Newsletter
Lily Neill's newsletter contains updates about her upcoming performances, workshops and recordings and is sent out every few months. If you would like to subscribe to the newsletter please add your email address below.
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Fall 2024
Summer 2024
Latest review of "Tales and Golden Histories" in Irish Music Magazine!
Spring 2024
Thanks to Sue Aston for her review in Now Spinning,
and to Sonia Keller at World Music Central!!!
You can also read Lily's article about arranging in the latest issue of the Folk Harp Journal!
and to Sonia Keller at World Music Central!!!
You can also read Lily's article about arranging in the latest issue of the Folk Harp Journal!
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January 2024
Happy New Year!!!
Brand new review of "Tales and Golden Histories" in The Harp Column!
"...The sound possibilities are practically endless, and they take a crack at all of them in Tales and Golden Histories, a joyous, oftentimes raucous, always nostalgic and sonically surprising collection of some of the most original arrangements I have ever heard..."
Brand new review of "Tales and Golden Histories" in The Harp Column!
"...The sound possibilities are practically endless, and they take a crack at all of them in Tales and Golden Histories, a joyous, oftentimes raucous, always nostalgic and sonically surprising collection of some of the most original arrangements I have ever heard..."
December 2023
"Tales and Golden Histories" has made At the Barrier's Best of 2023 list!!!
See their review HERE!
"...Really – if you’d never considered it possible that just two instruments, working in perfect accordance together, could turn a collection of traditional and quasi-traditional tunes into a glittering, riveting and epic symphony, you need to hear Tales and Golden Histories..."
See their review HERE!
"...Really – if you’d never considered it possible that just two instruments, working in perfect accordance together, could turn a collection of traditional and quasi-traditional tunes into a glittering, riveting and epic symphony, you need to hear Tales and Golden Histories..."
November 2023
What a great time closing the Harp on Wight festival in Ryde! It's always fantastic to be back on Wight, and I was in great company with some wonderful harp players there! Sailing back across the Solent and staying put for a few moments (!) I have some exciting news to share.... I have a new album with Vesa Norilo!
October 2023
Next up.... Lily is playing the closing concert for the 10-year anniversary of the Harp on Wight festival!
The concert is at 2pm on October 29th!
Other very exciting news will be announced here at the end of October!
Watch this space!!!
The concert is at 2pm on October 29th!
Other very exciting news will be announced here at the end of October!
Watch this space!!!
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*** "The Abbot - Clive Carroll plays the music of John Renbourn" ***
Lily is playing on a brand new release that features the music of guitar legend and founding member of Pentangle, John Renbourn! This is a huge project—a double-album of 27+ tracks—from Clive Carroll, whose friendship with Renbourn yielded tours and collaborations over many years. Lily plays on a few tracks on this monumental project, which came out October 2nd. You can read more about it HERE. |
June 2023
A filmed version of the famous tune, "Give Me Your Hand", below. Great memories playing this with Derek Bell and The Chieftains... A lovely old melody from the 17th century that I don't often play it these days but I captured a version between filming some other pieces, which I'll share soon!
In the meantime, getting ready to head into the studio.....!
More soon,
Lily
In the meantime, getting ready to head into the studio.....!
More soon,
Lily
March 2023
November 2022
Upcoming Concert and Workshop!
December 9, 2022
Lily Neill in Concert
8pm, Rhydycroesau Village Hall
Oswestry
£12 Adults, £6 Children
For tickets please contact Keith
December 11, 2022
Lily Neill Harp Workshop
10am, Rhydycroesau Village Hall
Open to all ages and players
Oswestry
£15
To book please contact Keith
December 9, 2022
Lily Neill in Concert
8pm, Rhydycroesau Village Hall
Oswestry
£12 Adults, £6 Children
For tickets please contact Keith
December 11, 2022
Lily Neill Harp Workshop
10am, Rhydycroesau Village Hall
Open to all ages and players
Oswestry
£15
To book please contact Keith
*** Learn more about Lily's January 2023 ONLINE HARP WORKSHOP ***
September 2022
Hello Everyone!
A quick catch-up here: I was in the studio cell for most of last year writing and recording a project and am now catching up with The Harp Quarterly and other writing projects.
This past April saw me back on the road for my first in-person concerts since the initial Covid wave (and all that that entailed!). It was absolutely wonderful to give a few concerts and share some new material. I visited familiar haunts, in Cumbria and south-east London, and they were memorable performances for me; I will remember them for a long time to come. After a few years playing to you all via a little red-light (!) it was great to share music in person.
