Harps Together Lá na Cruite Harp Day 2022 takes place on Saturday October 15 with live and online events planned all over the world. For the sixth year in a row, Irish harpers extend a warm invitation to harpers everywhere to join with them in celebrating the 1000-year-old Irish harping tradition.
In Galway on October 15, National Harp Day will be celebrated with a series of free events in various venues throughout Galway City.
At the city museum on Saturday, see an exhibition of harp making by Galway makers Ériú Harps and Callan Harps (11:00 am-1:00 pm ), and hear Galway harpers and their students play a variety of harps, from the Early Irish harp strung with brass to the modern Irish harp. (11:00 am-1:00 pm ).
In pop-up performances, Áine Parslow fills the Galway City Library with the magic of the harp (11:00 am ) and Natalie Surina showcases the melting sound of her wire-strung copy of the 15thcentury Trinity College Harp in Opus II, High Street (2:30 pm ).
At 6:00 pm enjoy a ‘Harpy Hour’ of harp music and harp-related poetry at the Crane Bar with Catriona Cannon, Kathleen Loughnane, Ciara Ryan and Máirín Ní Dhonnchadha.
La? na Cruite Harp Day 2022 puts a spotlight on harp music’s special ability to unite cultures and celebrate difference. This year also marks the 230th anniversary of the 1792 Belfast Harpers’ Assembly, and many of the events planned on Lá na Cruite | Harp Day will draw from and celebrate the invaluable legacy left by Edward Bunting and the Assembly on the Irish harping tradition.
“We are excited that our 2022 programme highlights the vibrance of the harping tradition, its extraordinary popularity and its great diversity’ comments Aibhlín McCrann, Chair, Cruit Éireann Harp Ireland, “The harp is a vibrant cultural presence across different genres; we are thrilled to be working with so many gifted harpers and artists to shine a spotlight on harping and welcome new audiences to enjoy it.”
All Galway events are free. For more information on museum events, visit the Galway Museum webpage http://galwaycitymuseum.ie/events/. National Harp Day is supported by The Arts Council of Ireland, RTE Supporting the Arts and Lyric FM.
