Jessica & Jermain

Congratulations to Jessica and Jermain on their marriage! Jessica and Jermain were married on Saturday evening, September 17 at Saint Mary's Chapel in Charlotte, NC. I performed at this wedding with Karen Shuford, a very talented flutist from Hickory, NC. For the prelude, Karen and I performed On Wings of Song by Mendelssohn, Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring by Bach, Gymnopedie, No. 1 by Satie, and The Nightingale by Henson-Conant. For the processional, Karen and I performed My Heart Will Go On by Horner/Jennings for the seating of the mothers, Canon in D by Pachelbel for the entrance of the bridal party, and The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face by MacColl for the entrance of the bride. During the ceremony, Karen and I softly performed Somewhere in Time by Barry and 100 Years by Ondrasik during a special reading by a friend of the bride and groom and during the prayer. We also performed Ave Maria by Bach/Gounod for the lighting of the unity candle. For the recessional, Karen and I performed At Last by Gordon/Warren. We were honored to be a part of this special wedding celebration! Congratulations again to this gorgeous couple on their beautiful September wedding!

Benefit Concert

On Sunday, August 14, 2011, I performed with flutist, Susan Fries for an afternoon of harp and flute music benefiting the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation in the McCreary Modern Gallery at the Newton-Conover Auditorium in Newton, North Carolina. Susan is the professor of flute at Concordia University in Irvine, California, and a former student of master flutist, Marcel Moyse. She was attending the American Flute Association Conference in Charlotte and signing her book titled "My Teacher, Remembering Marcel Moyse" at the Conference. Her former flute student, Cheryl Brinn (the flute instructor at the NewArt School at the Newton-Conover Auditorium) invited her to perform a concert while in the area and graciously asked me to accompany her on the harp. It was an amazing experience to perform with such a talented flutist! Susan shares a quote in her book about her teacher, Marcel Moyse telling her that she had a "silver flute, but a golden tone" and that is absolutely true! I was enthralled by her talent and delighted to share in this musical experience with her. She is a such beautiful person, musician, and performer, and I was inspired by her musicality and musical insights that she shared. As a musician, you never stop learning. You are continually workings towards perfecting your craft and pushing yourself towards musical excellence. She told me a story about her teacher, Marcel Moyse and how at the age of 92 years-old he threw open the doors of his practice room and shouted, "I just discovered something new!" This is coming from a master flutist! I just loved that story. Thank you Susan for sharing that with me.

Here is an outline of the musical program that we performed.

Concerto for Flute and Harp - W.A. Mozart (with pianist, Andris Rozukalns)
Allegro

Serenade No. 10 - V. Persichetti
Larghetto
Allegro comodo
Andante grazioso
Andante cantabile
Allegretto
Scherzando
Adagietto
Vivo

Intermezzo - H. Andrissen

Piece en Frome de Habanera - M. Ravel

"Kojo No Tsuki" (The Old Castle by Moonlight), Traditional Japanese Folk Song, arr. L. Moyse

Somewhere in Time (movie theme) - J. Barry

Entr'Acte - J. Ibert

As an encore, Susan and I perform a fabulous jazzy rendition of "Amazing Grace" arranged by I. Nakagawa. Susan found this arrangement while she was performing in Japan and it was truly a show stopper! I have never heard the flute sound like that before. Simply amazing. Thank you family, friends, and supporters for coming to hear Susan and I perform and to support such a wonderful cause!

Spring Concert - June 11, 2011

On Saturday, June 11, 2011, The North Carolina Harp Ensemble performed their Spring Concert at Congregational United Church of Christ in Greensboro. We performed a variety of music, ranging from Scottish dances to Latin American rhythms to Japanese folk songs! Thank you to all our Ensemble members, family, friends, and supporters for a wonderful inaugural year of the North Carolina Harp Ensemble! We have also enjoyed wonderful holiday performances at the Festival of Trees in Winston-Salem benefiting Brenner Children's Hospital and WhiteStone: Masonic and Eastern Star Community in Greensboro. We plan to continue to grow our program, encouraging more harpists to join our group, as we promote excellence in musical performance on the harp! We will see you in the Fall!

About Us
The NC Harp Ensemble, founded in 2010, is directed by Jacquelyn Bartlett, Professor of Harp at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and Appalachian State University. Our mission is to provide professional harp ensemble instruction to advanced to beginning harpist of all ages throughout the Tar Heel state, allowing them to benefit from participating and performing with an ensemble, which is an essential component to any musician's training. For more information, please visit our website - www.ncharpensemble.com.

