Home again

My last workshop of the weekend was How to Play With Lead Sheets, again with Pamela Bruner. While I've done some composing and arranging on the piano in the past, I've had problems with doing the same thing on the harp. Pamela showed us some patterns to use with the left hand that really will make a difference for me. She has a real talent for creating simple harp arrangements that sound very fancy. I am looking forward to trying them out at home.

After the workshop, we all enjoyed the last concert of the weekend. The harp ensemble was especially enjoyable, since this year I wasn't playing with them and could just listen. I knew many of the people participating and is was great fun to watch them perform. They played an arrangement of Glen Livet by Denise Grupp-Verbon, and an arrangement of Waltz of the Flowers by Frank Voltz. Frank created the arrangement with Denise in mind. Her amazing skill and talent really shined through!

Sue Richardson then took the stage and completely delighted everyone. Her skill and artistry clearly demonstrated why she's a Scottish harp champ and Wammie winner. I closed my eyes while she was playing and let the ancient Celtic music vibrate through to my bones. I could feel the draw of the ancient ruins and deep forests of my ancestors. You can't hear that type of rich, stirring chords in modern music. It was hypnotic.

We finished up the day with the prize drawings. The main prize, a Dreamweaver harp from Heartland Harps was won the night before. Then everyone gathered their harps, and drifted out of the Inn. The 2010 Harp Gathering has complete.

I'll be summing up my feelings about this weekend later in the week. After a full weekend, and a two hour drive home, I'm ready to put my feet up and relax. I look at my harp, back in it's proper place in my music room, and think, "Tomorrow I'll play around with what I've learned." But as I sit in the recliner, I think I'm hearing a call from the music room.

I probably won't wait until tomorrow...