I've just returned from giving a harp workshop at the Devon Harp Centre—a great little harp oasis if you're down that way. In a few weeks I'll be giving a special online workshop for Harps North West, which will explore Ragtime on the harp. Should be lots of fun!
While I have some tours being planned, I also have a lot of music writing ahead of me for a new project (!) so it's back to paving the way for that for now..... more soon!
Lily
p.s. Three new videos—enjoy!
A quick catch-up here: I was in the studio cell for most of last year writing and recording a project and am now catching up with The Harp Quarterly and other writing projects.
This past April saw me back on the road for my first in-person concerts since the initial Covid wave (and all that that entailed!). It was absolutely wonderful to give a few concerts and share some new material. I visited familiar haunts, in Cumbria and south-east London, and they were memorable performances for me; I will remember them for a long time to come. After a few years playing to you all via a little red-light (!) it was great to share music in person.
I've just returned from giving a harp workshop at the Devon Harp Centre—a great little harp oasis if you're down that way. In a few weeks I'll be giving a special online workshop for Harps North West, which will explore Ragtime on the harp. Should be lots of fun!
While I have some tours being planned, I also have a lot of music writing ahead of me for a new project (!) so it's back to paving the way for that for now..... more soon!
Lily
p.s. Three new videos—enjoy!
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May 2021
Hi Everyone!
I hope this finds you all well! I have been ensconced in the studio over the past while, working on a few different projects which are going to keep me on my toes through the autumn! In the meantime I'll be sharing lots of new films on my YouTube page and just started an Instragram page, where I'll share some outtakes from "the practice cell"!
Following my workshop this past March, I've gotten quite a few messages from harpists wondering when the next one will be. Regardless of how things look for in-person events this coming autumn, I'll be holding another workshop online in the late autumn—so if you're interested in being added to my workshop mail list please let me know here.
For now, it's back to the writing study/studio for me and I look forward to sharing more with you soon!
Lily
I hope this finds you all well! I have been ensconced in the studio over the past while, working on a few different projects which are going to keep me on my toes through the autumn! In the meantime I'll be sharing lots of new films on my YouTube page and just started an Instragram page, where I'll share some outtakes from "the practice cell"!
Following my workshop this past March, I've gotten quite a few messages from harpists wondering when the next one will be. Regardless of how things look for in-person events this coming autumn, I'll be holding another workshop online in the late autumn—so if you're interested in being added to my workshop mail list please let me know here.
For now, it's back to the writing study/studio for me and I look forward to sharing more with you soon!
Lily
Harp Workshop this March!
More details HERE
More details HERE
December 17, 2020
Hi Everyone—I hope that this finds you all well.
Over the past months I’ve been sequestered behind either my harp or a microphone, creating music and video performances for various projects. Some of these won’t be available publicly but if you want to see some new filmed performances you can check out my YouTube channel, where I posted some Klezmer melodies (from the summer issue of The Harp Quarterly), a little Thanksgiving greeting (“We Gather Together”—hopefully sooner than later but it’s the thought, right!?), and the latest, which comes out today—a medley taken straight from the 1927 repertoire of the “Boibriker Kapelle”. Fans of “Fiddler on the Roof” might know that Boibriker Kapelle is named for one of the imaginary shtetls, “Boiberik”, in the writings of Sholem Aleichem. You won’t see me channeling Jerry Robbins’ choreography but you will hear a couple of amazing, bewitching melodies. It’s been a fun challenge to adapt early Klezmer band recordings for solo harp and I hope I’ve done them justice. The arrangements are all available for harpists online HERE. Hope you enjoy the film—it’s just in time for the last night of Hanukkah!
Over the past months I’ve been sequestered behind either my harp or a microphone, creating music and video performances for various projects. Some of these won’t be available publicly but if you want to see some new filmed performances you can check out my YouTube channel, where I posted some Klezmer melodies (from the summer issue of The Harp Quarterly), a little Thanksgiving greeting (“We Gather Together”—hopefully sooner than later but it’s the thought, right!?), and the latest, which comes out today—a medley taken straight from the 1927 repertoire of the “Boibriker Kapelle”. Fans of “Fiddler on the Roof” might know that Boibriker Kapelle is named for one of the imaginary shtetls, “Boiberik”, in the writings of Sholem Aleichem. You won’t see me channeling Jerry Robbins’ choreography but you will hear a couple of amazing, bewitching melodies. It’s been a fun challenge to adapt early Klezmer band recordings for solo harp and I hope I’ve done them justice. The arrangements are all available for harpists online HERE. Hope you enjoy the film—it’s just in time for the last night of Hanukkah!