HarpStringStudio on YouTube!

Introducing the HarpStringStudio YouTube Channel! I will be downloading performance videos of live performances, as well as specific musical selections to help clients select music for their weddings and/or special events! Some of the videos will be public (for all of YouTube to view) and others private (just for clients selecting music for their event). I think it is so important to be able to hear the music, as well as see it performed. Also, it is so convenient! You can view these videos from your own home in your pajamas at midnight and hear them performed over and over! I really don't know why I didn't done this sooner. Look for new material downloaded to this Channel in the next week!

HarpStringStudio YouTube Channel

The Royal Wedding - William & Kate

Congratulations to Prince William & Kate! The Couple announced the music for their wedding service on their website prior to their highly anticipated April nuptials. The music has a largely British theme and blend traditional music with some newly commissioned pieces. I thought I would share their wedding selections here for some Royal inspiration! I wish Prince William & Kate all the best in their married lives together!

Prelude
The music before the service began with a selection of organ pieces: Fantasia in G (Pièce d’orgue à 5) by Johann Sebastian Bach, followed by Veni Creator Spiritus by the Master of The Queen’s Music, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies; Prelude on St. Columba Op. 28 by Sir Charles Villiers Stanford and Sonata for Organ Op. 28 (Allegro maestoso and Allegretto) by Edward Elgar.

Following were seven orchestral pieces:
Serenade for Strings in E minor Op. 20 (Allegro piacevole, Larghetto and Allegretto) by Edward Elgar
Courtly Dance V: Galliard from Gloriana (Symphonic Suite) Op. 53a no. 7 by Benjamin Britten
Fantasia on Greensleeves by Ralph Vaughan Williams
Farewell to Stromness by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies
On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring by Frederick Delius
Touch Her Soft Lips and Part from Henry V Suite by William Walton
Romance for String Orchestra Op. 11 by Gerald Finzi

Three of these pieces – Farewell to Stromness, Touch Her Soft Lips and Part and Romance for String Orchestra Op. 11 – were played at the Service of Prayer and Dedication for The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall in 2005. The Couple specifically chose these pieces for that reason. The final piece of music before the Service began continues the broadly British theme: Canzona from Organ Sonata in C minor by Percy Whitlock.

Processional Music
The Service began with a Fanfare by The State Trumpeters of the Household Cavalry to mark the arrival of The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh. The Fanfare was followed by three Processionals. For the Procession of The Queen, William and Kate chose March from The Birds by Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry. Prelude on Rhosymedre by Ralph Vaughan Williams accompanied the Procession of the Clergy, and was chosen for its Welsh echoes. The Couple selected I Was Glad, also by Parry, for the Procession of the Bride.

Hymns
William and Kate chose three hymns for the service: Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer, words by William Williams, translated by Peter Williams and others, and music by John Hughes. The second was Love Divine All Love Excelling, words by Charles Wesley and music by William Penfro Rowlands. The third was Jerusalem, by Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, words by William Blake. All three hymns were chosen because they are favorites of the Couple.

The Anthem and Motet
The Anthem, This is the day which the Lord hath made, was composed specially for the occasion by John Rutter. It was commissioned by Westminster Abbey as a wedding present for Prince William and Miss Middleton and was performed by both the Choir of Westminster Abbey and the Chapel Royal Choir. Mr. Rutter is a British composer, conductor, editor and arranger who specializes in choral music.
The Anthem was followed by the Motet Ubi caritas by Paul Mealor, a Welsh composer, who is currently Reader in Composition at The University of Aberdeen.
Mr. Mealor’s composing studio is on the Isle of Anglesey, where William and Kate live. This version of Ubi caritas was written on Anglesey and premiered at the University of St. Andrews in November 2010.
The National Anthem was sung immediately before the Signing of the Registers.

The Signing of the Registers and the Recessional
During the Signing of the Registers, the choirs performed Blest pair of Sirens, words by John Milton from At a Solemn Musick, music by Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry.
Following the Signing, was a Fanfare by the Fanfare Team from the Central Band of the Royal Air Force. The Fanfare, called Valiant and Brave, after the motto of No. 22 Squadron (Search and Rescue Force) was specially composed for this Service by Wing Commander Duncan Stubbs, Principal Director of Music in the Royal Air Force.
The Recessional, for the Procession of the Bride and Bridegroom, was Crown Imperial by William Walton. Toccata from Symphonie V by Charles-Marie Widor and Pomp and Circumstance March no. 5 by Edward Elgar followed the Service.

