Stamford Harp Festival Highlights 2004 Concerts Classes Other activities  Supporters Next year Programme page Photo gallery Sunday concert The third and final concert of the 6th Stamford Harp Festival left the audience silent and stunned... Eleanor Turner's first playing of 'I have no wish to say goodbye' (a new commission from the Performing Rights Society Foundation for New Music), accompanied by Iraqi harpist Tara Jaff and RCM cellist Rowena Calvert left the audience overwhelmed. Ancient sounds reminiscent of millennia past, violent discords, disharmony, collective dissonance and murderous explosive percussion brought listeners to their feet. One person had to leave the building in emotional tears. Extreme harp! The new commission for classical harp, Ur harp and cello covered the whole gamut of the tragedy of what is Iraq today. Accompanied by poignant poetry the mood was electric as the final sad Ur harp sounds died away. In utter contrast the previous half of jazz harp from Monika Stadler, and song and clarsach by Mark Harmer and cyber-partner Helen Roche (who met "in real life" for the first time at the concert) introduced the packed church to a further range of music. Sephardic sounds from Bjorn Laub and passionate Argentine harp played by Lorenzo Paris of Buenos Aires spoke of the wider world. Music is truly a form of international communication.     Friday concert This was our major public concert, with Monika Stadler and Savourna Stevenson. It was introduced by hammered dulcimer and harp. Jonathan Letcher and Bjorn Laub "didn’t play enough", we were told, and we will have more of them in future. Monika Stadler's jazzy-freestyle harp went down well and we have been told by many that this was the high spot of the night. Savourna Stevenson warmed to the audience. Her sultry chat was perfect to the warm night and we were proud to have her, as an ambassador of great stature for Celtic music, with us at Stamford. If you have good photos of this concert that we can use on the site, please email hermes@change-works.com!   Saturday concert The Latin Fiesta was great and already we have been told to make it a yearly event. We were supported by the Paraguayan community, Colombians and by Argentina. The Theatre in the Stamford Arts Centre is a fine venue with the lights and sound systems. Never before have we witnessed an audience invading the stage to dance along at a harp concert! Thanks to the nine Anglo-Paraguayan Society boys and girls who came from London to dance and show off their great national style. Diego Laverde`s group showed off once again what diverse folk music and dance exists in South America. His Colombian music and dance needs a bigger stage in the world. Thanks to Kike, Gladys and Christobal Pederson and to harpist Diego Vera (surprise guest from Paraguay), who all played.   Classes For the rest of the weekend classes were full up. Over 75 harpists now attend the Stamford Harp Festival. We need to think about matching classes to standards of playing ability more next year. Savourna Stevenson's class was bursting at the seams (advised by Savourna's manager that this “would be OK”, incidentally!). We will stop at 15 as a maximum in future!  To take on such a fearsome class was a brave act and a complete success. Monika Stadler`s class was full and for the advanced musician provided a real insight into composition. Eleanor Turner introduced a new Small Harp class. Elizabeth Roy of Small Harps for Coventry talked to gave potential beginners their first taste of harp playing. Famous twins Rosemary Munro and Margaret Scruby gave a Paraguayan Class. Nick Achurch taught famous but underrated standard classics for the harpist's repertoire. Keith Beechey taught a second English Harp class this year. Mark Harmer's famous rhythm class was run once again. Sephardic harp with Bjorn Laub was a new idea and will run again. Nicole's Jazz Class was strictly run as usual on organised Viennese lines and was well received. Pachelbel's Canon for 19 massed harps was terrific! This group is now a yearly event and we are searching for a good tune to distribute beforehand, suitable for mass playing. Thanks to Mr Keith Beechey who suggested and then took this on role as director, for no reward and completely voluntarily!     Other activities The barbecue at Northborough was a great occasion for chatting with fellow harpists over plentiful food and drink. It was marred only by a brief rainstorm that managed to soak us through the awnings! The CD desk and the “Used Harp Department” were a complete success. We will run it again. Anything old (and no longer used so much) can be put up for sale. Bring your old teachers! Tacye Phillipson now has much shortened fingers after all her free lessons. Thanks to Pilgrim Harps who sponsored her! Her last year`s efforts resulted in creating at least three new harpists this year. Tacye is fantastic for the Festival... and we are now lodging lots of unhelpful "Objection Certificates" to her entering the USA (not returning, she says). Only kidding of course. The Makers' Exhibition was great! Salvi Harps, for the very first time came along and stayed, entering into the spirit of the Stamford Harp Festival rightaway! We used their 'Lyon and Healey' for two concerts and are proud that such world-class makers now come along and meet our crowd. Parking is a problem at the Stamford Arts Centre. There are only around 18 spaces and their own staff need is high. So we need to see what can be done next year. Public parking is near but we will see if we can get special treatment. A film crew deciding to film 'Pride and Prejudice' at the same time in Stamford did not help matters! We will keep the makers' exhibition to the same number of high quality exhibitors next year. Thanks to Mark Norris Harps, Salvi, Pilgrim, Cumbrian, Telynau Vining and Jonathan Letcher for their vital and well-appreciated support. A serious, girly-administrator vote was taken on the “Man of the Festival” and... Mr Mark Norris was voted "Maker who we would most like to have lessons from"! This was the first year that we have had a minibus for our use during the festival. It was great to "meet and greet", and to collect from the airport. We need a driver to help next year. Thanks to the Stamford Endowed School for Girls for fine accommodation in Stamford, a busy tourist destination in summer. We have tried to keep the costs down to a minimum for accommodation.     Supporters Many thanks to the following, whose help has been vital in making the Festival such a success. Anglia TV and their harp-loving presenter Piers BBC Radio Lincoln BBC Radio Rutland Lincolnshire County Council for their help with the Latin Fiesta Northborough Parish Council Peterborough City Council Sir Franklin Braithwaite (lover of our first CD, and youthful supporter) South Kesteven Council (for their help with the Arts Centre) St Andrew's Church Ladies Group Stamford School (for accommodation) Stamford Town Council The Anglo Paraguayan Society (once again for great friendship) The Austrian Cultural Forum The Clarsach Society (for the first time helping support a teacher) The Fallows family (for donating a complete "harp sale" to the Festival) The Performing Rights Society Foundation for New Music The Stamford Arts Centre Staff  (Manager David Popple and fantastic helpers) The Stamford Mercury Maeve Lowings Jennifer Olle Mary Schmidt ...and, of course, all our teachers and players Next year We have decided to aim for a well-organised and inclusive event for all who come. As always, a stream of ideas is now coming in. The fun of this year will sustain us to the next. During the weekend we had 31 performers on stage, only 5 of which were from the UK. We took a vote on the Monday and have now declared the next event: The 7th International Stamford Harp Festival Friday 26th - Sunday 28th August 2005 See you there!   Andy Lowings   Stamford Harp Festival, c/o 15 Church St, Northborough, Peterborough, PE6 9BN Tel: 01733 253068 Email: stamfordharpfestival@hotmail.com Web: www.stamfordharpfestival.co.uk