Speaking of films, I was recently behind the camera (!) helping out my friend Buckey Hendrix for his bluegrass Christmas music video. It’s already “gone tin”, y’all! It’s a very cool mash-up of the Slade Christmas classic “Merry Xmas Everybody” and Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”—done banjo style! Apparently Brian May thought it good fun to hear his “Red Special” wails on the banjo (really!)! Take a look HERE but be warned—once seen, you can’t unsee it and you may feel the urge to buy yourself a banjo over the holidays!
I’ve been arranging some Christmas carols at home for fun and seeing as they’re under my fingers right now I may, one quiet night soon, switch on the Facebook LIVE button.
I’ll send out another newsletter with any online performance details =)
For now, hope you all are keeping healthy and well!
Enjoy the new YouTube films and don’t forget to subscribe ;) These days, no matter how busy one is it never seems to “count” outwardly unless it’s an online "like" or something, so all your support on Facebook and Youtube means a lot to me.
Lily
I’ve been arranging some Christmas carols at home for fun and seeing as they’re under my fingers right now I may, one quiet night soon, switch on the Facebook LIVE button.
I’ll send out another newsletter with any online performance details =)
For now, hope you all are keeping healthy and well!
Enjoy the new YouTube films and don’t forget to subscribe ;) These days, no matter how busy one is it never seems to “count” outwardly unless it’s an online "like" or something, so all your support on Facebook and Youtube means a lot to me.
Lily
May 2020
Hi Everyone,
I want to let you know about an upcoming concert I'll be giving on Facebook on May 23rd at 7pm (UK) / 2pm (EST).
You don't have to be a member of Facebook to watch the performance and you can watch it from the safety of your own living room!
I look forward to playing for all of you and hope you keep well! In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this film that I put together to share on Mother's Day! It's the famous WWI classic, "If You Were the Only Girl In the World", by Nat D. Ayer.
All my best,
Lily
I want to let you know about an upcoming concert I'll be giving on Facebook on May 23rd at 7pm (UK) / 2pm (EST).
You don't have to be a member of Facebook to watch the performance and you can watch it from the safety of your own living room!
I look forward to playing for all of you and hope you keep well! In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this film that I put together to share on Mother's Day! It's the famous WWI classic, "If You Were the Only Girl In the World", by Nat D. Ayer.
All my best,
Lily
March 2020
Hi Everyone,
I hope that you are all doing ok through these very surreal times and the mess of COVID-19. Music has been an escape and a distraction for me as I work on music projects from my living room. This will come as no surprise, but my concerts for the foreseeable future have been cancelled and my workshops, coaching, and lessons have all been moved to platforms such as Skype.
I wanted to let you know that, while live concerts may be cancelled, I am continuing to perform digitally and am continuing to build a YouTube channel! You can hear some of latest clips and subscribe HERE.
More videos are coming soon…!
I hope that you are all doing ok through these very surreal times and the mess of COVID-19. Music has been an escape and a distraction for me as I work on music projects from my living room. This will come as no surprise, but my concerts for the foreseeable future have been cancelled and my workshops, coaching, and lessons have all been moved to platforms such as Skype.
I wanted to let you know that, while live concerts may be cancelled, I am continuing to perform digitally and am continuing to build a YouTube channel! You can hear some of latest clips and subscribe HERE.
More videos are coming soon…!
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In addition, I've found myself with time to browse some of my old issues of The Harp Quarterly. I created this back in 2014 and, when I was reading through some of my arrangements, I decided to record a few snippets of some of them for a little video clip about it that you can watch above or HERE. The music you hear includes: “William Ward” by Turlough O’Carolan, “The Laird O’ Drumblair” by James Scott Skinner, traditional Catalan folk song I arranged after Miguel Llobet called “Canco Del Lladre”, the Finnish-Swedish “Strändansin”, “If You Were the Only Girl in the World”, and the Balkan Romani tune “Borino oro”. The Quarterly is “old school”—all written scores, technique, and history, and there are additional videos clips uploaded occasionally on the Quarterly Subscriber page. The latest upload on this page is the bassline from "Borino Oro", which is included in the winter 2020 issue. Back issues of The Harp Quarterly will be available via my website soon and, for now, are available on request.
