Harp Crate

When I talked with my dad on the phone to make arrangements to visit over the weekend he said, “Go ahead and bring that harp crate down when you come so that you can take the harp back home. Your mother hasn’t done anything with that harp since you brought it down last month.”  

After my mom played for awhile on Sunday, she said, “Well.” I asked what she meant and she said, “I think I’m done playing for now.” Then she began playing again and continued for another 15 minutes. As she continued playing, my dad said, “Well, maybe you can leave it here for awhile yet, and we’ll see how it goes.” 

1st Communion Coincidence

Before I left for the weekend, I dug out my 1st Communion Rosary. While driving home, I wanted to pray for a dear friend who had a lump in her breast biopsied the previous week and was going to have the lump removed next week. 

I love the coincidence that when I joined the musicians at my parent’s church, it happened to be 1st Communion Sunday. 

Recital

I happened to visit on the weekend when my nieces and nephews had their piano recital. They are lucky enough to take lessons with a teacher who has taught piano for 46 years! My oldest niece has taken lessons for over ten years, and this year she played a piece called “Hungary” which her teacher also played in recital. It’s so cool to have more musicians in the family!

Tartan Day

I played a few sets on the harp again this year, and I also danced with the Heather ‘N’ Thistle Royal Scottish Country Dancers. I love that when I look at a dance “brief”, it actually makes sense to me now. For example, here is the dance brief for one of the four dances we performed:

Touch of Tartan (32R3c)

1-4 1st couple turn RH and cast off (2nd couple set up 3-4)

5-8 1st couple turn LH (4 bars) to face 1st corners

9-12 1st couple back-to-back with 1st coreners

13-16  1st couple turn 1st corner (4 bars) and pass partner left           shoulder finish facing 2nd corner

17-24  1st couple repeat 9-16 with 2nd corners, end passing   right shoulder to finish 2nd place on own side

25-32  2nd-1st-3rd couples circle six hands round and back

This year Melanie Pratt told stories again, but asked me to join her on the story “Twa Sisters”. She loaned me a storybook that has music melodies to go with these old ballads. After seeing this treasure, I had to order a copy for myself!

More photos can be found at Tartan Day of Central Ohio on Facebook.

Change of Harp

The last time I visited my parents was the first time my dad said, “You could leave that harp down here for your mother to play.” I had offered to leave a harp before, but Dad had always declined. I’m not sure what was different this time and made him open to that idea. Perhaps he saw that Mom stayed engaged for awhile and she didn’t feel inhibited. 

I didn’t leave that harp, but said I’d bring a different one that had a larger base and was more stable. I brought my 1985 Triplett Celtic harp that has 34 strings. I bought it from my friend Mark, and it has no case. So when I came in the front door with harp in the original shipping box my dad said, “That is too big.” My mom was so excited and just kept saying, “This is perfect.” As I took the harp out of the box, Dad repeated, “That is just too big,” while Mom danced around the harp saying, “Not for me!” 

Dad relented saying, “Well, we’ll give it a try and see how it goes.”

Musicians In Harmony

 PNC Bank is sponsoring new and innovative collaborations with a 3 year 1.5 million dollar initiative. This concert brought together the Columbus ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, The Columbus Gay Men's Chorus, and Columbus Children's Choir for a first-time, one-of-a-kind performance. As if that unusual collaboration didn't have all of the bases covered, they performed Srul Irving Glick's Psalm Trilogy, Leonard Bernstein's Chichester Psalms, and Abraham Kaplan's Choruses from Glorious with many of the texts sung in Hebrew and English. They performed in the newly renovated (rebuilt) Lincoln Theatre in the revitalized Mt. Vernon district.

Jeanne Norton, Harpist, rehearses on stage before other musicians arrive

Columns with Egyptian decorations

Beautiful Egyptian motifs adorn the ceiling

The Columbus Gay Men's Chorus and Columbus Children's Choir
on stage with ProMusica Chamber Orchestra

The combined choirs assemble on stage
as the audience takes their seats

Jeanne Norton with her beautiful
Salzedo Harp. She was one of Salzedo's students

Yes, I was really there!

Mid Ohio Scottish Heritage Association Meeting

      Anna Ellsworth provided entertainment for the Mid Ohio Scottish Heritage Association meeting by playing her Lyon & Healy Style 100 Harp. She is a student of Jude Mollenhauer, principal harpist with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra. Jude was a student of Salzedo.

Ms. Ellsworth's grandfather served as minister at a nearby Presbyterian church for many years where several MOSHA members attend.

At the business meeting, plans were updated for Tartan Day. The membership also voted to make a donation to an endowment named after Dr. Andrew Turner who was a member of MOSHA and from Clan Lamont. This endowment provides scholarships to harpers.

The membership also discussed the future of the organization which, like many ethnic heritage organizations, faces a declining membership.