Interview with Irish Harpist Gráinne Hambly

Ever since I first saw Gráinne Hambly perform at The Somerset Folk Harp Festival I’ve been inspired.No other performer on the harp influenced me as much as Grainne did early on in my harp journey. I first heard her perform at The Somerset Folk Harp Festival and was wowed at what the harp could sound like. The jigs and reels just fly from her fingers. She makes it look and sound so effortless. It’s gorgeous to hear. The first album of hers that I ever purchased was, “Between the Showers”. I can’t tell you how many copies of this album I have purchased for friends and family over the years. It’s still one of my favourites.Here’s Gráinne’s bio taking from The Harp Agency Website:Since 1998 Gráinne Hambly has been touring extensively throughout the United States and has not only garnered an ever-growing following of devoted harp enthusiasts but has managed to cross over and capture the Irish music fan with the taste for the fast, driving reels and jigs of traditional music. She has broken the genteel parlor image and elevated the stature of the harp right up there with the fiddles and pipes in the realm of dynamic dance music. Add to that the unsurpassed expressive quality the harp has in her hands in the rendition of age-old airs and laments and you have the masterful performance of an experienced and renowned player.A lifelong County Mayo resident, Gráinne has not rested on the laurels of winning the senior All-Ireland titles on harp and concertina in 1994 and then the prestigious Keadue and Granard harp competitions. Her three critically acclaimed solo CDs, The Thorn Tree (2006), Between the Showers (1999) and Golden Lights Green Shadows, (2003) are "must haves" for every Irish harp player and fan. She has also recorded with numerous other artists. She has also published two books of her arrangements. She tours most of the year and has appeared at most of the major harp and Irish music festivals in the U.S. and Europe.She and William Jackson teamed up and began touring as "The Masters of the Celtic Harp" in 2005 and have been traveling together ever since. They live now outside of Claremorris in County Mayo.Be sure to check out Gráinne and Billy’s free online concert on May 23rd at 3:00pm EDT. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/grainne-hambly-and-william-jackson-live-online-registration-103535543598And check out Grainne’s Websitehttp://grainnehambly.com/And FB pagehttps://www.facebook.com/hamblyjacksonmusic/Notes for Grainne’s Podcasthttp://www.somersetharpfest.com/escape.htmlMay 23rd 2020 Free online concert with Billy Jacksonhttps://www.eventbrite.com/e/grainne-hambly-and-william-jackson-live-online-registration-103535543598Grainne’s Websitehttp://grainnehambly.com/On FBhttps://www.facebook.com/hamblyjacksonmusic/Harp Agency: Grainne and Billy Jacksonhttp://harpagency.com/artist1.htmHarp Column: Grainne’s sheetmusichttps://harpcolumn.com/music/all-music/categories/artists/grainne-hambly/Planxty SweenyOn guitar https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kd0awzUshG0On harp https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IeolSC7QeUThe Thistle and Shamrock show on NPR: Harpershttps://www.npr.org/2013/12/11/250235583/the-thistle-and-shamrock-harpersTunes MentionedPlanxty SweeneySoft Mild MorningBright New MorningThe Taylor’s TwistQueen’s University Belfasthttps://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/ael/Study/Arts/Undergraduate/Music/http://www.somersetharpfest.com/Turlough O'Carolan Harp Festival Nobber, Irelandhttps://www.nobberharpfestival.com/Bunting Manuscripts at Queen’s University Belfasthttp://digital-library.qub.ac.uk/digital/collection/p15979coll9The Irish Song Projecthttp://irishsongproject.qub.ac.uk/Harp Tour of Irelandhttp://www.harpersescape.com/harptour.htmlThe Belfast Harp Festival of 1792http://www.androichead.com/whats-on/2017/8/3/edward-bunting-the-belfast-harp-festival-of-1792Society for Ethnomusicologyhttps://www.ethnomusicology.org/default.aspxA History of The Trinity College Harphttps://gifts.tcd.ie/the-trinity-college-harp-a-history-by-brian-mannersCarolin Marathon at The Somerset Folk Harp Festivalhttp://www.somersetharpfest.com/greatstuff.html#jamCarolin Marathon “Starter Kit”http://www.somersetharpfest.com/carolan-marathon-list.pdfHarpist Janet Harbisonhttps://www.janetharbisonharp.com/Harpist Kim Robertsonhttp://www.kimrobertson.net/Belfast Harp Orchestrahttps://www.janetharbisonharp.com/janet-harbison/harp-orchestras/belfast-harp-orchestraJanet Harbison and Grainne Hambly performing, “Bright New Morning” at The Somerset Folk Harp Festival 2019https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSc7qcqg1KA