Well, that’s it for now… I have another digital project I’ll be able to share with you soon and I hope very genuinely that music brings you some joy through these times.
Stay well!
Lily
Well, that’s it for now… I have another digital project I’ll be able to share with you soon and I hope very genuinely that music brings you some joy through these times.
Stay well!
Lily
December 2019
Hi Everyone,
I’m wrapping up 2019 with this newsletter and would like to extend a big thank you to everyone who has supported my music projects and performances! It’s been a whirlwind year of concerts, teaching, and work on the huge harp project at Belfast’s Linen Hall Library to bring attention to the bicentenary of the Irish Harp Society and the material in the library’s Beath Collection. My research for this project colored my performances in Cornwall and the south of England for my “Story of the Harp” tour, which I really enjoyed. It was also tremendous fun this past summer to come back to the Washington DC area, play concerts in “the south” with Clive Carroll, and come up with arrangements of everything from Klezmer melodies to Romanian music collected by Béla Bartók and new versions of our own compositions as duo pieces.
The Linen Hall Library in Belfast event took quite a lot of muscle to organize and I’m very grateful to the library staff, Frank Bunting, Nicholas Carolan, Simon Chadwick, Philip McDonagh, and Dr. Mary Louise O’Donnell for joining me and lending their expertise and formidable talents to this project. I think it’s very important for players to know where they “come from” musically; anything considered “groundbreaking” has to have ground to break, so to speak. As I learn more and more about the roots of the type of harp that I play my insight has expanded and sharpened my sense of where I want to go musically. As a solo harp player, I’ve been asked over and over what “kind” of harp I play and so the opportunity to delve into a piece of history that is so significant in the development of the lever harp was eye-opening.
You can hear more about the Linen Hall Beath Collection/Harp Society Bicentenary project on the BBC program “Talkback” in an interview/performance that I gave along with William Crawley and Dr Éamon Phoenix, and you can read all about it in the Irish News and the Belfast Telegraph—where we were front page news! There is also a more in-depth article that I wrote for the “Folk Harp Journal” that has just come out in their winter issue. I was so pleased to be asked to work on this piece and I hope you'll enjoy reading the article!
As we head toward the New Year, I’d like to give a head’s up that my live concerts will be scarce in 2020. Over the past year I’ve been in the throes of organizing and researching and, very honestly, clocking in the hours of screen time that have become de rigueur these days to—ironically—get people off screens and into live shows. So, aside from a very small handful of performances I’m saying goodbye to touring and performing for a while. It’s time for me to get back to writing, recording, and turning my attention toward larger performance projects that I’ve had on the back burner for a number of years. Many of you know that my real passion has always been writing music… Watch this space…
I’m wrapping up 2019 with this newsletter and would like to extend a big thank you to everyone who has supported my music projects and performances! It’s been a whirlwind year of concerts, teaching, and work on the huge harp project at Belfast’s Linen Hall Library to bring attention to the bicentenary of the Irish Harp Society and the material in the library’s Beath Collection. My research for this project colored my performances in Cornwall and the south of England for my “Story of the Harp” tour, which I really enjoyed. It was also tremendous fun this past summer to come back to the Washington DC area, play concerts in “the south” with Clive Carroll, and come up with arrangements of everything from Klezmer melodies to Romanian music collected by Béla Bartók and new versions of our own compositions as duo pieces.
The Linen Hall Library in Belfast event took quite a lot of muscle to organize and I’m very grateful to the library staff, Frank Bunting, Nicholas Carolan, Simon Chadwick, Philip McDonagh, and Dr. Mary Louise O’Donnell for joining me and lending their expertise and formidable talents to this project. I think it’s very important for players to know where they “come from” musically; anything considered “groundbreaking” has to have ground to break, so to speak. As I learn more and more about the roots of the type of harp that I play my insight has expanded and sharpened my sense of where I want to go musically. As a solo harp player, I’ve been asked over and over what “kind” of harp I play and so the opportunity to delve into a piece of history that is so significant in the development of the lever harp was eye-opening.
You can hear more about the Linen Hall Beath Collection/Harp Society Bicentenary project on the BBC program “Talkback” in an interview/performance that I gave along with William Crawley and Dr Éamon Phoenix, and you can read all about it in the Irish News and the Belfast Telegraph—where we were front page news! There is also a more in-depth article that I wrote for the “Folk Harp Journal” that has just come out in their winter issue. I was so pleased to be asked to work on this piece and I hope you'll enjoy reading the article!
