Wednesday Workshops – May/June 2026

May 13: Dance Tunes
Level: Advanced
Tune: The Caucus Reel
This is a well known and lively reel which fits very nicely on the harp. It has 3 parts so we will be moving at a fairly fast pace. This workshop would be best suited to advanced harpers already comfortable playing jigs and reels on the harp. We will look at some tips on fingering to help the flow of the tune when playing up to tempo, as well as working on ornamentation, left hand ideas and damping.

May 20: Harpers' Tunes
Level: All Levels
Tune: Carolan's Welcome (comp Turlough Carolan)
This piece was composed by Ireland's best-known harper composer, Turlough Carolan (1670-1738).  The workshop is suited to all levels, as the tune itself is not very difficult to play, but it is also a beautiful melody that would fit well into anyone's repertoire. We will learn the tune and left hand and also discuss ideas for arranging Carolan pieces.

May 27: Irish Slow Airs
Level: Intermediate
Tune: Amhrán na Trá Báine
This beautiful air comes from the sean nós singing tradition of Connemara in the west of Ireland and tells the sad story of 3 brothers who drowned when their currach sank. The level is intermediate but it is also suitable for anyone looking to expand their repertoire of slow airs. We will talk about interpreting 'slow airs' on the harp, and ornamentation in the context of slow airs as well as learning an arrangement of the tune. This workshop will be by ear only, with no sheet music provided - you will receive a recording in advance to familiarise yourself with the melody.

June 10: Dance Tunes
Level: Intermediate / Advanced
Tune: Martin Hardiman's Jig
I recorded this tune on my second CD 'Golden Lights and Green Shadows' over 20 years ago and it is still one of my favourites! We will look at ideas for creating a left hand arrangement by following the melody and work on damping in the left hand, as well as right hand ornamentation. It is the 2nd tune in this set:

June 17: Classic Irish Airs - Moore's Melodies
Level: All Levels
Tune: Oft in the Stilly Night (comp Thomas Moore)
Between 1808 and 1834 poet and song-writer Thomas Moore (1779-1852) published 124 'Irish Melodies' - songs with original lyrics set to existing airs, many of which came from the collections of Edward Bunting. His songs, arranged for piano and voice, were hugely popular internationally at the time and are still well-known today.  In this workshop we will learn a little about Thomas Moore himself and his connections with the harp, as well as learning the melody Oft in the Stilly Night. This workshop is suited to all levels as the tune itself is not very difficult to play, but it is also a beautiful melody that would fit well into anyone's repertoire.

June 24: Tunes from Bunting's Ancient Music of Ireland
Level: Upper Intermediate / Advanced
Tune: Sunday Morning
This piece was collected by Edward Bunting in Westport, County Mayo in 1802 and publishing in his 1840 volume of Ancient Music of Ireland. It is one of my favourite pieces from the collection, and fits very nicely on the harp, even though it was not collected from a harper! This workshop is best suited to upper intermediate or advanced level harpers, but anyone interested in the collections of Edward Bunting or music from the 17th and 18th centuries (or just beautiful airs!) is welcome to join. We will briefly discuss the Bunting Collection as well as learning an arrangement of the tune. Sunday Morning is the first tune in this video.