The harp occupies a unique position in the history of music. It is the oldest known instrument, having existed in one form or another, in every land and every age. Harps were widely used in the ancient Mediterranean and Middle East and the earliest harps were developed from the hunting bow, often appearing in wall paintings of ancient Egyptian tombs dating from as early as 3000 B.C.
“This all started in my early days with the orchestra in the early 2000’s when Marin Alsop was Music Director,” recalls Hershey Bress. “We played a lot of Michael Daugherty’s music at that time, and we recorded an album of his and on it was his Philadelphia Stories. The second movement of that piece is called ‘The Telltale Harp.’ It has two harps and it was almost like a mini concerto. At that moment I basically fell in love with Michael’s composing for the instrument. I kind of got this spark in my head but I didn’t really think about it until years later. Then over the years, I got to know him and about 10 years ago, I approached him and asked him to write me a harp concerto and he said ‘OK, I’ll do one in my life and it will be yours.’”
It took a few more years before work was able to begin on the concerto but Daugherty’s skill as a composer was evident to Hershey Bress very early in the process.
“The harp is one of the oldest and most beautiful instruments, from early civilizations to the present,” said Daugherty. “Like the seven pedals on the modern harp, my concerto is divided into seven movements that reflect on many ages of the harp and each movement is associated with a memorable figure associated with the harp.”
The Seven Movements: Harp of Ages
1. Sappho Leaps: Sappho (7th century BCE) was a Greek lyric poet who played the harp and (according to ancient lore) leaped from a cliff.
2. Sister Juana’s Hymn: Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (1648-1695) was a Mexican nun who became famous as a poet, scholar, and composer of music accompanied by harp.
3. Uhura’s Song: Nyoata Uhura (ca. 23rd century) was a fictional character from Africa and communications officer on the USS Enterprise, who sang and played the harp on the original Star Trek television series (1964-1967).
4. David’s Prayer: David (ca. 1,000 BCE) was a young shepherd from the Old Testament who played the harp to soothe the spirits of King Saul.
5. Harpo Speaks: Harpo Marx (1888-1954) was a mute member of the Marx Brothers comedy team who played the harp in their numerous Hollywood films of the 1930s and 1940s.
6. Detroit Blue: Dorothy Ashby (1932-1986) and Alice Coltrane (1937-2007) were innovators of the jazz harp from Detroit, Michigan.
7. Irish Wedding: Since the 13th century, the Irish harp has been associated with songs of war, dance and weddings. As the heraldic symbol of Ireland, the harp has been championed by Irish harpists from Turlough O’ Carolan (d. 1738) to Mary O’Hara (b. 1935).
The Music of the Nutcracker and a World Premiere Harp Concerto
Hear Harp of Ages alongside the music of The Nutcracker and Bernstein’s Fancy Free: Three Dance Variations all conducted by Andrew Litton at Boettcher Concert Hall from May 12-14, 2023.