As we head toward the New Year, I’d like to give a head’s up that my live concerts will be scarce in 2020. Over the past year I’ve been in the throes of organizing and researching and, very honestly, clocking in the hours of screen time that have become de rigueur these days to—ironically—get people off screens and into live shows. So, aside from a very small handful of performances I’m saying goodbye to touring and performing for a while. It’s time for me to get back to writing, recording, and turning my attention toward larger performance projects that I’ve had on the back burner for a number of years. Many of you know that my real passion has always been writing music… Watch this space…
Although I’m heading off the radar on the performance front, some copies of the limited edition CD/print package THE PAGODA that I worked on with Marcelo Gallegos have been posted for sale on my website. I recorded The Pagoda with the wonderful koto player Claudia Erland, who you can also hear on my album “Without Words”. The composition and project was a return to the world of that first album for me and, after languishing in “production hell” for a while, I was so pleased that the Enchanted Living publication picked it up a year or so ago and totally sold out! The very last few copies are now available for purchase on my website. The package includes the signed CD single of my composition “The Pagoda” (with a few bonus tracks) and a high quality signed and numbered print on the famous “Arches” 100% cotton watercolor paper (the company has been around since 1492!). The music and artwork is not available digitally so be quick if you want a copy!
Thank you all so much for your support over the past year and for your interest in this peripatetic harp player who rarely plays covers, doesn’t sing, sits down when she plays, and likes to write her own material! Long may we enjoy the pursuit!
Happy holidays,
Lily
Thank you all so much for your support over the past year and for your interest in this peripatetic harp player who rarely plays covers, doesn’t sing, sits down when she plays, and likes to write her own material! Long may we enjoy the pursuit!
Happy holidays,
Lily
September 2019
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Hi Everyone,
The autumn has well and truly taken off, and I'm just back from a couple of events in Ireland! Speaking of which, you'll see to the right that Steve Parke and I had some fun recreating Sir John Lavery's iconic image of Ireland, historically personified by a dark-haired woman (in this case, Lavery's American wife, Hazel, was the model). Lavery painted the image to be used on banknotes for the newly-created Irish Free State in the 1920s. I was getting into super-harp-geek mode ahead of my visit to Ireland, and we had a wonderful event at Linen Hall Library in Belfast to celebrate 200 years since the founding of the Irish Harp Society. Presentations and performances were given by Frank Bunting, Nicholas Carolan, Simon Chadwick, Philip McDonagh, Dr. Mary Louise O'Donnell, and myself. You can read a little about it here in the Belfast Telegraph and hear me talking (and playing) on the BBC program Talkback with William Crawley and Dr. Éamon Phoenix. Another article about the background of the event is online here on Musical Traditions. |
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Rarely have I taken up organizing something like the Linen Hall event but the Beath Collection, which holds much of the Harp Society material, was so inspiring to me that I thought it would be a waste not to seize the opportunity to raise the profile of the amazing efforts of a small group of people 200 years ago. I hope that by holding this event we're edging closer to seeing the collection made more accessible through digitization. Newry artist Kathleen McClorey created a beautiful, striking painting especially for the event—you'll see it if you scroll down this page! It incorporates many elements from the Irish Harp Society and the Beath Collection and was on display at Linen Hall.
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Following the Linen Hall event, Frank Bunting—one of the presenters—and I went on to Armagh for a joint event in which Frank gave a talk about the roots of the seminal music collector Edward Bunting and I provided musical samples and insight into the music that Bunting published and arranged. A very memorable few days—and even a visit to pay our respects at the grave of the great Arthur O'Neill!
My next concerts will be in Britain, and then I'll have one lone performance in the U.S.A.! A few of my concerts are a special program called, "The Story of the Harp", and these will follow the development of the lever harp through music. We'll start in the late 1500s and work our way through all sorts of different repertoire—from keyboard classics to full-on lever workouts, famous melodies by the Irish and Scottish harper/composers, and maybe even some new pieces by yours truly...! I'm also looking forward to playing two mixed-bill type concerts—in Netley Abbey (near Southampton) and Arlington, Virginia, in the U.S.A.! SEE CONCERT DETAILS HERE. Hope to see some of you along the way, Lily |
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Painting by Kathleen McClorey
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August 2019
June 2019
April 2019
Hi Everyone,
I hope you’re all enjoying some sunshine as we head into spring!
