Volume 2019c | November 27
Harpy news & updates
November 2019
Melody's Traditional Music
To give thanks in solitude is enough. Thanksgiving has wings and goes where it must go. Your prayer knows much more about it than you do. - Victor Hugo
Save the date for the Houston Summer Harp Festival, directed by Kimberly Snaufer DeRosa. July 6-11, 2020! Check their new updated website .
Harp Crossings by Diana Stork
We are very pleased to announce a new book:   Harp Crossings by Diana Stork! It's a delightful collection of Latin-inspired pieces, perfectly suited for intermediate harp players. The music lies well under the fingers, and the tempos range from fast to slow. With a good variety of Latin rhythms, the book also includes some great "south-of-the-border" harp techniques! For Latin, Lever, and Pedal harps. Includes links to excellent audio recordings of all the print music in the book.

Best stated: These pieces stand as both an excellent window into the rich culture and contagious rhythms of Latin-America and a testament to the important role women play in expanding, developing and preserving Latin-American music traditions.
~ Amelia Romano, Lever Harpist, Composer

Harp Crossings is $25.

Also available as a PDF download HERE
The music of Pam Ohms is now available in digital format!
UPPER INTERMEDIATE PEDAL HARP - Transcribed from Louise's CD, Sacred Treasures, this jazzy and swingy arrangement of Swing Low is four pages with pedal slides, glisses, jazzy chords, arpeggios. Very well edited, pedal changes are marked. Modulates from Eb to F.

Also available as a PDF download HERE
There will be a New Zealand Harp Fest in 2021: Harp Fest NZ! It will feature international and New Zealand tutors, performers and participants. The event will be held at the Performing Arts Suite in Epsom, Auckland, and run from Friday, 4 June through Monday, 7 June.  MORE INFO
Hymn to Hope
Beautiful piece by Rolf Løvland arranged from the violin/piano duo for harp solo by Mary Radspinner. Lever and pedal version both included. Paper Version | Download Version (limited supply due to copyright restraints).
Select books of Sharon Thormahlen are now available digitally! Click.
E veryone enjoys Celtic Folk Songs and Folk Hymns but not all realize that often they can be one and the same. This collection has a little of both, with extensive notes. Each song has a short but lovely introduction!

Also available as a PDF download HERE
Tip for arrangers and composers: if you have someone notate your music for you, PLEASE have your engraver give you the files to save on your computer, or on a thumb drive. Even if you don’t have the program, your editor will or should. Changes/corrections/updates can then be easily made. Most publishers do not work from paper anymore. We print directly from the computer. Read more on our publishing blog. (this blog will soon be transferred to melodystraditionalmusic.com)
INTERMEDIATE PEDAL HARP - 5 pages. Liberally adapted with Adeste Fideles incorporated at the end! This is the PDF download version.
The Jan Pennington Gray Harp Scholarship Fund (Chattanooga) announces a new program to bring harps into the hands of children in public education.  For more information, see our BLOG POST | or go to the JPG Harp Connections site. You can also visit their FB page.
New from Joyce Weaver
Black is the Color (Hp/Fl) Download Version | Paper Version

Lovely is the Dark Blue Sky Download Version | Paper Version

Three Old Hymns for Harp and Flute Download Version | Paper Version

Two Handel Aries (Hp/Fl) Download Version | Paper Version
Christa Grix’s duo arrangement of “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” is for two pedal harps. “Intermediate harpists will find it easy to play,” says Grix, “with some minimal practicing for pedal changes.” The arrangement includes lots of harmonics to evoke bells ringing. This piece is a PDF download which includes the score (8 pages) and two parts (2 pages each).
The next New Orleans Jazz & Pop Harp Weekend will be held in New Orleans, Louisiana, January 30, 31, February 1 and 2, 2020. The events will take place at East Jefferson Regional Library who will host the event. 
Mozart Sonatine #1 (Hp/Fl)
This is a freebie - read about it HERE

More freebies HERE
Paying Respects to a remarkable woman, musician, scientist, and friend - Evelyn Castiglioni 1954 - 2019.
Evelyn was a wonderful, untiring, driven individual who contributed much to the lives of many. She was a prolific arranger for harp, cello, mandolin, and folk ensembles. Her arranging talent lay in creating 3 part harmony for any combination of instruments. Her playing talent was undoubtedly the accordion, on which she was a master. Evelyn was an Afghan Press artist (harp), and her music can be found on our site, Harp Column Music, Sylvia Woods, and Amazon. In addition to her musical genius, Evelyn was Department Head of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences at Texas A&M, College Station, TX. Evelyn Tiffany-Castiglioni.