Llio Rhydderch (Welsh Triple Harp)/The Harp Consort
22nd Edinburgh Internationa Harp Festival Concert Series

Music Rhydderch: Pieces from her Enlli suite and traditional Welsh melodies. Harp Consort: Juan Cabanilles: Corrente Italiana; Mudarra: Fantasia de Luduvico; Anon (17th cent. Peru): Marizapalos; Lucas Ruiz de Ribayaz (fl. 1677): Luz y Norte - El Gran Duque, - Galliarda, - Chaconas, - Paradetas; Luis Milán: Fantasia de consonancias y redobles; Diego Fernández: Xácara - Tres Moricas; Mecano (20th century pop group): Hijo de la luna; John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin bass guitarist): Al son de los arroyuelos, So ell encina; Luys de Narvaez: Diferencias - Guardáme las vacas; Francisco Repilado (Máximo Francisco Repilado Muñoz b.18 November 1907): Chan Chan
Performers Llio Rhydderch (Welsh triple harp); The Harp Consort: Clara Sanabras (soprano, baroque guitar), Steven Player (dancer, baroque guitar), Andrew Lawrence-King (Spanish baroque harp, Director)
Date 15 April 2003
Venue Merchiston Castle School Theatre
Address Colinton Road, Edinburgh
Reviewer Pat Napier

Programmes are a rarity at the Edinburgh International Harp Festival concerts, so to have one for this concert was a bit of a novelty - and a shock. We all thought that we'd come to hear that great and much-loved Welsh triple harpist Llio Rydderch but the programme indicated that the "support band", The Harp Consort, appeared to have the lion's share, with Llio Rhydderch's contribution appearing thus:

Llio Rydderch - INTERVAL - Llio Rhydderch. Very odd!

All was made clear right at the start. The Harp Consort would open and close. Llio Rydderch had chosen to play before and after the interval so that she had the necessary time to retune her magnificent, tall harp. Here's the reason: the Welsh triple harp has no pedals, relying instead on three sets of strings to provide the harmonics. The two outer sets are tuned in unison; the left hand plays the top notes and the right the bass; the central strings are tuned to give the chromatic notes. Up to five octaves are available. When played, the sound is magical, very spiritual and totally haunting. The triple harp dates from the early 17th century, having come from 16th century Italy.

Llio Rhydderch

Llio Rydderch, taught by the great Nansi Richards (who died in 1989 aged 100 years), stands in the ancient line of Welsh harpers going back to the 6th century. She played around a dozen pieces in all. She lives and breathes the music of her native Anglesey and is immersed in all its history and spiritual traditions and of the Llyn Peninsula. Her deep response to all this and to the haunting beauty of the landscape poured out in her music, many of the pieces being her own compositions. She began with the first two pieces from her Enlli suite and later, the seventh of which was - in English - The Ash Grove. I'm afraid that my Welsh, being non-existent, couldn't cope with the names. Enlli is Ynas Enlli, Bardsey Island, a place of pilgrimage since the 5th century where, legend says, 20,000 saints lie buried. These pieces set the mood for a very spiritual musical experience. The whole of this haunting music was played in a clear, unadorned Baroque style which showed the harp off in a magnificent way. Closed eyes transported the mind straight to a deep connection with the landscape. Sighs and smiles of satisfaction all round at the end! Her encore, a seaside piece, skillfully reset the mood for The Harp Consort's last session.

Andrew Lawrence-King

In keeping with several of the festival's concerts, there was a great contrast offered by The Harp Consort, ably directed by the harpist Andrew Lawrence-King. This versatile group's programme, called Spanish Gypsies, presented Baroque dances from Spain and South America, mixed in some 20th century music for Baroque instruments and then ended with some traditional music from Spain and Cuba. Most of the music came from Spain's Golden Age and much of it was dance music, as was the rest of European Baroque music.

Their programme featured several pieces from the de Ribayaz Luz y Norte, a theoretical discussion on dance music, which was followed by transcriptions from harp tablatures, then finished with a set of solo dances for the Spanish harp. Periodically, Stephen Player brought this dance music to life. His first dance, El Gran Duque, seemed to be a cross between baroque dance and early Zapateado, very refined and restrained, not at all like the passionate Spanish gypsy temperament. And that seemed to be the mood which all three were aiming for: the refined Baroque stylised sensuality of the noble classes and art music. A little more of the energy of the Spanish dance and "the fiery colours of peasant culture" in both the songs and the music wouldn't have gone amiss.

The big surprise, and great success, was their interpolation of 20th century music from the Pop Music field. The rhythmic and harmonic patterns of the Baroque dances' continuo, also known as a 'ground' in English and a 'son' in Spanish were brilliantly interpreted in Hijo de la luna, a 1970s pop song by the folk-rock group Mecano, all late-night soft, sensual pop. And who would have guessed that the Led Zeppelin bass guitarist John Paul Jones would be persuaded to write two very beautiful Spanish, restrained pieces based on song texts from Spain's Golden Age? And, what's more, have the second, decidely bawdy So ell encina, played on Radio 3?? All in all, the audience loved their mix of guitars, harp, voice and dance.

© Pat Napier. 18 April 2003