I hope you’re all enjoying some sunshine as we head into spring!
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I’ve just returned from one of my favorite cities—Glasgow! I was there to give a workshop at the Royal Scottish Conservatoire, and had a bit of time to take in the gorgeous architecture and surroundings too…. Before that, my travels took me to Devon, Cornwall, and Cumbria. I had a wonderful time playing in these lovely places—all new concerts for me! One return visit was to the beautiful Wimpole Hall, in Cambridgeshire, which I also really enjoyed.
The Heron Theatre, in Cumbria, marked my final solo concert for a few months, as the next batch will be duo performances with the one and only Clive Carroll. For those of you who aren’t already familiar with Clive’s music, look him up! He’s a formidable guitar player/composer and has as broad music tastes as I do—the main difference being that he plays on fewer strings and doesn’t have a penchant for ABBA and Engelbert Humperdinck…! We’re teaming up for some concerts in England and the United States! In England, we’ll be down in Southampton at The Art House Gallery, before heading to Cheltenham to give a concert to aid the Gustav Holst Birthplace Museum. This gem of a museum has suffered from terrible water damage and we’re raising funds for its repairs. Holst’s grandfather, Gustavus, was a harp teacher, so there is a nice link there, and we’re so pleased to be able to help this museum. For harpists, I’m also giving a workshop in Cheltenham the morning after the Holst concert, so any players who are interested can find the details HERE. Following the performances in England I’m finally heading home (!) to give some concerts in the States! It’s been a while since I was there, and I’m very pleased to be playing with Clive in North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, and Virginia! You can find more info about all of the concerts on my website HERE. In the week or so after the concert in Virginia, at Jammin Java, I’ll be available in the Washington, D.C. area for a short while if any harpists are interested in coaching or private lessons. Please email me if you’re a player—of any level of experience—who is interested. |
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Speaking of teaching, the next issue of The Harp Quarterly will come out shortly and it’s a major Spring Cleaning issue! For all of you players who have written to me with technique questions and requests, this issue is just for you, complete with lots of left hand work. I’ll be filming these exercises as well, so you can look forward to receiving the issue/material soon!
I hope there’s a performance near you, and I look forward to catching up with you over the next months! Lily 
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February 2019
March/April
Upcoming Tour Dates!
Upcoming Tour Dates!
December 2018
New Single, out now!!!
My new single, “The Pagoda”, is now available! I recorded “The Pagoda” with koto player Claudia Erland, and turned to Marcelo Gallegos to create the artwork—both of these fantastic artists worked with me on my first CD, “Without Words”, so it’s been beyond exciting to reunite!
“The Pagoda”—with a few bonus tracks!—is available through the whimsical "Enchanted Living Magazine", and is sold as a set with a signed print (see artwork below) by Marcelo and/or a pair of (gorgeous!) Cinnamon Cat Designs earrings inspired by the music and artwork. Be quick if you’re interested, as all of the pieces are limited edition!
"The Pagoda" Collaboration, CD/Print Set
"The Pagoda" Collaboration, CD/Print/Earrings Set
Wishing you all the best as 2018 comes to a close!
Lily
“The Pagoda”—with a few bonus tracks!—is available through the whimsical "Enchanted Living Magazine", and is sold as a set with a signed print (see artwork below) by Marcelo and/or a pair of (gorgeous!) Cinnamon Cat Designs earrings inspired by the music and artwork. Be quick if you’re interested, as all of the pieces are limited edition!
"The Pagoda" Collaboration, CD/Print Set
"The Pagoda" Collaboration, CD/Print/Earrings Set
Wishing you all the best as 2018 comes to a close!
Lily
Hi Everyone,
It’s been a busy autumn, with concerts along the Welsh borders, all the way up to the Scottish Highlands, down through Cheshire, over to the coast of Kent, down to Devon to play a concert in remembrance of those who fought and died in the World Wars, across The Solent to the Isle of Wight for “Harp on Wight”, with a whirlwind adventure through London before heading over the Irish Sea to County Down! I think I encountered every mode of transportation—aside from spaceships! The standout journey has to be the one with the taxi driver who nearly broke down in tears as he informed me that “…no matter how much my harp means to me, his car means 400 times more to him”—such was his fear that I would scratch one of his tinted car windows when I placed my instrument in his car! For the record, the tinted windows are just fine!
