Harps Alive Lá na Cruite│Harp Day 2021 takes place on Saturday October 16th online and in person all over the world.
For the fifth 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.
Harps Alive will feature harps sounding loudly from dawn to dusk in iconic locations throughout Ireland, north and south and from as far away as Sydney, across the US, New Zealand and Japan. Closer to home, harpers in France, Italy, Switzerland and the UK join us to celebrate our vibrant harping tradition.
In Ennis, harper Aisling Lyons takes to the stage in the Spás at Glór to perform some of the music from her debut album Aistear. Click here to book.
Speaking about her craft, Aisling said, “The harp is special to me. It can act as a vessel for releasing emotions or forms of expression – sadness, joy, love, excitement. It can be a form of communication and transportation at times. It can bring you to a place of mindfulness or ‘mindlessness’, depending on what you need at that time.”
Lá na Cruite │Harp Day ‘21 focuses on three themes: Connecting, Engaging and Collaborating, where harpers connect with nature, engage with one another and their audiences and collaborate with other artists to present a new ’take’ on the harping tradition.
“We are excited that our 2021 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.”
Three online concerts will take place where harpers connect, engage and collaborate in an exciting series of initiatives partnering with aerial artists, rap artists, singers and other traditional musicians as they push the harp to its limits, exploring new possibilities and creating unforgettable musical experiences.
Public health guidelines permitting, harpers will take to the sea and the hills, to their local villages and towns to perform on Lá na Cruite│Harp Day.
A special collaboration with Music Generation Cork teams Louth harper Donncha Hughes with a group of vibrant young rap artists from the Kabin − a 21st century interpretation of the ancient relationship between the harper and the poet.