Fine and rare are all the woods,
Graceful every curve and form,
Rich and mellow, the autumnal tones,
Bright the strings
With which it’s strung.
“It’s a transitory thing,” said she,
“For the tensions of the strings surpass
So fine a soundboard’s capacity
To remain true, to forever last,
And so, a harp will fade.”
Then nimble fingers danced on strings
And tones spilled out, all fair and bright,
There was iridescence upon the air
Like fountain spray that’s caught the light,
And the ghost of Carolan smiled.
Fine and rare are all the woods,
Graceful every curve and form,
Rich and mellow, the autumnal tones,
Bright the strings
With which it’s strung.
Ms. Mullen is a Celtic harpist who performs at various Renaissance Faires around the country. She recently released her first album, "Luna's Fancy", and will begin recording her second this fall. Here's her website, if you're interested: www.sarahmariemullen.com On her website, Ms. Mullen mentions that harps tend to be relatively short-lived instruments, owing to the stresses of the string tension upon the soundboard. I was struck by the idea that a thing so fine should also be so impermanent. The saving grace, of course, is that what would seem to be the most ephemeral thing of all--the music that she plays upon it--is in reality that which lasts the longest. That's the point of the reference to Turlough O'Carolan. (It's apparently proper to drop the O' when referring to him by last name only.)
Greg
Comment: I, too, have a harpist friend. She plays the Paraguayan harp, which is slightly larger than the Celtic harp and shaped more like the traditional orchestral harp. Her group, Paracelt, also includes an Irish harpist. They play a combination of Celtic and South American music at various fairs and festivals in Texas. Her Paraguayan harp actually has lasted more than 30 years so far. The music will, as you say, last forever.
