During the Harp Guitar Gathering last month, Mark Farley was telling me of a new piece he was composing: a threnody (a piece composed as a memorial to someone deceased) for two of his guitar/lute/music teachers who had sadly passed away within two months of each other less than a year ago. The most recent [...]
Boy, this Gathering went fast! Well, the Sunday afternoon concert just ended, so time to pack up, clear out of Rocky Top, and head over to John and Dorothy Thomas’ home for the closing party. Things were getting into full swing when we (staff and helpers) arrived… John, with Jim and DeAnn Worland The “jazz [...]
After our final festivities at the Quinnipiac University Law School building on Sunday morning, we spent the lunch hour breaking down and setting back up a few miles down the street and up a magnificent hill to the Rocky Top Student Center. These kids have it too good! A beautiful location, in a very cool [...]
After a “sedate” but late Saturday evening, Sunday morning saw the Gathering crowd back in the main hall for 2 hours of open mic (I shared what photos I have from that on the earlier Open Mic blog). During the second hour, many of the group split off to find separate classrooms for the 3 [...]
The Harp Guitar Gathering prides itself on its excellent record in not getting kicked out of hotels (with the noticeable exception of Nate Blaustein’s Motel 6 room that one year…). Typically, we commandeer the bar area (absent this year) and generally most of the entire lobby, as was the case this year. We don’t just [...]
After a full day of activities (finishing with Andy McKee’s presentation) and a dinner break, the public arrived to join the 75+ Gathering attendees for the evening harp guitar concert. For this show, the hosts (John Thomas, left, and Stephen Bennett, right) chose to highlight this year’s Feature and Workshop performers. In no particular order: [...]
Well all I can say is about dang time! After the Luthier Panel on Saturday afternoon, we concluded the day’s presentations with the long-awaited return of Mr. McKee. Some eleven years ago (2003) a very youngish Andy McKee showed up at the very first Harp Guitar Gathering, toting a Spillers harp guitar on loan from [...]
Continuing the series on the 11th Harp Guitar Gathering… As Saturday’s Luthier Panel was winding down (we finished the slideshows with Alistair Hay), we realized that photographer Chuck Thompson was so busy taking pictures, we completely forgot that he should have been in the panel himself. He didn’t have a presentation ready, but we let [...]
After musical presentations by Dave Powell and Pete Bradshaw, historical presentation by myself, and an in-house lunch hour (complete with free entertainment by volunteer harp guitarists, naturally), we reconvened for two hours of luthier presentations (which goes by quick, believe me). This popular segment is open to builders who have made a new harp guitar [...]
As frequent Harp Guitar Gathering goers know, we have been trying to feature an historical and/or classical music performer each year. Optimally, that means someone playing “traditional” or period music on an actual period instrument (or reproduction). The list has included in the past Andreas David, Brian Torosian, Oleg Timofeyev, and (to a certain extent) [...]
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