Co Mayo harpers Laoise Kelly and Alannah Thornburgh will be performing as part of the Harps Alive│An Chruit Bheo│Harps Leevin festival in Belfast this weekend.
Winner of the TG4 Gradam na Bliana, harper Laoise Kelly will be describing Hugh Higgins’ – one of the blind harpers of the Assembly of 1792 – journey from Mayo to Belfast.
The aptly titled show From Mayo to Belfast with Harper Hugh Higgins will revisit some of Higgins’ music as well as detailing his astounding story on Sunday July 17 at The Duncairn in north Belfast.
Another fellow County Mayo Harper is Alannah Thornburg, who will also be travelling to Belfast to perform as part of the Harps Alive festival lineup.
Both Alannah and Laoise are set to play in the 230 Years a-Harping show on July 16 at First Presbyterian Church in Belfast city centre, revisiting some of the harpers’ music collected by Edward Bunting, alongside several other renowned Irish harpers from across the country.
“I’m delighted to be performing at the Harps Alive festival,” said Laoise “I look forward to performing alongside an amazing group of harpers at the Harps Alive Commemorative Concert, 230 years a-harping”.
“At the Harps Alive Commemorative Concert, I will be performing alongside 10 other harpers, commemorating the Belfast Harp Festival” said Alannah. “I will be playing a tune from the Bunting collection on my own, and I will also be playing a tune from the Bunting collection as part of a trio with Fiona Gryson & Sharon Carroll.”
A pivotal figure in 1792, Edward Bunting, then a 19-year-old organist, was employed to write down the music of the harpers and to transcribe their techniques, subsequently went on to publish his writings in three volumes called The Ancient Music of Ireland.
Organised by the Harps Alive partnership, the festival will bring together the finest harpers from across the island to recognise the landmark event that collected music more than two centuries ago for future harpers to learn from and perform.
The partnership between Harp Ireland and Reclaim The Enlightenment is to mark 230 years since the Belfast Harpers’ Assembly in Belfast. In 1792 the Harpers’ Assembly in Belfast brought together 11 harpers, six of which were blind and the eldest Denis Hempson was 97 at the time.
Aibhlín McCrann, Chair of Cruit Éireann Harp Ireland, said that celebrating the anniversary presented a unique musical opportunity for the harping community.
“We are delighted to bring harpers from all over Ireland together to mark 230 years since the Belfast Harpers’ Assembly in Belfast” she said.
“Our harping heritage transcends boundaries and has really connected the partners, north and south.
“It is wonderful to hear the harpers’ music reflecting our living tradition and to see that there is so much interest in it. We are looking forward to welcoming audiences across the city of Belfast to our concerts, talks and exhibitions and in Dublin later in the month.”
John Gray, Chair of Reclaim the Enlightenment added that the Harps Alive│An Chruit Bheo│Harps Leevin festival is rooted in musical history, with there being nods to the heritage throughout the entire event.
“In bringing more than 50 harpers to Belfast, the festival will create the largest ever such assembly in the city,” he said.
“It will be a celebration of the heritage of the harp and the contemporary revival of harp playing, and when it concludes we hope to have created more awareness of the harp tradition with the public and leave a lasting legacy.”
For tickets to both Alannah Thornburg and Laoise Kelly’s shows and for more information about the festival go to http://harpsalive.com