Noelle & Travis

Congratulations to Noelle and Travis on their marriage! Noelle and Travis were married on Saturday evening, April 23, 2011 at Bess Chapel United Methodist Church in Cherryville, NC. For the prelude, I performed a variety of classical and popular selections. For the entrance of the mothers, I performed And I Love Her by Lennon/McCartney and How Beautiful by Twila Paris. I performed Something by Harrison for the entrance of the bridal party and Bridal March by Wagner for the entrance of the bride. During the lighting of the unity candle, I performed Have I Told You Lately by Morrison. For the recessional, I performed How Sweet It Is (To be Loved by You) by Holland/Dozier/Holland. I had so much fun being a part of this beautiful wedding ceremony and playing some fabulous Beatles tunes (And I Love Her & Something)! I have known Noelle and her family for many years and was honored to be asked to be a part of her wedding day! Congratulations again to this gorgeous couple on their beautiful April wedding!

Deanna & Chris

Congratulations to Deanna and Chris on their marriage! Deanna and Chris were married on Saturday afternoon, April 16, 2011 in the beautiful sanctuary at First United Methodist Church in Newton, NC. For the prelude, I performed a variety of classical and religious selections, including Be Thou My Vision, The Prayer, and Canon in D. For the processional, I performed The Nightingale by Henson-Conant for the seating of the mothers, First Arabesque by Debussy for the entrance of the bridal party and Bridal March by Wagner for the entrance of the bride. During the ceremony, I performed Ave Maria by Bach/Gounod for the lighting of the unity candle. Afterwards, I performed How Beautiful by Twila Paris with talented vocalist, Kristy Smith. For the recessional, I performed Wedding March by Mendelssohn. I had so much fun being a part of this beautiful wedding ceremony. I have known Deanna since childhood and was so honored to be asked to be a part of her special day! Congratulations again to this beautiful couple on their gorgeous April wedding!

The Motion of Stone

On Saturday afternoon, April 9, 2011, I performed "The Motion of Stone" with the University of North Carolina School of the Arts Orchestra and Cantata Singers. This beautiful choral and orchestral work was composed by Kenneth Frazelle, a UNCSA faculty member. I was so excited to be part of this wonderful performance! Thank you UNCSA for inviting me to perform and be a part of this special performance.

Is it really almost April?

Is it really almost April? Where has the time gone? Here is a quick update on my harp activities during the months of February and March.

February
On Saturday, February 12, Kristen and I performed as a harp duo at a Valentine's Day event in Greensboro, NC. We had so much fun performing at this event and celebrating the holiday with a group of wonderful people! On Thursday, February 17, Kristen and I performed an afternoon harp duo concert at Jamestown Presbyterian Church in Jamestown, NC. We had so much fun entertaining the crowd with harp duets and educating them on the instrument!

March
On Wednesday, March 9, I performed for the Ash Wednesday service at Corinth Church in Hickory, North Carolina. It was a beautiful service and I was delighted to be a part of it. On Sunday, March 20, I performed at Saint James Presbyterian Church in Greensboro, North Carolina. I performed during the sermon presented by Rev. Diane Moffett titled "Soothing Your Soul." I had so much fun being part of such a creative sermon presentation! You can hear me play on the Saint James Presbyterian Church broadcast on Greensboro Channel 8 television station on March 29 at 6:00pm, March 31 at 9:30pm, and April 1 at 1:30pm. This Wednesday, March 30, I will be performing/presenting on the harp for 100 students at Oxford Elementary in Claremont, NC. I can't wait to share some great music with them and maybe inspire a few to play the harp!

April Preview
As for the month of April, I will be performing John Rutter's Requiem at First Methodist Church in Lenoir, NC on Sunday, April 17 at 5:00pm. I will also be performing at a few weddings, and completing my Kindermusik practicum to becoming a licensed Kindermusik educator (more on this in another post).

Ahhhh...It feels good to be caught up. As always, thank you for reading my friends! I will see you in April!

New Year - 2011

Happy New Year! On December 31, 2010, I performed for a New Year's Eve banquet at MacGregor Downs Country Club in Cary, North Carolina. I had so much fun performing for this festive event, as couples, families, and friends celebrated the gift of a New Year! My first performance of the New Year was Sunday, January 2, 2011. I performed at Corinth Reformed Church in Hickory, North Carolina for their morning services. It is always a pleasure to perform for the wonderful Corinth congregation! There is always something so refreshing about the start of a New Year. I am very excited to see what fun events and opportunities the New Year will bring! Lets hear it for 2011!