The Harp is the symbol of Ireland.
Harps were played all over the World.....carvings of them were found in Ancient Egypt, Babylon and Mesopotamia.
There was a harp carved in the tomb of Pharaoh Ramses III. In those days harps were easily portable, and held in the lap.
They were taken into battle by the Romans and Greeks....and armies throughout the World,
probably because the Harp can both stir the soul and soothe the spirit.
It was said that if not for the Irish Harp, there would have been no music during the Crusades.
In Ireland, early harps were carved from one piece of bog oak, and strung with wire.
It was the only instrument where the strings were parallel to the sound box.
In the early days there were no pedals or levers of course.
In medieval Ireland, harpists were in demand at all gatherings and celebrations.
It was a way to earn a living , even if the musician was blind.....he could wander throughout Ireland,
entertaining at tribal gatherings, weddings and wakes.
Queen Elizabeth I issued a proclamation that Harpists in Ireland were to be hanged and their instruments destroyed,
to prevent insurrection.
The Irish have been known to use music, song and their language to pass on messages of hope, patriotism and rebellion.
For this reason, the National symbol and the Irish language were again banned by the British in the 18th Century.
Despite it's History, the Irish Harp has survived and is growing in popularity.
The YouTube clip below is a wonderful harpist, Sarah Deere-Jones of the Cornwall Harp Centre,
on the beautiful South West coast of England.
The microphone was hidden inside the harp, otherwise there would have been too much wind noise.
Cornwall was a Celtic Nation within England, with it's own culture, customs and language.
I can personally testify it is one of the most beautiful areas of the British Isles, and has the mildest climate due to the Gulf Stream. The coast is rocky and was always treacherous to shipping, especially the Spanish Armada.
Today, the coast is dotted with small sleepy fishing villages, and friendly pubs.
Dave thought he had died and gone to Heaven!
Relax for a minute, and listen to Sarah playing a tune by the blind Irish Harpist Turloch O'Carolan:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5r-vhnGFWKA&feature=relatedThe village of Mousehole, Cornwall:
