Harping On Alison's CD

I am excited by the rhythmic and harmonic possibilities of the harp.

I enjoy exploring music from other cultures and extending the

repertoire of the harp from its traditional classical and Celtic base.

I use musical elements from many diverse cultures to create my own compositions.

Alison

A Word From Stephen Vardy, Alison's Sound Engineer

I turned this CD off after playing it continuously for 3 hours through our Harpsound PA system at an exclusive craft show while Alison slipped away to play another previously arranged gig.

The artisans immediately complained! "Turn it back on" because they wanted to hear it again!

People listen to this CD over and over again - at home, in their creative studios, in the office and the workspace. This CD is rhythmic, varied, tuneful and free of the recording irritations that tend to unconsciously accumulate in the mind with constant listening.

We use this CD as an alternative music source to great effect for our sound system during Alison's rest breaks while she performs at large corporate events and other shows. I have heard this CD literally hundreds of times. I still catch myself moving and humming to her tunes. Enjoy!

Stephen

"Harping On"

is a

rhapsodic journey.

Sound in

continuous motion.

Melanie Black

Monday Magazine

This is a CD of solo harp music featuring the Paraguayan and Celtic harps. The 13 tracks include 5 of my own compositions, South American melodies, Celtic medleys, spirituals and more. (58 minutes of playing time).

I've selected my favourite pieces of music and ones which demonstrate the diverse repertoire of the harp. Hence there is a very wide range of styles and tempos to enjoy for all occasions.

I have recorded the majority of the tracks on this CD using a 36 string all nylon strung Paraguayan harp designed by Australian luthier, Andy Rigby, to my specification and which I later built at his workshop in Newstead, Victoria.

A quarter of the tracks were recorded using a 30 string gut and nylon strung Celtic lever harp crafted by Kim Webby of Whangarai, New Zealand.

I recorded this CD in the natural reverberation of an acoustically "live" room in a 100 year old heritage villa in Southern New Zealand. Recording quality is very high as all tracks were recorded directly to DAT with some of the best vintage valve and condenser microphones currently available. Close your eyes and you are sitting alongside the harp enjoying your own private concert!

Alison