LITTLE GEMS
St Alkmund’s church, Shrewsbury
Monday 12 November, 1.00-2.00pm
We are less than a third of the way through this music season but, already we have been treated to memorable performances from “Mid Wales” Opera, La Boheme opening, with rave reviews, to the lunch time concert, at St Alkmund’s Church, with Harriet Earis and her Celtic harp.
Regretfully, no reviews were published following the last two events thus, as they were such polished performances, we wanted to share our reactions with all “Friends”.
Twin cellists, Pei-Jee and Pei-San NG, delighted the Sunday afternoon audience, at the Gateway, with their superb playing and friendly manner also; we were charmed by their lovely accompanist Miyako Machida. The Rachmaninov Sonata, for cello and piano, favours the piano but the interplay between the artists was delightful, keeping in perfect balance.
A week later, on a very frosty but sunny Monday, we were given another treat by Harriet Earis – with her Celtic harp, she entranced the large lunchtime audience with her intricate playing of a wide selection of reels, folk songs and her own compositions. She had us clapping to Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five” and congratulated the audience on keeping the rhythm perfectly to the end of the piece. It was very obvious that Harriet delights in drawing her audience into her music with her warmth and eagerness, sufficiently, on this occasion, for us to forget that it was very cold in the church (boiler had packed up!). Fortunately, Harriet did not appear to be affected by the temperature as, on arrival, she remarked “my instrument is very happy which makes me happy too”. (She loved the acoustics in the church).
Two little gems among the first five events – let’s hope for more to fill the jewellery box.
CDs are available – for full information see www.harrietearis.com
‘Front of House’
Harriet Earis, Celtic Harp
Harriet’s aim is to show a new approach to harp-playing, using the Celtic harp as a strong melody instrument. Together with her love of Celtic music, Harriet has been studying Irish, Scots Gaelic and Welsh and has a Cambridge degree in Celtic Studies. She has Grade 8 in classical harp but then had a religious conversion to Celtic music and has never looked back since! She won the coveted “Open Stage Award” at the Celtic Connections Festival 2007, chosen from 82 different acts competing for the title. She is also one of just a few young musicians to be awarded a place on the UK’s “Live Music Now!” scheme, which has led to many concerts in festivals and at community venues such as hospitals and special schools across the UK. Aged 27, she has already given harp recitals around the world with 11 tours of the States, 6 tours of Germany, a Canadian tour and concerts in Amsterdam, France, Belgium, Ireland and Holland. Her solo album “Jumping Ahead” was released in 2003. She has just recorded a jazz/Celtic fusion album called “From the Crooked Tree” with her own Welsh trio of harp, drums and bass “The Harriet Earis Trio”. She is also part of a new Welsh music trio “Triban” (voice, guitar, harp and fiddle) a duo “Luasca” and an Irish band “Siansa”. In December she will be touring as a harp soloist with the largest children’s choir in the world (5,000 children) doing performances in the UK’s biggest stadiums including the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, the O2 Arena in London and the Royal Albert Hall.
For full information see www.harrietearis.com
Last Updated : 07/12/2007