Harp Concert Rocks Oakland
Yesterday, my wife and I attended a very special event, the 20th annual “Festival of Harps, a Celebration of World Harp Music.” We heard about it through the e-newsletter of our favorite harpist, Aryeh Frankfurter (Lionharp Music). The venue was the unique and fabulous Chapel of the Chimes on Piedmont Avenue in Oakland. Built in 1909 and expanded in 1928 based on plans of world-famous architect Julia Morgan, it is an incredible structure with over 100 rooms.
Thirty-six listed performers, plus others not on the program, played 15 to 30-minute sets. Each was assigned a room or niche, with play schedules staggered (and repeated).
We arrived early and circled on the program the order and location of those we wanted to hear. The fact that the musicians repeated their performances allowed us to catch acts later in the evening which were in conflict with someone else we had chosen to see. Even so, this was a huge musical buffet of which there was no way to take in every performance. Despite this, we hit 7 full “meals” and 2 additional “appetizers” in 4 hours (which went by too fast).
Our first group, “Ensemble A Contratiempo” featured Venezuelan harpist Angel Toloso Moreno, a great start to the evening. After that, “in no special order,” were Anne and Charlie Heymann (Gaelic and Welsh harps); “Dräm” (Erik Ask-Upmark and Anna Rynefor, harp and Swedish folk music); Daniel Berkman (West African kora); “Chaskinakuy” (Andean harp); Karma Moffet (harp and Tibetan bells); “Arkansas Bindi Society” (pedal harp with percussion and Celtic and Indian vocals); “Harper’s Hall Ensemble” (a large group of established and newer harpists); and Diane Rowan (contemporary lever harp).
Amazingly, the cost per person was only five to fifteen dollars (in advance, a few dollars more at the door), depending on age. The music was a sensational smorgasbord of harp types, countries of origin and techniques. The concert itself was a reaffirmation of life in a place that honors death.
Sonia and I have long been harp music lovers and we wondered how we had never heard of this annual concert. We left vowing to do it again next year and hoping it would be at Chapel of the Chimes.
For photos of the venue and a few of the performers, click HERE