Kathy Pepers - Celtic Harper Videos

I found this old recording while looking for something else. It isn't the greatest quality (recording or playing, ha!), but the tunes are sweet (and one of them I had forgotten about!) - so I thought I'd share it for Christmas, especially as I haven't posted anything in so long. But it's not going up on YouTube - it's just for fun. Here is a medley of some pretty German Christmas tunes. 🎄🎶

Did you know that March is not only #EarlyMusicMonth but also #PlayTheRecorderMonth ? Did you know that I love early music and that was why I started the harp and not because of Celtic music? Did you also know that I taught myself to play the recorder fairly well but about a billion years ago? I had some fun tonight (if struggling with technology is ‘fun’) and eventually managed to make a short duet with myself. My recorder skills are pretty rusty (my breath control SUCKS 😅) but it got better as I went along and it is pretty good for not playing for many many years. I will try to improve. It is fun to play it again. Now that I have the complicated technical process worked out, maybe I will do another one or two during this Early Music Month, and maybe some just for harp alone (you’ll be glad to hear, I bet!).

The Old Rugged Cross (arr R Barnwell) - Celtic Harp Version
I got this lovely arrangement (by Rhett Barnwell) back under my fingers for last Sunday's church, so I finally made a recording (before it gets rusty again!). Had some more fun with making something nice to look at (for a change...) while you listen. Hope you enjoy.

A sunny tune by O'Carolan - Planxty Lord Inchiquin.

A gentle tune by O’Carolan for you today. O’Carolan’s Welcome.

Give Me Your Hand
Here's a cheerful tune you probably recognise - Give me your Hand. This tune was collected by Edward Bunting (the same scholar/musician who collected so many of O'Carolan's tunes) and published in his "The Ancient Music of Ireland" in 1840. But this comes to us from a different ancient harper - a fellow called Rory Dall. Rory led so colourful a life that in reading five sources/pages about him, I have read five different accounts, one of which suggests maybe he never existed at all. The generally accepted/popular (aka not academic/researched) version is basically that Rory was born an Irish harper and of noble family. He travelled, in high style, to Scotland once and made such an impression there that there are many stories about him - so many that there are several sources that say he was actually Scottish. Or perhaps there was another harper called Rory Dall, this one Scottish, living and composing vaguely around the same time. But sticking with the romantic version, and regarding this tune in particular, this story was published by Arthur O'Neill (c. 1810): "Rory Dall took a fancy to visit Scotland where there were great harpers. He took his retinue (or suit) with him. Amongst other visits in the style of an Irish chieftain he paid one to a Lady Eglinton, and she not knowing his rank in a peremptory manner demanded a tune which he declined, as he only came to play to amuse her, and in an irritable manner left the house. However, when she was informed of his consequence, she eagerly contrived a reconciliation and made an apology, and the result was that he composed a tune for her ladyship, the handsome tune of "Da Mihi Manum" (Give Me Your Hand) on which his fame spread thro' Scotland." https://tunearch.org/wiki/Annotation:Give_Me_Your_Hand So...when I play this tune for a concert, I just tell the audience that it seems to be a tune written by an Irish harper while he was in Scotland - so it's both Scottish and Irish, so let's not fight about it! One th

A simple, sweet, and calming tune for you this Monday - "Angel's Hymn" - composed by harpist Rhett Barnwell (https://www.seraphimmusic.com) #peace #serenity #harp

Lost my Love / The Orange Rogue
Some quiet tunes for a quiet Sunday evening. "I lost my love" and "The orange rogue".

Sneak peek. I am enjoying this piece so much, I just wanted to share an early version with you. I’m in a bit of a quandary about the tempo. I like it even slower than this, because it is so pretty and the details, like hearing the counter melody or the echo of the dissonance, are lost a little when it’s faster. But the “posted” speed is a bit faster yet than this version. I like both! But anyway, this version is in between. I will record it properly this weekend, I hope, and decide one way or another. 🤔

Here is another tune I recorded recently…the haunting Ashokan Farewell, written as a fiddle tune by Jay Ungar in the style of a traditional Scottish lament. I felt the need for a lament, with recent events. A beautiful tune. (The picture, BTW, is of Ashokan, New York).

Gentle Annie by Stephen Foster
As I mentioned, life has been challenging lately as we lost my husband’s sister to cancer, so harping has not been my top priority, obviously. Things are calmer now, and I am getting back to working on the two tunes I mentioned before, but for now, for a little something for you, I did a quick version of an arrangement I love very much. Well…part of an arrangement anyway. This is really just the first bit of a very lovely arrangement by Kim Robertson of the tune Gentle Annie (which I am playing) and then the gorgeous Scottish song Annie Laurie. I really really really love this arrangement and I’m afraid I play it slowly because I’m really savouring it. I will include the link to Kim’s performance of the whole thing so you can hear how it should really sound (extra wonderful with guitar and cello helping out)…but this is just the little version I did of Gentle Annie on her own. Kim Robertson’s version: https://youtu.be/gMG3AMeTMYw