Latest news with #harp
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Historical harp to help open Hammond concert series
Jun. 27—HAMMOND — The Yellow Barn Concert Series opens Sunday with a celebration of a historical harp from the Sisters of Saint Joseph's. At 5 p.m. Sunday, the Iva Smith Memorial Gallery of Fine Art, 627 State Route 37, will present renowned harpist Janet Witman, who will commemorate the discovery of a rare harp dating from 1810 that had been in the possession of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Watertown. In April, the sisters decided "it was time to repurpose" the property at 1425 Washington St., and sell it, so it would become an important asset for the community. Some sisters moved to Samaritan Summit Village and others found smaller homes in the area. The rare Erard harp dates from 1810 and is one of the first double-action harps capable of playing flat, natural, and sharp tones in the same piece, according to Evelyn Saphier, gallery director. Throughout the 20th century, the harp was used in the Sisters' musical conservatory by Sister Emmaline. Witman will perform her program on a Camac concert grand harp, Trianon model, made in France. "The harp of Saint Joseph's, too delicate to play, will be on display for its beauty," Saphier said. Witman's harp concert will include sacred works by Grandjany, Catagay Akyol, Bach, Mozart, James L. Bain, John Steiner, Sir John Rutter, Janet Witman and others. The Erard harp will be on display during the concert and throughout the summer at The Iva Smith Gallery. It will then find a new home in the music room of the Paddock Mansion of the Jefferson County Historical Society. Yellow Barn Concerts are $10 at the door, with children 18 and under admitted for free. Parents are encouraged to come 20 minutes early so their children can meet the instrumentalists and their instruments. This project is made possible in collaboration with Chippewa Bay Community Club, with funds from the Statewide Community Regrants Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, and administered by the St. Lawrence County Arts Council.
New York Times
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Brandee Younger Has a New Secret Weapon: Alice Coltrane's Harp
Brandee Younger has noticed her audience changing lately. The harpist, composer and bandleader, whose elegant, groove-anchored sound has made her a standout presence in and around jazz in recent years, had grown accustomed to seeing a certain type of listener at her shows. 'It's, like, a Portland, 40s man,' she said with a smile during an interview last month at her East Harlem apartment, referencing demographic data on her fan base — not atypical for a contemporary jazz artist — furnished by her label. During recent tours, though, she started to notice an influx of 'young girls that are, like, so excited.' It's been an encouraging sight for Younger, 41, who said that growing up as 'this little Black girl playing harp' and devoting herself to classical studies while also keeping close tabs on hip-hop and R&B, she struggled to find role models. 'I want to grab their hands,' she said of these new converts. 'I want to nurture these 20-year-old girls, because I wish I had that — something like that — when I was 20.' Younger's latest batch of music, out Friday, feels like a nurturing, affirming message too. 'Gadabout Season,' her third album for Impulse!, offers the best encapsulation yet of the tasteful, subtly radical sonic hybrid that she has been honing since she picked up the harp at age 11. It's a persuasive argument for the vast, trans-idiomatic potential of her instrument. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
