THE MAGIC OF A
THOUSAND STRINGS
International
Harp Ensemble at the Civic Theatre
18.01.14
A
forest of harps filling the Civic Stage. Based in the Home Counties,
this unique ensemble includes performers of all ages and backgrounds,
playing
harps of all colours and sizes, and
is no stranger to overseas tours and prestige gigs.
Last
year they played on Songs of Praise with Britain's Got Talent prodigy
Faryl Smith. And she was with them in the Civic, singing that same
hymn
as well as some lovely Bernstein, and, hurrah, the old Noel Gay
number I Took My Harp to a Party.
The
harps at this party, hosted by their
bubbly,
enthusiastic founder and director Luisa-Maria Cordell, gave us a
wide-ranging repertoire: Black and White Rag, a Baroque Flamenco,
Skyfall and Take Five, as
well as classical favourites from Handel, Purcell and Pachelbel.
Of
course it's not necessarily true that two dozen instruments will
sound better than two, but strength of numbers was particularly
effective
in Pirates of the Caribbean, and my favourite, a piece of Balinese
minimalism named
Spice Islands.
The
harp sound was enhanced by a solo cello, a double bass, and
percussion, much of it provided by the players knocking and slapping
on the wooden frame of their instruments.
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