Harp Of Light

Aislinn the Bard

  1. George Brabazon

    This lively piece by Irish harper Turlough O'Carolan is a great teaching piece for visually-impaired harpers because of its orderly arrangement of elements across the instrument's range.

  2. Star Of The County Down

    Normally this song is played as a dance tune. Here we render it as a tender meditation, as though our young hero were thinking about his beloved in the cool of the evening after a long day at the fair

  3. Sir Kenneth
    Rakes of Mallow

    Imagine a torrential downpour Imagine seeking and finding shelter at last in the castle-shaped shop of a gentle wind chime maker who welcomes your music. Wouldn't you write him a piece of music? planxty Sir Kenneth is the result of just such an encounter. It's followed by Rakes of Mallow, a reel.

  4. Brian Boru

    Brian Boru is a march, heard here in a simple arrangement that highlights the surprisingly lush sound of the 24-string Oladian harp.

  5. Planxty Irwin

    The 18th century Irish harper Turlough O'Carolan went from house to house playing. He wrote these "planxties" to honor his patrons.

  6. Pachibel's Cannon

    One of the most popular pieces for wedding processionals, we here it in this recording transposed to the key of C to take advantage of the harp's range.

  7. Fannie Powers

    Another piece by O'Carolan, this lively piece is an excellent teaching piece for harpers who can't see the strings

  8. Greensleeves

    Attributed to Henry VIII, this tune is best known as the melody to What Child Is This. This arrangement is a free-form improvisation with a New Age feel.

  9. Road To Lisdonvarna

    Normally played in E minor, here we play it in G minor to take advantage of the limited range of this small harp.

  10. Danny Boy
    Oh What A Beautiful Morning

    These two songs, one a famous Irish tear-jerker and the other a piece from a musical make a natural pair in this refreshing arrangement.

  11. Lovely Joan
    Swallowtail Jig

    Ralph Vaughn Williams used Lovely Joan as his theme for his English Fantasy. Here we see it as the quiet prelude to the much more lively Swallowtail Jig. Again, the pieces have been transposed to take best advantage of the range and resonance of this small lap harp.

  12. Minuet

    This pretty little minuet by Johann Sebastian Bach is a favorite of piano students. Originally in G, we play it here in F to give it a bit more depth.

  13. The Selkie

    The Selkie is a traditional Scottish In this arrangement it alternates with an original jig to give a contrast between the slow ballad and the livelier dance tune.

  14. Jesu, Joy of
    Man's Desiring

    This piece was popularized in the 1970s by a group called Apollo 100. Here we have the first part of the piece, the part that stays in the original key. In a later release we intend to record the whole piece.