Tutorial and Repertory Books for Gut/Nylon-Strung Harps (Partial Listing)
Becky Baxter. Five from the Gow (1993). Afghan Press, Houston, TX, USA. Duets that can be used as solos; gut/nylon Harp I and wire-strung Harp II.
Debbie Brewin-Wilson. Wood-Notes Wild. Tunes by Robert Burns for solo harp and vocal accompaniment. Intermediate. Available from the arranger at dbwharpy@aol.com.
Debbie Brewin-Wilson. Burns for Bairns. Robert Burns tunes arranged for small harp; geared for children. Beginner. Available from the arranger at dbwharpy@aol.com.
Stephanie Curcio. Scottish Harpist, Level 1 (1989). Stephanie Curcio Publications, Stratham, NH, USA. Very easy to early intermediate Scottish songs.
Stephanie Curcio. Scottish Harpist, Level 2 (1992). Stephanie Curcio Publications, Stratham, NH, USA. Intermediate level arrangements of traditional Scottish songs with some classical interpretations.
Corrina Hewat. Scottish Harp (2002). Taigh na Teud, Isle of Skye, Scotland. Scottish tunes and original compositions with traditional and jazz influences. CD included. Intermediate.
Margaret Hewett. The Small Harp (1982). This book covers music from Scotland, Ireland and Wales, including arrangements by Francis Collinson and original compositions by Ronald Stevenson and the late Derek Bell. Available from Pilgrim Harps, Surray, England http://www.pilgrimharps.co.uk/.
Therese Honey. Scotland the Brave. Self-published. Available from http://www.folkharp.com. Straightforward arrangements of Scottish tunes for the early to intermediate player.
Therese Honey. So Merry as We Have Been. Self-published. Available from http://www.folkharp.com. 18th century Scottish music from the Robert Macintosh Collection (1745-1807) and the Adam Craig Collection (1730). Intermediate.
Nancy Hurrell. A Circle of Harps (2002). Afghan Press, Houston, Texas, USA. Harp solos and ensembles, all traditional tunes from Britain. Includes several Scottish tunes. Beginning to intermediate.
Nancy Hurrell. The Harpers Playbook (1999). Afghan Press, Houston, Texas, USA. Multi-level ensemble arrangements, including Scottish tunes.
The Kilt & Harp is the quarterly journal of the Scottish Harp Society of America, Inc. Every issue includes at least two tunes, arranged specifically for the small harp or clàrsach. Often these arrangements are from master harper recording artists who are members of our Society. We also from time to time print the finest work of our non-professional members. Very often, these arrangements are written specifically for the pages of the Kilt & Harp and are not available anywhere else.
Alison Kinnaird. The Harp Key (1986). Kinmore Music, Temple, Midlothian, Scotland. Traditional Scottish solos and ensemble arrangements. Copious notes on arranging and playing Scottish music, plus the histories of each tune. All levels. ***Editor’s Choice
Alison Kinnaird. The Lothian Collection (1995) and The North-East Collection (2002). Kinmore Music, Temple, Midlothian, Scotland. Two books of tunes from the 18th and 19th centuries from the specific geographical areas in Scotland. Slow airs, reels, strathspeys, quicksteps, pastorales, and original compositions. Historical notes on each tune. Intermediate and higher.
Alison Kinnaird. The Small Harp (1999). Kinmore Music, Temple, Midlothian, Scotland. Essential guide to playing Scottish music on the harp. Contains 90 pages of theory, ornamentation, songs, notes, and explanations, CD included. All levels. ***Editor’s Choice
John Loesberg. The Celtic Harp (1988, 2001). Ossian, Cork Ireland. Old airs and dance tunes from Ireland, Scotland, Brittany, England, Wales, Cornwall and the Isle of Man. Arranged for easy harp. Cassette with music from this book played by harpist Siobhan Breathnach is available.
Anne Macdearmid. Celtic Garland: Collection of Traditional Scottish and Gaelic Airs Arranged for Celtic Harp (1985). Collection of airs and dance tunes from the Lowlands, Highlands and Islands. Classical idiom with some melodies in the left hand and many arpeggiated chords. Available from Pilgrim Harps, Surray, England http://www.pilgrimharps.co.uk/.
Anne Macdearmid. Scots Garland: A Collection of Scots Songs arranged for Voice and Celtic Harp (1986). All music contained is set in three-line scores with the vocal and accompaniment part, which includes introductions. Available from Pilgrim Harps, Surray, England http://www.pilgrimharps.co.uk/.
Christine Martin. Taigh na Teud (Harpstring House), New Edition (1998). Taigh na Teud, Isle of Skye, Scotland. Tunes from the Highlands of Scotland and Ireland CD available separately. Easy to moderate difficulty.
Christine Martin and John Marshall. Ceol nan Teud (Music of the Strings) (1995). Taigh na Teud, Isle of Skye, Scotland. Marches and reels from the modern piping tradition and unpublished melodies arranged from The Angus Fraser Collection. Intermediate. ***Editor’s Choice
Christine Martin and Siobhan Bhreathnach. The Celtic Harp. Taigh na Teud, Isle of Skye, Scotland. Arrangements of tunes from many Celtic countries, including Scotland. CD available separately. Easy to moderate difficulty.
