Wednesday 30 June 2010

pupils and tea partys

I promised you the name of the Festival but its all to no avail as its sold out anyway...! Hoping for more off the back of this one though - keep spreading the word!

Well, Dave actually cut the lawn today - a major benchmark for the garden. Someone actually noticed how fantastic it was looking. The pergola is causing comment - it looks like a wigwam without its canvass.

I had an afternoon of teaching. I have noticed mothers arriving early and leaving late which usually means there is a sort of party going on in my dining room whilst I teach - hillarious! Oh well, am determined to 'leave my mark' - some seriously good harpers coming through.

Thursday 24 June 2010

pergola

Dave is not impressed with the pergola. (Actually I'm not, that's the whole point). It is a temporary one to give me some shade till I can find the time to make a proper one. Might as well get the honeysuckle to start growing up something! A friend of mine thinks I should grow Italian Squashes - huh! - fat chance of me achieving that.... The flowers in the garden are all easy to grow. Loads of herbs - they fascinate me and there are so many growing naturally around the farm as it used to belong to monks in the 13th-16th Centuries. It also fascinates me how strong they are. It is no secret that Dave has been extremely ill and certain herbs help him de-tox but I used to use half a leaf of Lovage in a stew - adds a lovely peppery taste. In the past girls used to stuff Lovage leaves under their armpits to stop BO. Just a small leaf brings Dave out in huge lumps and a high temperature... Talking of which - another difficult day for harps!!!! - YES - spare us a thought! High temp and high humidity - and a wooden instrument - this is the sort of day harps explode. Now you know why I have back-up harps!

Wednesday 23 June 2010

weeding

I have tar on my knees, my hands and my feet! Came about with my new method of eradicating the nettles and docks from my garden. Dave bought a job lot of roofing felt on Ebay a year ago so I though I would use that under the flags to keep the weeds down. It is mega-thick with tar in the middle and in all this hot weather it has melted... It works a treat but gets everywhere!

On the harp front - I have had a couple of sell-out concerts and more and more people seem convinced that I am worth listening to and, that it really is different! It has taken such a long time to invent the harp, the technique, compose the tunes and learn how to make the harps. Looking back I don't think I would have started if I knew what a long job it was! There are 3 harps in construction - a long slow process - mostly waiting for glue to dry!

Well, am off back outside - just a six foot section of small wall to build and the walling is finished. Its too hot to plant anything so that will have to wait to the normal English summer comes back...(don't blame me!)

Thursday 17 June 2010

sleeping beauty

I did a wedding a few weeks ago at the most gorgeous old castle. Somebody's home, and somebody who loved their gardens. I sneaked a walk round afterwards whilst the guests were eating. I am presently working on my garden - a nettle wilderness for the past few years alas. Yesterday I moved a load of stone and got the main wall built. Today's job is digging all the dock and nettles out of the next stretch...

The wedding was a Chinese one. I was asked to learn one Chinese harp piece. At the front of the Great Hall were two huge wooden antique chairs - a lot of the furniture and flowers in this Castle had obviously come from the East. The guests were invited to sit in these chairs and the bride and groom knelt in front and gave them a special cup of tea. The guests would then announce their 'gift' - happiness, prosperity etc. Starting with the Bride's parents this went on for 40 minutes. Every time there was a mention of babies or children the Chinese guests collapsed in a fit of giggles. I can see where the inspiration came for the fairytale now. Needless to say my 4 minute Chinese tune ran out half way through the first pledge so had to improvise. Luckily no-one seemed to notice the Chinese 'versions' of 'She' and 'Queen of Sheba' (the tunes chosen as Processional and Recessional)...

See you this Saturday at Otley Courthouse - 8 pm - with Andy Hill (hillarious songwriter)

Tuesday 15 June 2010

Church at Malham

Actually gone through the skin on my thumb I have been practising so much this week - hence the lack of blogs... Recording tomorrow and I am so looking forward to playing for pleasure after that!

Played at the Mela on Saturday. Nearly disappeared in the smoke from the machine at the back of the stage but had a good audience. The following morning my mum overheard a conversation at Church in Malham. They were talking about this amazing harpist at the Mela. She said it must be her daughter - what was her name? They didn't know, but didn't think it was her daughter as she was in her thirties and Irish....hmmm. Mum was absolutely convinced it was me so persevered. 'did she have a silver harp that she made herself?' - yes - but still more evidence was needed. In the end they were only convinced when she asked 'did she have a gap in her teeth?'

Next gig Otley Courthouse - this Saturday 19th - 8 pm Come and see me and Big Al ...

Saturday 12 June 2010

towing trailers

What a torturous journey coming up the A1 is.... I always seem to be on it when the rain and wind are lashing sidewards and it is too scarey (for me) to attempt to overtake the lorries when it's just 2 lanes... Got stuck behind a glider trailer this time for a while! Nothing against gliders I hasten to add!!! (my daughter being a pilot). It cheered me up actually.

One of my favourite true stories is the one where 2 friends of my daughters were towing a certain university's glider to the south of France on the motorway. Everything seemed fine when a traffic report came on the radio. They turned it up at the mention of the very same motorway but didn't worry when the report said the tailback was 10 miles behind them. Then a word caught their attention... 'What exactly is glider in french?'... By the the next junction they had worked it out. They sped back down the motorway, passed the tailback, to the next junction, and came back up the hard shoulder very sheepishly.

The glider had quietly slipped out of the trailor leaving the doors flapping. Absolutely everyone had managed to avoid it and it was parked quite perfectly on the middle lane...complete with huge logo for one of the top universities on the side - ha ha - good one!

Monday 7 June 2010

another adventure

Only just back on the blog and off again in Ginge! Moving number one daughter, Philiy to a new house tomorrow. Ginge packed with a set of 6 Elm dining chairs, a blackcurrant bush, pans and a chicken caserole.

I rehearsed with Benjamin Till (composer of the Yorkshire Symphony) this afternoon - well he played my piano and I joined in a bit on the harp! I have such a distinctive style of playing it is important I don't add too much character to a piece when there's a full orchestra! The Yorkshire Symphony is recording next week.

Bradford Mela this Saturday 12-3 ish

Sunday 6 June 2010

The tour bus - Ginge

Well, I'm back - not sure what happenned but the blog didn't work for a few days and indeed lost my last blog somewhere along the line...

Had a superb trip up the dales to Austwick yesterday in my camper van, Ginge. My son, Albert, had recorded 6 cds of music especially for me so was all set... I like the fact that other VW campers wave at me - not just a sedate hand but massive friendly, mad waves (we're all such happy people - ha ha!!!). The vicar of Clapham said I am a happy person so thank you for that. I discovered that the 'famous - folk on 2' resident of Austwick, or thereabouts, has a VW camper van - a posh one indeed. Ginge isn't bothered too much. Had a slightly extended visit as when I got back to the van after the concert I was blocked in by 2 range-rovers (uh). Nothing for it but to go for a walk till the pub shut.

Drove back at midnight with the windows open and the smell of wild garlic and the sounds of ... (Albert - who on earth was that bass player???!).

This Saturday - Kiwi Stage - Bradford Mela 12noon-3 ish, ish, ish - come and dance to the harp...