'like the Queen'

Had a lovely time in Cambridge. In awe, as ever, of the choir at Kings (we attended Evensong at 5.30 pm). Also for the fact that they are so welcoming. No snobbery, no atmosphere - I know a lot of people who would love the experience but would feel initimidated by the big oak studded doors or whatever! GO! Philippa told us that before the Christmas Eve Carol Service some mountaineering students had placed Father Christmas hats on the pinicles. 'The Beeb' (I think its on that channel?!) made the College remove them before they broadcast....at a huge cost. She added that a few years ago as a publicity stunt for the May Ball a Mini (car) appeared on the roof of the building opposite - no-one knows to this day how they did it.

Had a brief look round Lewis shop where Mum wanted to buy an umbrella 'like the Queen's' (keeps more rain off and doesn't spike people in a busy high street!).

off to Cambridge

Got to crack on! Mum arrives at 10 and we pack up her car with Philippa's harp and a box of chemistry files. Hoping to have lunch at Ely and see the Cathedral. Will pick Philiy up from Adenbrooks in the afternoon and see some of Cambridge. We are going to Kings for Evensong - absolutely love organ music. Will have dinner and stay overnight. A brief visit as we both have to be back for Friday lunchtime so more tomorrow....!

Bicyc-Al

The temperature must have dropped very rapidly around 4 in the afternoon yesterday because 2 strings broke. One on Chordi-Al, and I was supposed to be teaching on it at 6, and one on Recyc-Al. It used to cost me £40 per thunderstorm as when the pressure and temperature drops together it affects the wood causing it to contract very quickly and something has to give! I now use fishing line so it is a nuisance but not such a major expense. I may have mentioned this already but when I first starting making harps I asked the string suppliers if I could have a whole roll of string in each different gauge. They refused and said it could only be bought in pre-cut lengths - absolutely useless to me as I had changed all the lengths to get my different (and unique) sound! (more umpfh with a bass that shakes the floor)

Awoke to yet more deep snow this morning - hoping there is no more as I am taking a harp to Cambridge for my daughter on Thursday. Her harp is one I designed but was professionally made by Alun Thomas at Wolfecastle, nr Haverfordwest. It has the sweetest tone ever from a tripleharp and we call it Bicyc-Al!

blue nail polish

They used to call it varnish but yet another Americanism? I had to buy a colour that was roughly blueish/purplish to colour the 'f' strings. It has to show up when on stage and they put coloured lights on! I got all the strings back onto Recyc-Al today so can start seriously tuning it up tomorrow...then start practising for some recording - WELL OVERDUE - I know!!! Watch this space!

a Miric-Al

The plan for the day went to pot. It was ... re-string Recyc-Al, have a leisurely day including a walk to the Co-op to buy ingredients for a cheesecake ... and go out for dinner - hey I should have known! The potatoes are simmering as I write, pork chops browning. But - we have nearly cut out my first-ever proper performance harp (Miric-Al ?) (too tired at this stage to think up a fantastic name) I have never, ever gone on stage with a harp with evenly-spaced strings, no vibrations, without roofing bolts etc etc. Always had that niggling doubt that something might explode and am trying to remember not to hit the 'e' string too hard as the 'twang' is dreadful as well as coax the harp to 'sing' the right tune.

Multi-strung harps are like good wines. They improve with age. A bit of a 'see-saw' to get in tune but once there, I know my maths is good and they will be rock solid. Fantastically stable - can leave a gig where the heating is on full blast and hit the icy air and minus 6 outside and not one string ever breaks (don't even bother with a cover).

My lungs are full of wood dust so am off to down a pint of my own Kombucha tea to ease the sore throat ... and maybe plan tomorrow?

waiting for the glue to dry

It worked well but caused huge concern to my husband as I spent nearly 2 hours braying the inside of the harp with hammer and chisel. Add to the noise of the hammer the noise of the strings resonating (I only took half of them off) and it sounds quite impressive! My piano tuner once repaired a piano that had been damaged by a mesmerised 3 yr old with a hammer...
It was extremely tricky getting all the clamps on - useful items included: - a stretchy pink rubber exercise strap, a piece of washing line and gripper things bought at an Amish Shop by my Mum. Inbetween getting loads of washing dry in the glorious sunshine today's job is sanding down Origin-Al, touching up the paint work and gluing on some silver holograms I found.

