Celtic harp

As a Celtic harp, harps also Gaelic, Scottish Gaelic Clàrsach, irish Cláirseach, a group of harps are called that stand out mainly by the typical curved shape of the column. The shape of the body varies from the simple box shape and shapes with rounded back. The mood is diatonic, varied mostly by Halbtonklappen in the key, which is why the instrument is often referred to disparagingly as something " lever harp ." Harps in this design are known from Ireland, Brittany and Scotland and closely intertwined with the Celtic tradition.

Modern Celtic Harps

The modern " Celtic " ( Irish and Scottish ) Harp is a successor of the historic stringed instrument. It is about 0.7 to 1.6 m high and has in concert form about 34 diatonic tuned nylon, carbon or gut strings. This means a smaller range in the bass as opposed to the concert harp. But so-called lap harps also produce a comprehensive sound already with 26 strings. The string is identical to the material of the concert harps, the voltage is slightly lower and somewhat smaller distance. The soundboard is straight, the strings setting angle for resonance body is also identical with that of the great harp.

As a building material are known for supporting parts cherry, maple, walnut, rare pear wood and oak. The soundboard is usually spruce ( quergemasert ), rarely covered with veneer.

The playing techniques of most instrumentalists differ only marginally from those of the concert harp, rare, the instrument is also played with fingernails, such as by Laoise Kelly. In Ireland, this harp is due to the use " innovation ", colon, carbon or nylon strings instead of bronze or other metal, referred to as neo- Irish harp.

The instruments have now spread out over the entire northern hemisphere. While internationally very many individual manufacturers produce self-designed individual pieces, this Harfenart is also manufactured in large quantities in factories in Japan, Italy, France and the USA and also as a cheap product in Pakistan.

Cláirseach / Clàrsach

In Germany, with Cláirseach (Irish ) or Clàrsach ( schottisch-gäl. ) or rare Gaelic harp a strung with bronze strings harp, often referred to without voting flaps. The Clairseach has a long and rich history. It was played in Ireland, the Scottish Highlands and Islands over 1000 years until the late 19th century. With the bronze strung harp, the inhabitants tried to keep the old tradition alive.

The early history of the Celtic harp in Europe is not been thoroughly investigated. Three of the four oldest authentic harps are Cláirseach in the British Isles, one in Ireland and two in Scotland. The origin of these three harps shall be dated approximately to the 15th century, and it is believed that they have been made ​​in Argyll in south-west Scotland.

The characteristic feature of the historical Cláirseach Harp are their strings of bronze. These are stretched over a massive sound box, which is normally made ​​from a single piece of willow wood. Attached to it is a reinforced curved pillar, whose neck is decorated with carvings and flanked by wide brass bands. Usually it was played with the fingernails, what an excellent ringing tone revealed.

One of these medieval harps, which is often referred to as the romantic harp of Brian Boru, is located in the library of Trinity College in Dublin. Two more, the Queen Mary Harp and the Lamont Harp, located in the Scottish National Museum in Edinburgh. Based on the artistic design of the instruments is assumed that all three were probably made ​​in the western Highlands. There were plenty of opportunities in earlier times, the harp of Trinity College from Scotland to Ireland to create over the sea, so that it can be assumed that they, too, is of Scottish origin. There are at least 15 other early Celtic harps come from mediaeval times to about 1800. Although most are located in Ireland and it is assumed usually, they were of Irish origin, for many, the origin is not backed up, it might as well come from Scotland.

Most often they are played even today with your fingernails. The Irish harpers were not subordinate companion but virtuosos, extraordinarily blessed with fast fluency and complex modulations. The performance of the fingernails was considered a " maximum penalty " for a Bard.

Metallbesaitete harps there are now more frequently, often as replicas of historical instruments such as the Queen Mary Harp, or Sirr. In the further development of musical instrument making, they played up in the eighties of the 20th century no significant role to Alan Stivell and Myrdhin in Brittany, Mary MacMaster in Germany, the instrument made ​​popular again in Scotland or Rüdiger Oppermann. Today offer harp maker in Germany again fairly extensive model series metallbesaiteter harps.

Your overtones, diatonic sound is currently playing more in fashion; it has its place. still as a national instrument of Scotland and Ireland

Chromatic Cláirseach

In addition to the diatonic tuned Cláirseach also a chromatically tuned version of the instrument developed. Spread, probably via the detour of the Italian harp to Wales in Ireland a Tripelharfe with metal strings with only 7 getripelten harps ( Cloyne harp at the National Museum Dublin, branch Collins Barak ). Worth mentioning here is the string material: bronze in the treble, and bass silver or gold. ( The metal was compacted by rolling and received additional tensile strength. )

Others

The Celtic harp was depicted as an icon on the Irish pound coins. Today she finds herself on the Irish Euro coins. In addition, it is located in the coat of arms of the Republic of Ireland.