Ang-Al and Dav-Al

Next concert - Sat 5th Feb 2011 - 8 pm - Clayt0n Village Hall, BD14 6QN - £5 in advance/email us on info@tripleharps.com or tel 01535 642581
with Eddie Lawler, www.eddie-lawler.co.uk There is a bar!

I have just had an hour's practice. I have a lot on my mind so ended up playing 'the blues'! I am still sat looking at un-finished harps. The phone keeps ringing and there is generally so much to do. I am not sure how I ever managed to build so many in the past! Hopefully tomorrow ... I have, however, managed to get the extra string on Ang-Al so I can play a new tune! I have spent a long time getting this tune together (it was written in the 9thC by a Roman) and tonight I finally played it right through and was happy with it. I started playing it in another key but struggled at speed to dig my fingers into the inner strings (like the 'black' notes). I changed the key and ended up with one note short at the top! The great thing about making your own harps is you can get the drill out and add another string!

You may be wondering about the names of the harps. All the names end in 'Al' - my kids idea after they ate and did their homework under the first harp made of Aluminium. Ang-Al is actually for Angel and has names written down the back of people who are sadly missed - it starts with 'Dad'. Dav-Al is finished in jet black/glitter car paint so it reflects different colours in the light. It has been constructed with fibreglass, has no strings on it yet but I can't wait to hear what it sounds like!

Yorkshire Ridings

Next concert February 5th, Clayton Village Hall (BD14 6QN), with Eddie Lawer (The Bard of Saltaire) - 8 pm - £5 in advance - info@tripleharps.com or 01535 642581 (there is a bar)

'Didn't know farmers listened to harps' - This was the greeting at the hotel the other night. 'They do now' - I replied. It struck me that they actually had no choice as I was the booked 'Speaker'. Nearly a hundred farmers came down the fells and valleys to attend the dinner. I must admit I got a few 'looks'. Once I turned up to give the after-dinner speech and the Chairman (who hadn't booked me) took one look and decided he would 'take the stage' and give a very long introduction with a lot of very bad jokes ... I brought the house down with the 10 minutes I was left with. 'Leave them wanting more' - oh yes!!!

I proudly announced that this was the fourth time I had been booked to speak at Farmers Supper Clubs to which the reply was 'What, didn't they listen the first time?' - We had a good laugh and there was a brilliant attempt at Pachelbel's Canon when I handed out some small table-top harps.

Today we got a call from Roy. His article had been published in the Yorkshire Ridings magazine. By dinnertime I had already taken a booking - thank you Roy! (page 38 if you want to read more ...)