read as follows:

" Harpo Marx takes his harp and bag of tricks to Chicago October 11th to 21st to play and cavort at the Stockyards Amphitheatre during the annual Show and Rodeo. "

Harp Mouse Adventures-Book II

Harp Mouse Adventures-Book II, by Diane E Dunn. Illustrated by Donna Pellegata. Published by Heart & Harp, LLC, 2010. 24 pages. $ 6.95. Available from: http://www.heartandharp.net/.

Do you remember Diane’s first ‘harp mouse’ book, The Harp Mouse Chooses Her Home- The Adventure Begins? Well, in Book II the adventures continue! Follow the ‘harp mouse’, in the place where the harp lives and as she travels with her beloved harp and harpist to a school program and a beautiful wedding reception (where she visits with all the other mice from various walks of life).

This brilliantly illustrated book is an ideal gift for yourself, a harpist friend or a child in your life. I used a pair of the 'harp mouse' books along with a little mouse finger puppet as a gift for a new baby. If you ask, I'll bet Diane will sign your book for you!