The harp became the emblem on Irish coinage in the 16th century. Since then it has been symbolic of Irish culture, music, and politics - finally evolving into a significant marker of national identity in the 18th and 19th centuries. The most important period in this evolution was between 1770 and 1880, when the harp became central to many utopian visions of an autonomous Irish nation, and its metaphoric significance eclipsed its musical one. Mary Louise O'Donnell uses these fascinating years of major social, political, and cultural change as the focus of her study on the Irish harp.

In the politically charged era following the 1801 Act of Union, when Ireland's harp symbol was ubiquitous in political imagery, the playable instrument, the Gaelic harp, had largely disappeared. John Egan, a self-taught inventor, conceived a new national instrument, the "Portable Irish Harp," with innovative mechanisms to expand the harp's chromatic capabilities. The template for the modern Irish harp, Egan's design was imitated a century later by several principal harp makers. Antique Egan harps, prized as rare cultural artefacts and art objects, survive in museums and private collections worldwide, and the book's illustrations and a "Catalogue of Egan Harps" are an invaluable resource. This book on Ireland's renowned harp maker, John Egan, and the Egan family firm, reveals the significance of Egan harps in shaping Irish harp history.

Harp

Since early times in Ireland and nearby Celtic lands, the Irish harp and its music have captivated musicians and audiences alike. Numerous historical aspects, such as the function of the harper at Tara, the seat of ancient Irish kings, is explored in this comprehensive history of the harp of Ireland. Through the ages, the harp has been a symbol of the lyrical nature of Ireland and the Irish people. This book explores the reawakening of this beautiful instrument in Ireland and around the world in the mid-twentieth century and beyond, touching on the quite recent development of the popular Folk and Celtic harps of today.

A sampling of some of the most famous Irish legends.

This is largely a facsimile of the 1993 edition published by Mercier Press. There is a new preface by Sheila Larchet Cuthbert, and the biographical material has been updated. It is a collection of studies and exercises for the use of teachers and pupils of the Irish harp. For decades, Sheila Larchet Cuthbert has been known world-wide as a highly accomplished harp player

Best friend to Lord Byron; famous throughout Europe and America as a poet, composer, singer, wit, and polemicist; Thomas Moore (1779-1852) was the embodiment of Romanticism. It is said he was often moved to tears by his own songs, and so were his audiences. Servants lined up behind closed doors to hear him; women swooned, wrote him notes in verse, and treasured locks of his hair. The first in a long line of Irish poet-performers who combined personal expression with a zeal for political and social reform, Moore formed a vital link between the old Gaelic bardic tradition -- nearly extinct in his day -- and the popular songs in English that fueled the flames of nationalism in early nineteenth century Ireland.Including Moore's lyrics to accompany the songs recorded here, James Flannery's book is part biography, part music history, and part history of a nation. It presents the story of Thomas Moore in the context of the Irish nationalist movement and explains the lasting influence the songs of Moore have had on the lives of countless millions of Irish emigrants, who found in them a symbolic link with their homeland.

Evoke the traditional sounds of the Celtic lands with these instrumental arrangements of songs for solo Celtic harp. These 25 tunes are Manx, Welsh, Irish, Scottish, Cornish, Hebridean, and Bretton, including pieces by Turlough O'Carolan and Robert Burns. Notes at the end of the book give insights into the meanings of the texts of the songs, aiding interpretation and inviting you to experience the ambience of the Celtic lands through their music. Lyrics for selected songs are given in the notes in English.

This book teaches the student step by step how to play the harp. Each of the 12 lessons includes instructions, exercises, and folk and classical pieces using the new skills and techniques taught in the lesson. --from publisher description.