It’s been a busy autumn, with concerts along the Welsh borders, all the way up to the Scottish Highlands, down through Cheshire, over to the coast of Kent, down to Devon to play a concert in remembrance of those who fought and died in the World Wars, across The Solent to the Isle of Wight for “Harp on Wight”, with a whirlwind adventure through London before heading over the Irish Sea to County Down! I think I encountered every mode of transportation—aside from spaceships! The standout journey has to be the one with the taxi driver who nearly broke down in tears as he informed me that “…no matter how much my harp means to me, his car means 400 times more to him”—such was his fear that I would scratch one of his tinted car windows when I placed my instrument in his car! For the record, the tinted windows are just fine!
Photo by Mike Dunkason
The Herculean efforts to schlep my harp around were nothing in comparison to some of the wonderful places in which I was privileged to play. The venues were old churches (gorgeous Victoriana everywhere!), theaters, galleries with such concentrated energy that you could hear the sigh of a spider (!), and a memorable old rural schoolhouse with walls that I am sure are riddled with stories! The concerts were all packed and it was wonderful to be out on the road performing again. I gave a couple of duo performances with guitarist Clive Carroll (our own compositions by way of Romania, Ireland, Sweden—and the 1500s!) in Britain and, in Ireland, I performed with the one-and-only Colum Sands (a blend of songs, instrumental music, and stories to brighten these darkening, frosty months!). In fact, you can hear Colum and me on Lynette Fay’s BBC radio program, “Folk Club”. Our segment is HERE, about 18 minutes into the program.
Right before the taping I was stunned to learn that Irish pianist, composer, and academic, Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin died. Mícheál played a part in my moving to Ireland as a student and gave me encouragement as I was beginning my career in Europe. I have strong memories in which some of my school friends and I performed his compositions with him for a radio program. We learned his music on short notice and the method of memorization was extremely effective (and wholly unrepeatable!)! He was a charismatic character and I’m grateful for the guidance he gave to me, as well as the music he shared with so many.
Before I hang up my harp wheels for the year I have two more concerts—both with Clive Carroll in Ireland! You can come along and hear us creating mayhem across 36 strings of varying metals, plastics, and gauges (!) in County Down at the Rostrevor Inn on December 10th and/or in Armagh at Groucho’s on December 12th. These performances are nearly sold out, so act quickly if you’d like to come!
Drawing by Will Swindlehurst
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Photo by B.P. Black
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Drawing by Will Swindlehurst
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One other thing I should mention, for followers of my Harp Quarterly, is that the autumn issue is slightly late and the winter issue will be slightly early. The issues will be connected in that they explore some of the lesser-known works by the famous harp player/composer Turlough O’Carolan (1670-1738). I’ve been asked to cover his repertoire for a while now and I look forward to sharing these new arrangements with you.
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When I was on tour with Colum Sands, we stopped by the Belfast Assembly Rooms on our way to perform a few blocks away at the famous Linen Hall Library. Both of these places are connected to harp history, with links to Edward Bunting and the 1792 Belfast Harp Festival—and, by default, O’Carolan. Colum took a photo of me walking toward the threshold of the Assembly Rooms, and I felt like ancient Denis Hempson approaching the doors with his magnificent “Queen of Music” harp. It was an absolutely surreal experience and I felt honored to play in these wonderful places, so ensconced in harp history!
Before I sign off, I also want to say a thank you to everyone who I met along my travels who so generously took a moment (or, in some cases, many moments!) to help me with my harp. The small things that people do to help can be so inspiring and it means a great deal to me (not to mention my back!)! I hope to see some of you in Ireland! In the meantime, I wish you all much happiness into the New Year! Lily 
Photo by the Sands Family
Photo by Colum Sands
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Photo by Colum Sands
Photo by the Sands Family
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September 2018
August 2018
Check out the article about my concert and workshop near Oswestry in the latest issue of The Living Tradition!
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I was so pleased to be interviewed for the French Quarterly, “Harpesmag”! The latest issue just came out and it’s filled with interviews, stories, reviews, and sheet music for harpists (not to mention the too-cool-for-school Dorothy Ashby is on the cover!)! If you’ve ever wondered about my innermost thoughts about everything “harp”, well, take a look here — https://fr.calameo.com/read/0051143544501b724a1e7 |
Nice write-up from my performance at Mycenae House in London!
The December issue of "Celtic Life"!
