Harps of the world

In this introductory lecture, we will trace the history of harps from ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia to the present day, and explore the rich variety played around the world. You will be introduced to the instruments featured in this course, and other harps, as well, and we'll begin to look at their music and traditions.

This presentation, co taught by Koko Naing and Htike Aung Kyaw, will introduce you to the saung gauk (Burmese harp), the national instrument of Myanmar. This harp has been played continuously in Myanmar for well over a thousand years, and for much of its history was a high status instrument played within the royal court. In this session we will explore the saung gauk, how it is constructed, strung and tuned, and its music and history. You will see and hear a demonstration of the instrument, and will be shown the basics of how it is played.

Frustrated due to the lack of information about the Latin American harps, in 1979 Alfredo Rolando Ortiz published his first book: Latin American Harps: History, Music and Techniques for Pedal and Non-pedal harpists, the first book ever written about these harps. Learn about the fascinating history of the Paraguayan Harp and its very important influence in other Latin American countries and beyond the Americas.

This lecture will explore the history and development of the pedal harp, from the end of the seventeenth century through the nineteenth century. Topics covered: the first pedal harp, French pedal harps, political and industrial revolution and the pedal harp, decorative design, competition and patent registration, and globalisation of the pedal harp.

Harps play an important cultural role in countries across the African continent, and are present in a wide variety of forms. In this presentation, James Makubuya will share his knowledge of the adungu bow harp of Uganda, its history, culture, and music.

The angular harp is first shown in archaeological records, circa 2000 BCE. This instrument is no longer played, but dominated Asia for a long time, and was played across the continent under various names. The Japanese called it “kugo”, and many fine examples have survived in Japan since 750 CE. On a replica, Tomoko plays pieces from periods and places where the kugo was played. Her Chinese and Japanese repertoire hails from the ninth and eleventh centuries.