Local harpers to play at landmark music festival this weekend

County Meath Harpers Ciara Taaffe and Fiona Gryson will be performing as part of the Harps Alive│An Chruit Bheo│Harps Leevin festival in Belfast this weekend.

Organised by the Harps Alive partnership, the festival will bring together the finest harpers from across the island to recognise the landmark event that collected music more than two centuries ago for future harpers to learn from and perform.

Having already opened with events in Magilligan and Mussenden Template last weekend, the festival represents five days filled with music, history and heritage. The majority of the festival will take place across a number of sites in Belfast, before culminating with an event in Dublin on July 24.

Both harpers hail from County Meath, with Fiona Grayson residing in Ashbourne, Co. Meath, whilst Ciara Taaffe currently teaches at the Ulster College of Music in Belfast.

Fiona recently graduated from the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama with a Master's in Music Performance, having previously graduated with a first-class honours degree in Performance and Pedagogy. Having performed as principal harpist within numerous orchestras, Fiona currently works as a freelance harper and teacher, offering tuition to harpers from beginners level to advanced.

Ciara is an accomplished harper who has been playing since the age of 11. Since obtaining her Associate Teaching Diploma with the Royal Irish Academy of Music in 2009, Ciara has taught the harp at multiple institutions, from the Ulster College of Music to the Andersonstown Traditional and Contemporary Music School. In addition to the harp, Ciara also tutors piano. As well as teaching, Ciara has also performed as part of both an ensemble and a soloist at a variety of events, including a performance in Italy as part of the celebrations for the 150th anniversary of the unification of North and South Italy.

Ciara and Fiona are both scheduled to perform on Saturday, 16 July. Ciara is to perform at the Northern Stars concert in the early afternoon, an event showcasing three shining lights of Irish harping talent. The concert will take place at First Presbyterian Church on Rosemary Street, Belfast.

Ciara will play alongside Adam O’Neill and Grainne Meyer; these three talented harpers represent a promising future for Irish harping.

Fiona will be performing at 230 Years-a Harping later that evening, a commemorative concert also set to take place at First Presbyterian Church. The concert will round off a day packed full of music and history on Saturday, 16 July.

230 Years-a Harping will see harpers from across Ireland gather to recreate the historic Belfast Harpers’ Assembly. Other artists performing at the concert include Doimnic Mac Giolla Bhríde, Emily Cullen and Rachel Duffy, among others.

Organised by the Harps Alive partnership, the festival will bring together the finest harpers from across the island to recognise the landmark event that collected music more than two centuries ago for future harpers to learn from and perform.

The partnership between Harp Ireland and Reclaim The Enlightenment is to mark 230 years since the Belfast Harpers’ Assembly in Belfast. In 1792 the Harpers’ Assembly in Belfast brought together 11 harpers, seven of which were blind and the eldest Denis Hempson was 97 at the time.

Aibhlín McCrann, Chair of Cruit Éireann Harp Ireland, said that celebrating the anniversary presented a unique musical opportunity for the harping community.

“We are delighted to bring harpers from all over Ireland together to mark 230 years since the Belfast Harpers’ Assembly in Belfast” she said.

“Our harping heritage transcends boundaries and has really connected the partners, north and south.

“It is wonderful to hear the harpers’ music reflecting our living tradition and to see that there is so much interest in it. We are looking forward to welcoming audiences across the city of Belfast to our concerts, talks and exhibitions and in Dublin later in the month.”

John Gray, Chair of Reclaim the Enlightenment said the Harps Alive│An Chruit Bheo│Harps Leevin festival is rooted in musical history.

“In bringing more than 50 harpers to Belfast, the festival will create the largest-ever such assembly in the city,” he said.

“It will be a celebration of the heritage of the harp and the contemporary revival of harp playing, and when it concludes we hope to have created more awareness of the harp tradition with the public and leave a lasting legacy.”

For tickets to Ciara and Fiona’s shows and for more information about the festival go to http://harpsalive.com