I have 2 more harps to strip down. I have seen 2 professionally-made harps 'explode'. They suddenly snapped across the head. As the strings start to break the pressure sends a force to about a third of the way up the forepillar and this can break too. Each string sounds like a gun-shot. When I initially started making harps I employed a 'belt and braces' approach. Its only after a couple of years that I know my new designs work and I can re-make some of the early harps and make them sound better and they are alot lighter to carry.

history and Prototypes

I wish I could paint - the snow is piled up on the branches of the trees and they even ploughed our road at 6.30 this morning (a first I think!).

I am having a template-free day today and have stripped the top strings off Recyc-Al. Now I have Origin-Al up and running I can improve Recyc-Al and hopefully get more depth of sound.... The trouble with inventing new things is that you end up playing prototypes and I have been too busy to get the real thing! For those of you who are completely baffled as to why a woman should suddenly decide to make over 20 harps in 6 years .... I shall try and explain. Firstly I wanted a modern image of tripleharp with a bass that shook the floor....achieved very quickly but a bit heavy to carry about. Also I wanted a traditional image of tripleharp - WITH TONE! This achieved 5 years ago - also light to carry - YIPPEE!! (apologies to the Welsh design but even a harp maker had to agree it was 'plinky-plonky' - interesting to note they last put effort into the design as far back as 1780 - work stopped with the invention of the pedal harp by Erard in 1796...)

Two and a half years ago I went to 4 sets of strings - a world first and quite a lot of luthiers I know said it wouldn't work..... I was told a few weeks ago by a Cambridge Professor that some of the best ideas come about through lack of research (sheer determination in my case). Not only did my 'quad harp' work but at its very first debut at a Dinner at Leeds Town Hall it was knocked off stage (when I had to leave it wired up to microphones whilst they did a 'horse race').
It somersaulted into the diners narrowly missing Vi-count and Vi-countess Lascelles - making horrendous noises at it did so as all the wires were torn out..... I picked it up and played the second half.......not bad eh???

the world's first ever quad harp

Only just got on today - it has taken so much longer than I thought to make the harp templates...
I have marked (with hammer and nail) over 200 holes to show where to put the pins and pegs and holes in the soundboard. The harps that I am playing at the moment I marked the outer string holes but did the inner string holes with a hand drill after I had put the strings on to make sure they were exactly in the middle. Hopefully the extra effort will produce the world's first ever totally accurate quad harp! SO GLAD THAT's DONE!!! More snow today and so grey and damp and COLD... I am off to curl up in bed with hot water bottles and a good book.

willow hedging

Today's job was going to be to plant more willow hedging. I usually aim for around Valentine's Day but this morning we had a very severe frost and I won't be able to push any twigs into the ground at all! Every year I patch up the hedging and it is starting to look really good. There are only a few places where my nosey neighbour has managed to push his way through and break the trees. He puts on his camouflage gear and sneaks into the wood to have a nosey! Usually we manage to 'tail' him very successfully and surprise him. Once he decided he would clear out the well on the track and my kids nearly fell out of the bedroom window laughing as he took his coat off and hung it on his spade. The cows sniffed it and liked it and started to lick the inside of his coat. A noise alerted him and he put it on and visibly shuddered at the warm slime... Well enough of this I have some filler to sand off the side of Origin-Al and then a coat of paint...and then its ready to play!

snow

Awoke to snow again this morning. We are just on the snowline so had snow at the back of the house but the front fields were clear! I got the harp 'thingys' made yesterday so all set to make the soundboards. Newly refurbished harp 'Origin-Al' is sounding great. Only had strings on a week and already sounding good. 128 strings in all so quite a fiddly job getting them on. This harp is the final prototype for Commerci-Al (pupils are keen to name their own harps and have all name their future harps with 'Al' at the end!!!)

I'm taking over the Blog!

Hello there - this is Fiona-Katie. I am taking over the writing of this blog as Dave is writing a book and needs more time. This morning was better than the usual Monday morning blues ...
Thank you to the bride who rang me to comment how different and beautiful my music was...(wow) and thank you to the Rainhall Centre who sent off an amazing review of the concert with James Hutton on Saturday night. All good. Off now to make a jig (?) think that is what it is called anyway. I have 4 soundboards to put together and am making something to hold them in place whilst they are glued/fibreglassed!

settle and the Rainhall centre

Fiona Katie finished off her weekend of concerts on Saturday night with a performance at the Rainhall centre near Earby where she performed with James Hutton Opera Singer above is a picture of them practisising for the event.

This followed a successful concert on Friday evening where Fiona Katie performed alongside Andy Hill at settle to raise funds for a church roof