Historical Harp Society of Ireland

Thursday, December 15, 2005

HHSI Student Harps in Oxford

As well as the seven delivered to Ireland and strung in Dublin (see News, 1st December 2005), the latest batch of Student Trinities included four instruments sent by David Kortier to Oxford, for new owners in England. The Society is particularly pleased that one of these measured replicas of the medieval harp preserved in Trinity College, Dublin, was ordered by the Bate Collection at the Music Faculty of Oxford University. This instrument is to be used for demonstrations and workshops as part of the education handling collection.

HHSI secretary Simon Chadwick took the instrument to the Bate on Thursday 8th December, and with the assistance of Bate curator Dr Hélène La Rue and Museum Assistant Andy Lamb, the harp was assembled and strung.

The Society is pleased to see interest in the early Irish harp spreading to institutions, and hopes that Universities and Music Departments in Ireland will soon follow Oxford's lead.

The three other instruments were strung by their new owners; one remains in Oxford with HHSI Secretary Simon Chadwick and the other two are with students in Cornwall and Wiltshire.

Click here for more photos (pictures courtesy of the Bate Collection)

The Bate Collection: http://www.bate.ox.ac.uk

Historical Harp Society of Ireland: http://www.irishharp.org/

Student Trinity Specifications and Prices: http://www.irishharp.org/shop/studenttrinity.htm