Jo Morrison. Morrison Scottish Repertoire Book. Triharpskel Productions, New Windsor, MD, USA. Contains 12 marches, 12 strathspeys, and 12 reels for playing alone or in sets. Some are recorded on separate CDs. Includes suggestions for making tune sets, notes about the tunes, and a listing of recordings. Advanced beginner to intermediate.
Jo Morrison. The Three Musics of the Celtic Harp. Triharpskel Productions, New Windsor, MD, USA. Contains airs, songs, marches, strathspeys, reels, jigs, two Carolan tunes, and a hornpipe. There are also lyrics, notes on the tunes, bagpipe parts and some ensemble parts. Advanced beginner to intermediate.
Christine Fraser Ramsey. Tailgated by the Moon: Arrangements for Lever Harp (2001). Christine Fraser Ramsey, P.O. Box 141337, Columbus, Ohio, USA. Contains all harp arrangements from CD of same title. Original and traditional Scottish airs and dance music from Simon Fraser Ms., William Marshall, Caledonian Companion and others. Intermediate and higher.
Sue Richards. Music for The Heather Folk (1988). Mel Bay Publications, Pacific, Missouri, USA. Celtic harp solos based on music from Ireland, Scotland and Wales as heard on the Richards’ CDs Celtic Lace, Morning Aire, Grey Eyed Morn, and Music in the Great Hall. Lower intermediate level.
Sue Richards. A Scottish Tunebook (ca. 2000). Afghan Press, Houston, Texas, USA. Airs, marches, strathspeys, and reels. Some available on separate CD. Beginner to intermediate.
Laurie Riley and Leslie McMichael Celtic Music for Folk Harp (1996). Mel Bay Publications, Pacific, Missouri, USA. Easy arrangements containing information about Celtic style, especially Irish, ornamentation and left hand accompaniments. Includes nylon and wire harp tunes.
Kim Robertson. Scottish Ballads and Aires (2003). Mel Bay Publications, Pacific, Missouri, USA. Well-known Scottish songs. The lyrics are included on separate pages. Advanced beginner to intermediate.
Kim Robertson. Three collections: Celtic Harp Solos (1995), Tender Shepherd (1995), and Treasures of the Celtic Harp (1998). Mel Bay Publications, Pacific, Missouri, USA. Tunes from many Celtic countries, including Scotland. Lower intermediate to intermediate.
Sunita Staneslow. Christmas Day: Christmas Music for the Celtic Harp (2003). Afghan Press, Houston, Texas, USA. Contain three Scottish carols as well as carols from other Celtic nations. Mixture of traditional and classical idioms with many arpeggiated chords. Advanced beginners and higher.
Ronald Stevenson. Sounding Strings: An Album of Celtic Music for Clarsach, Pedal Harp or Piano (year). United Music Publishers, London, United Kingdom. Contains Scottish Gaelic airs as well as tunes from Brittany, Ireland, Wales, Cornwall, and the Isle of Mann; some in classical or jazz idioms. Advanced.
Wendy Stewart. About Time. Taigh na Teud, Isle of Skye, Scotland. Traditional and contemporary tunes in modern arrangements; some intermediate level tunes from the CD of the same name plus some very simple beginner’s pieces.
Wendy Stewart. About Time Too: Music for the Scottish Harp (1998). Taigh na Teud, Isle of Skye, Scotland. Traditional and contemporary tunes in modern arrangements. Includes some intermediate to advanced tunes from the CD About Time 2 plus some simple beginner’s pieces. ***Editor’s Choice
Wendy Stewart. Standing Wave. Taigh na Teud, Isle of Skye, Scotland. Traditional; some recorded on a separate CD of the same name for playing along. Beginner to intermediate.
Mary Strachan and Christine Martin. A' Cheud Chum. Taigh na Teud, Isle of Skye, Scotland. Tunes for beginners, including duet and trio parts for ensemble playing.
Evelyn Tiffany-Castiglioni. Scottish Harp Collection, Vol. 1 (2003). Afghan Press, Houston, Texas, USA. 17th through 19th century Scottish tunes in traditional style with ornamented melodies, open chords, and spare harmonies. Intermediate level or higher.
Robin Williamson. Legacy of the Scottish Harp (1999). Mel Bay Publications, Pacific, Missouri, USA. Tunes and medleys, including several ancient ports, as performed by Scottish instrumentalist Robin Williamson. Includes CD. Intermediate.
Sylvia Woods. 52 Scottish Songs for All Harps (1997). Woods Music and Books, Los Angeles, CA, USA. Favorite tunes, more than half by Robert Burns, each in two arrangements: easy and more advanced.
Other. The Clarsach Society (Edinburgh, Scotland; refer to Website listings) has a number of graded folios for all levels. Some notable arrangers of the folios for upper intermediate to advanced players are Jean Campbell, Anne Macdearmid and Isobel Mieras. Lower level harp arrangements by Anne Macdearmid are available at Clive Morley Harps, Gloucestershire.