Description
Join us for a journey into the vibrant world of turn-of-the-eighteenth-century Irish music! This course will introduce you to the iconic planxties of Turlough Carolan (1670–1738), one of Ireland's most celebrated harper-composers. Through six hands-on sessions, you'll learn to play and interpret three beautiful Carolan planxties:
'Planxty Lady Athenry' — An elegant and beautiful example of the planxty, blending elements of both Irish and Italian baroque, it is a joy to play and very much deserves to be better known!
'Carolan's Favourite Jig or Planxty Mary O'Neill' — A lively jig-time song air composed in honour of Mary O'Neill, daughter of Henry O'Neill
'Planxty Bourk' — A striking example of the genre, with its long fluid lines and plaintive final cadences, it is a beautiful tune that balances lightness with a subtle melancholy mode
The pieces selected for this course present a range of melody and emotion to explore. Our course tutors—James Ruff, Tamzin Elliott, and Alessia Bianchi—will guide you on how to approach Carolan’s compositions. They will cover fingerings, phrasing, and ornamentation techniques, teaching you to play these pieces in a historically informed style. You'll be introduced to the 'planxty' as a form of Irish harp music associated with Turlough Carolan, and explore the source material for these tunes. Along the way, the course will explore historical insights into Carolan’s life and the cultural context of his compositions. By the end of the course, you will have gained a fuller understanding of how these tunes may have been performed in Carolan's time. Come celebrate the legacy of this iconic Irish harper-composer and expand your harp repertory with his elegant and effervescent planxties!
All harps welcome!
EARLY-BIRD DISCOUNT: enroll now for €99 and save 24% off the full price of €130. Offer ends 26 April, 2025